Sexual Mentalizing Scale (SexMent): Conceptual introduction, scale development and validation

The ability to mentalize sexual affects might contribute substantially to adult sexual health. With sexual affects taking a different route to integration than general affects, a particular conceptualization seems necessary and is missing. Therefore, we introduce sexual mentalizing as the ability to perceive sexual behavior as explained by intentional mental states, and develop, and validate a corresponding Sexual Mentalizing Scale (SexMent). 1096 adults from the German general population responded to an initial 21-item set and related measures of general mentalizing, affective mentalizing, empathy, and sexual self-consciousness in an online survey. Final SexMent items were selected based on discrimination index values, factor loadings, and theoretical considerations. Construct validity was explored. Factor analyses of the final 12 items revealed five meaningful factors with at least acceptable psychometric properties and a good model fit: cognitive representation, bodily relation, verbal relation, affective relation, and sexual self-awareness. The SexMent fits well into its nomological network showing predominantly medium-sized correlations. In conclusion, conventional mentalizing assessments do not seem to extensively cover sexual mentalizing. Instead, sexual mentalizing seems to require specific targeting. The SexMent seems to be a psychometrically sound implementation thereof, forming a reliable basis for empirically exploring sexual mentalizing in the context of sexual health. • The construct of sexual mentalizing is introduced and defined. • It describes perceiving & interpreting sexual behavior as based on mental states. • We developed and validated a self-report Sexual Mentalizing Scale (SexMent). • SexMent encompasses 12 items on 5 dimensions. • Conventional mentalizing assessments do not extensively cover sexual mentalizing.