The Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test (SKAT)

Abstract

The Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test (SKAT) was designed to measure knowledge, attitudes and degree of experience in a variety of sexual behaviors, and to be used as a teaching and research instrument. The SKAT has been administered to over 35,000 students, approximately two-thirds of whom have been medical students. SKAT has served two major objectives: to measure changes in knowledge and attitudes after a course or program in human sexuality and to demonstrate the deficiencies of medical and nursing education in preparing health professionals to aid patients with sexual problems. Additional types of research using the SKAT are suggested.

PIP: Designed to measure knowledge, attitudes and degree of experience in a variety of sexual behaviors, the Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test (SKAT) has been administered to 35,000 students, two-thirds of which were medical. The test was originally designed in 1967 by Harold I. Lief, MD and David Reed, PhD, at the Center for the Study of Sex Education in Medicine, Marriage Council of Philadelphia. A pool of questionnaire items was drawn from a survey of literature, clinical experience, and socially controversial sex topics. Items were either multiple-choice or true-false. A number of variables are measured through scales. The SKAT yields 5 scores: 4 attitude and 1 knowledge score. The attitude section consists of 35 5-alternative, Likert-type items; responses to the items result in scores on 4 attitude scales: heterosexual relations (HR); sexual myths (SM); abortion (A); and Autoeroticism or Masturbation (M). Biographical information and sexual experience sections of the SKAT are not scored. SKAT has been used most often in educational settings where it is used to evlauate courses in human sexuality, not as part of controlled research. SKAT results are useful in demonstrating deficiencies of sexual health education.