SEXUAL FUNCTIONING IN CLINICAL COUPLES - DISCRIMINANT VALIDITY OF THESEXUAL INTERACTION SYSTEM SCALE

This study examined whether a new instrument for measuring couple sexu al functioning, the Sexual Interaction System Scale (SISS), would diff erentiate couples in therapy for sex dysfunction from couples in thera py for other problems. It also explored the relationship of sexual int eraction, sexual satisfaction, and marital adjustment. As predicted, t he other problems group achieved better scores on all couple and femal e factors and on all male factors except two. Discriminant analysis of the SISS factors for the two groups further supported the discriminat ive capacity of the instrument. Correlational analyses suggested a str ong relationship between the SISS, sexual satisfaction, and marital ad justment. While the other problems group had greater sexual satisfacti on than the sex dysfunction group, the groups were similar in experien cing moderate marital distress. The results support the further use of the SISS in research and clinical practice.