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The Brief Attitudes Toward Solo Masturbation Scale: Development and Preliminary Validation
David C de Jong1, Katie N Adams2
1Department of Psychology, Western Carolina University, 91 Killian Building Lane, Cullowhee, NC, 28723, USA. ddejong@wcu.edu.
Archives of Sexual Behavior
|November 5, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a new, brief scale to measure attitudes toward solo masturbation. This scale offers a more efficient and reliable way to understand individual perspectives on this common behavior.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human Sexuality
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Solo masturbation is a prevalent behavior with diverse outcomes.
- Existing measures of masturbation attitudes are lengthy and lack optimal psychometric properties.
- Understanding attitudes toward masturbation is crucial for interpreting associated outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a brief, psychometrically sound scale measuring attitudes toward solo masturbation.
- To assess the validity of the new scale by examining its associations with related constructs.
Main Methods:
- A large sample of 1531 adults completed items assessing masturbation attitudes.
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop the scale.
- The Brief Attitudes Toward Solo Masturbation Scale (BATSMS) was created with positive and negative subscales.
Main Results:
- The eight-item BATSMS demonstrated positive and negative subscales.
- Preliminary evidence of validity was established through associations with existing measures, pleasure, frequency, erotophilia, erotophobia, and religiosity.
- An ultra-brief two-item version of the BATSMS was also evaluated.
Conclusions:
- The BATSMS provides a concise and valid measure of attitudes toward solo masturbation.
- This scale can facilitate future research on masturbation attitudes and their correlates.
- Further research is recommended to explore the utility of the BATSMS and its shorter version.
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