Psychometric properties of the sexual attitudes scale in a sample of unmarried Chinese young adults.

In China, the systematic and empirical study of sexual attitudes is difficult, in part, due to the lack of psychometrically robust instruments. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Sexual Attitudes Scale (SAS; Hendrick & Hendrick, 1987) and explored the sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of Chinese young adults. A total of 1,213 unmarried, educated, Chinese young adults completed an online survey. Three factors of the SAS--Permissiveness (Sex centered on self), Responsibility, and Communion (Sex centered on the relationship)--demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties. The results revealed that participants who were not currently in a romantic relationship were more likely to endorse Permissiveness and less likely to endorse Communion than those who were currently in a romantic relationship. Significant, positive correlations were found between Permissiveness and both the number of previous and current sexual partners. The factor structure of the SAS and the potential applications of this tool in China are discussed.