The Sexual Communication Discrepancy Index: A Multidimensional Self-Report Instrument for the Assessment of Sexual Communication Discrepancies.

Sexual communication offers relational and sexual benefits. However, the sexual communication occurring in an individual's relationship may be incongruent with their expectations for such communication. Such discrepancies can affect partners' relationships and are important to examine. This study presents a new instrument for assessing discrepancies in sexual communication, the Sexual Communication Discrepancy Index (SCDI). Results of two studies examining SCDI's dimensionality, factor structure, and reliability revealed a promising 24-item, 4-factor scale instrument. The index offers a brief, easily scored, and reliable measure of sexual communication discrepancies. It may prove useful for researchers and clinicians who focus on sexual communication.