The latent structure of Multiphasic Sex Inventory-assessed pedophilic interest

The Multiphasic Sex Inventory (MSI; Nichols & Molinder, 1984) is a self-report measure frequently used in the assessment of sex offenders. Scores on the MSI are often used to assess levels of pedophilic interest. However, the question of whether men with pedophilia represent a unique group distinguished by their sexual interests, or whether they are high-scorers on a continuum of sexual interest in children among men who sexually offend against children remains unanswered. Because no existing evidence points conclusively to pedophilia having either a categorical or continuous latent structure, it is unresolved whether MSI scores should be treated as a continuous measure of severity or whether a cut score should be used to categorize individuals as members of a pedophilic taxon. In the present study, the authors used 3 taxometric procedures to analyze the latent structure of pedophilic interest in a sample of 371 convicted child sex offenders. The results converged to indicate that pedophilic interest (as measured by the MSI) is dimensional. The implications of these findings for the assessment of pedophilic interest are discussed.