The Perceived Equity and Equality of Sexual Practices Scale: Validation of a measure of equity and equality within couples

Abstract

The goal of the current study was to validate the Perceived Equity and Equality of Sexual Practices Scale (PEESP). A total of 296 undergraduate students from a French-Canadian university completed the PEESP scale in addition to measures of sexual and couple satisfaction. Exploratory factorial analyses revealed three factors underlying the perception of one's contribution to the couple's sex life: implication, expression of discomfort, and sharing. These subscales were replicated for the perception of the partner's contribution to the couple's sex life which allowed three scores to be computed assessing the perceived equality of the contributions to the couple's sex life. Correlations were found between the nine subscales and the levels of couple and sexual satisfaction, thus indicating convergent validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability over a two-week period were satisfactory for all subscales. The perception of sexual equity was also assessed by two global questions inspired by previous measures. MANOVAs showed that individuals who perceived themselves as being in a sexually equitable relationship were more satisfied with their couple and sexual life compared to sexually under-benefitted individuals. Results show that the PEESP is a promising instrument for use in clinical and research settings.