Sexual Experiences Survey: Reliability and Validity

Abstract

Many rape studies use judicial records or crisis center files to recruit research participants. Recent studies, however, have suggested that reported rape rates greatly underestimate the number of rapes that occur each year, that the conviction rate for rape is low, and that few victims utilize rape crisis centers. The Sexual Experiences Survey, a self-report instrument designed to identify hidden rape victims and undetected offenders among a normal population, is an alternate approach to sample selection. In the present study, reliability and validity data for the Sexual Experiences Survey are described.

Full text

Journal
or
Consulting
and
Clinical
Psychology
1985,
Vol.
53, No. 3,
422-423
Copyright
1985
by the
American
Psychological Association,
Inc.
0022-006X/85/M0.75
Sexual
Experiences Survey: Reliability
and
Validity
Mary
P.
Koss
and
Christine
A.
Gidycz
Kent
State
University
Many
rape studies
use
judicial records
or
crisis center
files to
recruit research
participants. Recent studies,
however,
have
suggested that reported rape rates
greatly
underestimate
the
number
of
rapes that occur each year, that
the
conviction
rate
for
rape
is
low,
and
that
few
victims
utilize
rape crisis centers.
The
Sexual
Experiences
Survey,
a
self-report instrument designed
to
identify
hidden rape
victims
and
undetected
offenders
among
a
normal population,
is an
alternate
approach
to
sample selection.
In the
present study,
reliability
and
validity
data
for
the
Sexual Experiences
Survey
are
described.
Much
rape
research relies
on
judicial
identifi-
cation
of
offenders
or
recruitment
of
victims
through
rape crisis centers.
However
recent studies
have
suggested
that
only
40%-50%
of
rapes
are
reported (Law
Enforcement
Assistance
Adminis-
tration
[LEAA],
1975)
and
that
the
conviction rate
for
rape
is 16% of
reported crimes
(LEAA,
1977).
Furthermore,
the
number
of
victims
who
utilize
rape
crisis
center services
may be as low as 4%
(Koss,
in
press). These data suggest
the
existence
of
many hidden victims
and
undetected
offenders
in
the
general population
and
emphasize
the
need
to go
beyond police
and
crisis center
files to
obtain
individuals
for
participation
in
rape
research.
Additionally,
judicial
or
crisis-center-based
methods
of
sample selection rest
on a
typological
approach
to
rape.
Thus,
an
individual
is
labeled
either
a
rapist,
a
rape victim,
or a
comparison
subject.
Several writers
have
suggested that
a di-
mensional
view
of
sexual aggression
and
victimi-
zation
be
adopted
in
rape research.
In
this
frame-
work,
rape represents
an
extreme behavior
but
one
that
is on a
continuum with normal sexual
behaviors
within
the
culture.
The
Sexual Experi-
ences Survey (Koss
&
Oros, 1982)
has
been
de-
scribed
as a
self-report instrument that
is
designed
to
reflect
various degrees
of
sexual aggression
and
victimization
and is
capable
of
identifying
hidden
rape victims
and
undetected
offenders
for
partici-
pation
in
research. This article
reports
reliability
and
validity data
to
support
the
survey.
Method
The
original items (Koss
&
Oros, 1982) were
reworded
slightly
to
increase clarity, improve con-
This
research
was
supported
by
National Center
for
the
Prevention
and
Control
of
Rape
Grant
MH
31618.
Requests
for
reprints
and for
copies
of the
Sexual
Experiences Survey should
be
sent
to
Mary
P.
Koss,
Department
of
Psychology, Kent
State
University, Kent,
Ohio 44242.
sistency
with
the
legal
definition
of
rape,
and
reflect
more degrees
of
sexual aggression
and
vic-
timization.
The 10
items
are
yes-no
format.
The
items
are
worded
to
portray
female
victimization
and
male aggression because nearly 100%
of
re-
ported rapes
reflect
this pairing. Typical
of the
items
that
reflect
extreme
forms
of
sexual
aggres-
sion/sexual
victimization
is the
following
(female
wording
is
given;
male wording
is
indicated
in
parentheses):
"Have
you had
sexual intercourse
when
you (a
woman)
didn't
want
to
because
a
man
(you) threatened
or
used some degree
of
physical
force—twisting
your (her) arm, holding
you
(her) down,
etc.—to
make
you
(her)?"
The
reliability
and
validity
of the
survey
were
assessed
utilizing
several
different
populations
of
college students. Although college students
are not
appropriate
for
many clinical studies,
we
felt
that
their
use in
these analyses could
be
justified
for
three
reasons:
(a) The
Sexual
Experiences
Survey
is
designed
for use in
large
"normal"
populations
to
identify
individuals
with
experience with sexual
aggression/victimization,
(b)
college-age students
are in the
high-risk
age and
occupational group
for
reported rape,
and (c) the
major
application
of
the
Sexual
Experiences
Survey
to
date
has
been
a
national
study
of
approximately
10,000
college
students.
Internal
consistency reliability
was
calculated
from
the
responses
of 448
introductory psychology
students
(«
=
305
women,
n
=
143
men).
Demo-
graphics were
not
collected
due to the
restricted
nature
of the
sample.
The
internal consistency
(Cronbach alpha)
of the
items
was .74
(women)
and
.89
(men).
Test-retest
reliability was
assessed
in
a
similarily
recruited sample
of
71
females
and
67
males.
The
survey
was
administered
in
group
settings
on two
occasions
a
week
apart.
The
mean
item
agreement between
the two
administrations
was
93%.
The
test-retest
reliability suggests that
the
Sexual
Experiences
Survey
resulted
in
stable
responses.
The
internal consistency reliability,
while
at an
422
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