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The Woman’s Nontraditional Sexuality Questionnaire-Short Form (WNSQ-SF): Development, Variance Composition, Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance

Gender Issues (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to develop a psychometrically stronger version of the women’s nontraditional sexuality questionnaire (WNSQ), one that could support a total scale score in addition to subscale scores. Using data from 519 college and community women, the variance composition of the WNSQ was assessed, from which the bifactor model showed the best model fit. This model had a general WNS factor and four group factors: casual sex, self-pleasuring, sexual interest, and sex-as-a-means-to-an-end. A trimmed model was developed based on updated guidelines for shortening composite measurement scales, and confirmed in a separate sample (N = 238). Next, the reliability of the WNSQ-SF was assessed using bifactor reliability and dimensionality diagnostic indices and found that the raw scores from the general factor and three out of the four group factors were reliable. Convergent and discriminant construct evidence of the validity of the subscales was found. Finally, strong and strict invariance across race/ethnicity and sexual orientation was demonstrated, meaning that members of both marginalized and dominant groups of women understand the scale scores in the same way, including the scale score points and zero points of the scales, and that the constructs assessed by the scale are measured with the same degree of precision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Akron, 302 Buchtel Mall, Akron, OH, 44325, USA

    Ronald Levant & Shana Pryor

  2. Behavioral Medicine and Primary Care-Mental Health Integration, Durham VA Medical Center/Duke University, Durham, USA

    Kristin Silver

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  1. Ronald Levant
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Levant, R., Pryor, S. & Silver, K. The Woman’s Nontraditional Sexuality Questionnaire-Short Form (WNSQ-SF): Development, Variance Composition, Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance. Gend. Issues (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-022-09298-7

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Keywords

  • Women’s sexuality
  • Gender norms
  • Scale development
  • Structural equation modeling
  • Measurement invariance/equivalence