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Sexual assertiveness across cultures, genders, and sexual orientations: validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9)

Sexual assertiveness across cultures, genders, and sexual orientations: validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9)
Sexual assertiveness across cultures, genders, and sexual orientations: validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9)

Sexual assertiveness (SA) is an important concept in understanding sexual well-being and decision-making. However, psychometric evaluation of existing measures of SA in diverse populations is largely lacking, hindering cross-cultural and comparative studies. This study validated the short version of the Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9) and examined its measurement invariance across several languages, countries, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses among 65,448 sexually-active adults (M age = 32.98 years, SD = 12.08, 58% women, 2.74% gender-diverse individuals) taking part in the International Sex Survey. The scale demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the SAQ-9 is suitable for comparing individuals from different cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses, and significant group differences were also noted (e.g., gender-diverse individuals reported the highest levels of SA). Findings suggest that the SAQ-9 is a reliable and valid measure of SA and appropriate for use in diverse populations, with specific populations exhibiting varying levels of SA.

International Sex Survey (ISS), SAQ-9, cross-cultural, gender difference, sexual and gender minorities, sexual assertiveness, validation
1073-1911
Nagy, Léna
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Koós, Mónika
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Kraus, Dr. Shane W.
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Demetrovics, Zsolt
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Potenza, Marc n.
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Bergeron, Sophie
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Billieux, Joël
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Briken, Peer
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Burkauskas, Julius
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Cárdenas-López, Georgina
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Carvalho, Joana
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Castro-Calvo, Jesús
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Chen, Lijun
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Chen, Ji-Kang
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Ciocca, Giacomo
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Csako, Rita
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Fernandez, David p.
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Fujiwara, Hironobu
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Fernandez, Elaine f.
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Fuss, Johannes
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Gabrhelík, Roman
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Gewirtz-Meydan, Ateret
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Gjoneska, Biljana
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Gola, Mateusz
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Hashim, Hashim t.
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Islam, Md. saiful
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Ismail, Mustafa
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Jiménez-Martínez, Martha c.
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Jurin, Tanja
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Kalina, Ondrej
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Klein, Verena
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Költő, András
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Lee, Sang-Kyu
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Lewczuk, Karol
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Lin, Chung-Ying
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Lochner, Christine
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López-Alvarado, Silvia
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Lukavská, Kateřina
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Mayta-Tristán, Percy
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Miller, Dan j.
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Orosová, Oľga
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Orosz, Gábor
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Ponce, Fernando p.
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Quintana, Gonzalo r.
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Quintero garzola, Gabriel c.
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Ramos-Diaz, Jano
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et al.
Nagy, Léna
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Koós, Mónika
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Kraus, Dr. Shane W.
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Demetrovics, Zsolt
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Potenza, Marc n.
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Ballester-Arnal, Rafael
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Batthyány, Dominik
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Bergeron, Sophie
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Billieux, Joël
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Briken, Peer
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Burkauskas, Julius
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Cárdenas-López, Georgina
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Carvalho, Joana
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Castro-Calvo, Jesús
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Chen, Lijun
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Chen, Ji-Kang
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Ciocca, Giacomo
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Corazza, Ornella
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Csako, Rita
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Fernandez, David p.
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Fujiwara, Hironobu
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Fernandez, Elaine f.
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Fuss, Johannes
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Gabrhelík, Roman
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Gewirtz-Meydan, Ateret
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Gjoneska, Biljana
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Gola, Mateusz
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Grubbs, Joshua b.
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Hashim, Hashim t.
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Islam, Md. saiful
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Ismail, Mustafa
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Jiménez-Martínez, Martha c.
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Jurin, Tanja
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Kalina, Ondrej
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Klein, Verena
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Költő, András
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Lee, Sang-Kyu
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Lewczuk, Karol
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Lin, Chung-Ying
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Lochner, Christine
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López-Alvarado, Silvia
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Lukavská, Kateřina
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Mayta-Tristán, Percy
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Miller, Dan j.
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Orosová, Oľga
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Orosz, Gábor
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Ponce, Fernando p.
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Quintana, Gonzalo r.
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Quintero garzola, Gabriel c.
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Ramos-Diaz, Jano
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Nagy, Léna, Koós, Mónika and Kraus, Dr. Shane W. , et al. (2025) Sexual assertiveness across cultures, genders, and sexual orientations: validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9). Assessment. (doi:10.1177/10731911241312757).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Sexual assertiveness (SA) is an important concept in understanding sexual well-being and decision-making. However, psychometric evaluation of existing measures of SA in diverse populations is largely lacking, hindering cross-cultural and comparative studies. This study validated the short version of the Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9) and examined its measurement invariance across several languages, countries, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses among 65,448 sexually-active adults (M age = 32.98 years, SD = 12.08, 58% women, 2.74% gender-diverse individuals) taking part in the International Sex Survey. The scale demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the SAQ-9 is suitable for comparing individuals from different cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses, and significant group differences were also noted (e.g., gender-diverse individuals reported the highest levels of SA). Findings suggest that the SAQ-9 is a reliable and valid measure of SA and appropriate for use in diverse populations, with specific populations exhibiting varying levels of SA.

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final_Validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9) - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 18 March 2025
Published date: 18 March 2025
Keywords: International Sex Survey (ISS), SAQ-9, cross-cultural, gender difference, sexual and gender minorities, sexual assertiveness, validation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 504100
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/504100
ISSN: 1073-1911
PURE UUID: 26a3bed9-e3fa-40a0-b037-cae544cf66b4
ORCID for Verena Klein: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5830-7991

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 26 Aug 2025 16:39
Last modified: 27 Aug 2025 02:11

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Contributors

Author: Léna Nagy
Author: Mónika Koós
Author: Dr. Shane W. Kraus
Author: Zsolt Demetrovics
Author: Marc n. Potenza
Author: Rafael Ballester-Arnal
Author: Dominik Batthyány
Author: Sophie Bergeron
Author: Joël Billieux
Author: Peer Briken
Author: Julius Burkauskas
Author: Georgina Cárdenas-López
Author: Joana Carvalho
Author: Jesús Castro-Calvo
Author: Lijun Chen
Author: Ji-Kang Chen
Author: Giacomo Ciocca
Author: Ornella Corazza
Author: Rita Csako
Author: David p. Fernandez
Author: Hironobu Fujiwara
Author: Elaine f. Fernandez
Author: Johannes Fuss
Author: Roman Gabrhelík
Author: Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan
Author: Biljana Gjoneska
Author: Mateusz Gola
Author: Joshua b. Grubbs
Author: Hashim t. Hashim
Author: Md. saiful Islam
Author: Mustafa Ismail
Author: Martha c. Jiménez-Martínez
Author: Tanja Jurin
Author: Ondrej Kalina
Author: Verena Klein ORCID iD
Author: András Költő
Author: Sang-Kyu Lee
Author: Karol Lewczuk
Author: Chung-Ying Lin
Author: Christine Lochner
Author: Silvia López-Alvarado
Author: Kateřina Lukavská
Author: Percy Mayta-Tristán
Author: Dan j. Miller
Author: Oľga Orosová
Author: Gábor Orosz
Author: Fernando p. Ponce
Author: Gonzalo r. Quintana
Author: Gabriel c. Quintero garzola
Author: Jano Ramos-Diaz
Corporate Author: et al.

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