The Sexual Intent Perceptions Questionnaire (SIP-Q)

The Sexual Intent Perceptions Questionnaire (SIP-Q) is a 25-item instrument designed to measure interpretations of women’s sexual willingness communicated via various behaviors. The instrument demonstrates high internal consistency using a 7-point Likert-type scale. Applications of the SIP-Q include assessing observers’ tendency to overperceive women’s sexual interest, testing the effects of drive states such as sexual arousal and feelings of power on ratings of women’s sexual interest, and exploring how variables such as physical attractiveness and actor–observer positionality may be associated with sexual perceptions. Studies employing the SIP-Q revealed that sexual arousal tends to increase ratings of sexual willingness, particularly among single men, and that women’s physical attractiveness can enhance these perceptions, especially when the man himself is the recipient of the woman’s behavior. The instrument is beneficial for examining sources of sexual miscommunication.