The Psychometric Structure of Items Assessing Autogynephilia

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sexology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Autogynephilia involves paraphilic sexual arousal in men towards the concept of themselves as women.
• It manifests through diverse behaviors and fantasies.
• Understanding its structure is crucial for clinical and research purposes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the psychometric structure of autogynephilia using a validated scale.
• To determine if distinct subtypes of autogynephilia exist and their relationship to a general factor.
• To assess the validity and reliability of scales measuring autogynephilia and its subtypes.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory factor analysis (oblique and hierarchical) was conducted on 22 items from a scale assessing autogynephilia.
• The study included a sample of 149 men identifying as autogynephilic.
• Factor-derived scales were analyzed for internal consistency and validity against control groups.

Main Results:

• Factor analyses supported the existence of five distinct group factors (types) of autogynephilia.
• A strong general factor of autogynephilia was identified, explaining more variance than the group factors.
• The five types showed meaningful distinctions, including differential endorsement rates and predictive validity for variables like gender dysphoria.

Conclusions:

• The degree of autogynephilia appears more significant than its specific subtypes.
• Despite the general factor, the five identified types remain conceptually useful for research and clinical understanding.
• Scales demonstrated good reliability and validity, differentiating autogynephilic men from controls, though findings are exploratory.