Need for Sexual Intimacy Scale [NSIS-22]

Description

The Need for Sexual Intimacy Scale (NSIS-22) was developed by Marelich and Lundquist (2008) to assess the psychological motivations associated with sexual intimacy. Rather than measuring sexual desire as a single construct, the scale examines the different needs that may underlie the pursuit of sexual closeness.

The NSIS-22 focuses on three major motivational dimensions: Need for Sex, Need for Affiliation, and Need for Dominance. This multidimensional approach allows researchers to examine whether sexual intimacy is primarily sought for physical gratification, emotional closeness, interpersonal connection, or influence within intimate relationships.

Objective

The primary objective of the NSIS-22 is to assess the different psychological needs and motivations associated with sexual intimacy.

The scale can be used to investigate how individuals experience and interpret sexual closeness within romantic and interpersonal relationships. It may also help examine associations between sexual motivations and variables such as emotional intimacy, relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, attachment, communication, and interpersonal functioning.

Main Dimensions

The NSIS-22 includes three main dimensions:

Need for Sex: Refers to the desire for sexual activity and the importance of sexual expression as part of intimate relationships and personal experience.

Need for Affiliation: Reflects the tendency to seek sexual intimacy as a means of creating or strengthening emotional closeness, connection, affection, and interpersonal bonding.

Need for Dominance: Refers to the extent to which sexual intimacy is associated with motives involving interpersonal influence, control, or dominance.

These dimensions highlight that sexual intimacy may serve different psychological and relational functions across individuals.

Scoring

The NSIS-22 consists of 22 self-report items. Respondents indicate the extent to which each statement reflects their experiences or motivations using a Likert-type response format.

Scores are generally calculated separately for each of the three subscales. Higher scores on a particular dimension indicate a stronger endorsement of the corresponding motivation for sexual intimacy.

Therefore, interpretation should focus primarily on the profile of subscale scores rather than on a single overall score, because the NSIS-22 is designed to distinguish between qualitatively different motivations for sexual intimacy.

Psychometric Properties

The original study by Marelich and Lundquist (2008) developed the NSIS as a needs-based measure of sexual intimacy and provided support for its multidimensional structure.

Subsequent research further examined the factor structure of the scale and the relationships between its dimensions and other indicators of intimacy and interpersonal functioning.

When the instrument is translated or culturally adapted, researchers should reassess internal consistency, factor structure, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and measurement equivalence within the target population.

Applications

The NSIS-22 can be used in relationship psychology, sexuality research, social psychology, counseling research, and studies of intimate relationships.

Potential applications include examining associations between sexual motivations and:

relationship satisfaction,
sexual satisfaction,
emotional intimacy,
attachment patterns,
relationship communication,
interpersonal needs, and
relationship stability.

The instrument may also be useful in comparative research across demographic, cultural, or relationship groups.

Conclusion

The NSIS-22 provides a multidimensional framework for understanding the psychological motivations underlying sexual intimacy.

By distinguishing between the Need for Sex, Need for Affiliation, and Need for Dominance, the scale offers a more nuanced assessment than measures that treat sexual desire as a single construct. It is therefore a useful research instrument for studying sexuality, intimacy, and interpersonal relationships.

References

Marelich, W. D., & Lundquist, J. (2008). Motivations for sexual intimacy: Development of a needs-based sexual intimacy scale. International Journal of Sexual Health, 20, 177–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/19317610802240121

Marelich, W. D., & Shelton, E. (2011). The NSIS: Need for Sexual Intimacy Scale. In T. D. Fisher, C. M. Davis, W. L. Yarber, & S. L. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures (pp. 513–514). Routledge.

Marelich, W. D., Shelton, E., & Grandfield, E. (2013). Correlates and factor replication of the Need for Sexual Intimacy Scale (NSIS). Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality, 16.

Marelich, W. D., & Becker, E. (2020). The Need for Sexual Intimacy Scale. In R. R. Milhausen, J. K. Sakaluk, T. D. Fisher, C. M. Davis, & W. L. Yarber (Eds.), Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures (4th ed., pp. 469–472). Routledge.