[Evaluation of the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale: Results of a Representative German Population Survey].

Previous studies on Sexual Sensation Seeking (SSS) and the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale (SSSS) were mainly carried out on random samples selected according to age and gender. In this study, the German version of the SSSS was evaluated on a representative survey of men and women, which covers the age range of the adult German population. The quality criteria and the factor structure of the German version of the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale were examined on a representative sample of N=2420 (54% women, 36% men) aged between 18-93 years (M=50.44, SD=16.97). The internal consistency of the scale was good (α =0.91). Correlations with external criteria (Need Inventory of Sensation Seeking: r=0.56; Sexual Compulsivity Scale: r=0.68; p <0.001 for both comparisons) indicatde convergent validity. Age and gender-specific effects in the expected direction supported the construct validity: The values of the SSSS decreased with age. Men reported higher sexual sensation seeking across all age groups. The one-dimensional structure of the scale could not be clearly confirmed by factor analysis (CFA). The SSSS proved to be a reliable method for measuring sexual sensation seeking in the German population. In the future, sexual sensation seeking should be classified not only as risk behavior, but also be included in research as a resource-oriented positive predictor of sexual health.