RESUMO
Sociosexuality refers to the tendency to engage in uncommitted sexual behavior and has been dissected into three domains: sociosexual behavior, attitudes, and desire (Penke & Asendorpf, 2008), which led to the revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R), which was validated on a German sample. The current research aimed at translating and validating an Italian version (I-SOI-R), administered to three distinct Italian participant groups. In the first sample (N = 710, females = 521, age = 18-59 years), we found evidence for a bifactor model, articulated in a general sociosexuality factor and three specific factors (behavior, attitudes, desire). High internal consistency was established for total and subscale scores, alongside favorable test-retest reliability. A connection was found between relationship status and sociosexual desire, though not gender dependent. We found evidence for test-retest reliability in a second sample (N = 55, females = 37, age 20-58 years). In a third study (N = 305, females = 147, age = 19-60 years), the earlier findings were replicated, further confirming the I-SOI-R's construct, criterion, and nomological validity on an online sample. Combining data from the three studies revealed full configural, metric, and scalar invariance regarding gender. This allowed us to meaningfully compare the observed scores of women and men and replicated the finding that men display higher levels of unrestricted sociosexuality. In conclusion, the I-SOI-R may serve as a valuable tool to assess and enhance sexual health, albeit warranting future research on construct and criterion validity.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Limitation to the capacity to love is often a feature of a suffering personality. AIM: We aimed to investigate the role of the capacity to love in hypersexual behavior, considering both distress and defense mechanisms as possible psychological mediators. METHODS: Through an online platform, we recruited a convenience sample of 521 subjects (390 [74.9%] females and 131 [25.1%] males; mean [SD] age, 26.46 [5.89] years). OUTCOMES: Recruited subjects completed a psychometric protocol that included completion of the following measurement tools: (1) the Capacity to Love Inventory (CTL-I), (2) the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI), (3) the 30-item self-report Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale, and (4) the Brief Symptom Inventory. We then performed correlation and regression analyses and used a mediation model for data analysis. RESULTS: A significant negative relationship between the capacity to love and hypersexual behavior was found. Furthermore, indirect effects were also statistically significant, supporting the hypothesis that limitation to the capacity to love is related to hypersexuality through the paths of psychological distress and immature defense mechanisms. Finally, compared to the other subjects, those with pathological scores for the HBI showed significantly lower scores on the CTL-I, which suggested limitations to the capacity to love. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The relationship between limitation to the capacity to love and hypersexuality is fundamental to the diagnostic process in persons with problematic sexuality and psychopathological distress. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study is the first, to our knowledge, to highlight the role of the capacity to love in sexual behavior, although future studies in specific clinical sample groups would be suitable for further investigation of the relationships among the considered variables. CONCLUSION: The etiology of limitation in the capacity to love is related to dysfunctional aspects of psychological functioning, such as psychological distress and immature defense mechanisms, and these factors together generate problematic sexuality such as hypersexual behavior. Our results highlight the central role in mental and sexual health of the capacity to love. Based on these findings, clinicians should take these aspects into consideration for diagnosis and treatment of patients presenting with problematic sexuality.
