Heterosexual Script in Italian Young Adults: Measurement Across Genders

Abstract

Introduction The Heterosexual script has not yet received extensive scientific attention in, one of the countries in which gender stereotypes are particularly prominent. The purpose of this study was to examine adherence to sexual scripts among Italian young adults by first evaluating the dimensionality, psychometric properties, and gender invariance of the Italian version of the Heterosexual Script Scale (HSS), a 22-item self-report questionnaire measuring endorsement of sexual scripts in the context of heterosexual relationships. Method A community sample of 2781 women and men (F = 50.5%) was recruited in 2021 (mean age = 22.32, SD = 3.53 years, age range: 18–35 years). Participants completed the Italian version of the HSS, measures of ambivalent sexism, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results Exploratory factor analysis revealed that, after deletion of four items (items 4, 7, 16, 22), four factors should be extracted: Courtship Strategies, Women Depend on Men, Women’s Self-Sacrifice, and Sex Defines Masculinity; Women Set Sexual Limits. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 18-item four-factor structure had a good fit (RMSEA [90% CI] = .06 [.06; .07]; CFI = .95; SRMR = .05). Good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas for the four factors ranged from .65 to .72), construct validity, and metric invariance across genders were demonstrated. Conclusion Overall, findings indicate that the HSS can be used to reliably assess the endorsement of gendered sexual scripts among young Italian women and men. Some specific cultural aspects emerged. Policy Implications Researchers and sexual health practitioners should consider context-specific sexual scripts when designing research and intervention protocols. Sex education curricula could be improved by integrating modules aimed at promoting egalitarian gender scripts.