Every time you think there’s something new in the world of human sexuality, you usually earn it’s been something people have been into for ages. Recent news reports, magazine articles and television shows have begun a national conversation on open relationships and the role casual sex plays in the sex lives of people.
The fact is there are more open relationships than ever before – or at least it seems that way – because people are more open to discussing it publicly and sharing their own views and experiences with others. Learning about how people crave that freedom and ability to pursue other sexual partners makes many of us examine our own views about sex more closely. Some of us wonder where we fall in terms of being open to a more liberal relationship and that’s where the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory comes in.
What is the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory?
Simply put the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory is a short self-assessment people can take in order to see where they fall on the spectrum of Sociosexual Orientation. Your Sociosexual Orientation is a determination of how open and accepting you are to casual sex, multiple partners and other aspects of sexuality.
These questions ask people to rate their opinions on things like having sex with someone you’re not in love with and how often people fantasise about sex with other partners. As with any self-assessment there are no clear right or wrong answers. The purpose of the test isn’t to make people measure up to cultural norms, it’s about helping people better understand their own relationship with sex.
Take the Test!
Of course once you hear about the inventory, no doubt you want to take it yourself. Luckily, it’s short and very simple. Just respond honestly to the following questions.
- With how many different partners have you had sex within the past 12 months?
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5-6
- 7-9
- 10-19
- 20 or more
- With how many different partners have you had sexual intercourse on one and only one occasion?
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5-6
- 7-9
- 10-19
- 20 or more
- With how many different partners have you had sexual intercourse without having an interest in a long-term committed relationship with this person?
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5-6
- 7-9
- 10-19
- 20 or more
For this section, respond to each statement using a scale of 1 – 9 to represent how much you strongly agree (9) or strongly disagree (1).
- Sex without love is OK.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Strongly disagree Strongly Agree
- I can imagine myself being comfortable and enjoying “casual” sex with different
partners.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Strongly disagree Strongly Agree
- I do not want to have sex with a person until I am sure that we will have a long-term,
serious relationship.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Strongly disagree Strongly Agree
- How often do you have fantasies about having sex with someone you are not in a committed romantic relationship with?
- 1 – never
- 2 – very seldom
- 3 – about once every two or three months
- 4 – about once a month
- 5 – about once every two weeks
- 6 – about once a week
- 7 – several times per week
- 8 – nearly every day
- 9 – at least once a day
- How often do you experience sexual arousal when you are in contact with someone you are not in a committed romantic relationship with?
- 1 – never
- 2 – very seldom
- 3 – about once every two or three months
- 4 – about once a month
- 5 – about once every two weeks
- 6 – about once a week
- 7 – several times per week
- 8 – nearly every day
- 9 – at least once a day
- In everyday life, how often do you have spontaneous fantasies about having sex with someone you have just met?
- 1 – never
- 2 – very seldom
- 3 – about once every two or three months
- 4 – about once a month
- 5 – about once every two weeks
- 6 – about once a week
- 7 – several times per week
- 8 – nearly every day
- 9 – at least once a day
How to Score Your Test
Scoring the exam is as simple as looking at the pattern of answers. Some people will instantly recognize they fall on one end of the spectrum or the other or, more likely, somewhere in the middle. But what about responses that have many answers on opposing ends of the spectrum? This could signal conflicted feelings about sexuality and perhaps even some self-recrimination about how you feel about sex. This inventory isn’t designed to make you rush out and engage in sexual activity or to even pass judgement one way or the other. It’s simply a way for people to think about their own approach to sex and to highlight the need to find others with similar views. In many ways, it can help people become more open about their sexual history, their fantasies and what they want in terms of a happy sex life in the future.
