SCT: Sexual Configurations Theory
Sexual configurations theory (SCT) is a way to conceptualize, model, measure, and make sense of individual gender/sex and partnered sexuality. We have a whole SCT platform dedicated to it, with articles, a zine, videos, an online SCT measure, and translations. Click here for more info!
Measures & Materials
Our lab has created a number of measures. You are welcome to use them in your research, and to get in touch with any questions. For access, click on the links, go to academia.edu, or get in touch with us. Measures include:
- Branchedness & Coincidence: This describes an online platform with circles that participants manipulate (in size and location) to visually indicate branchedness and coincidence. From
- The Multifaceted Sexual Desire Questionnaire (DesQ): This is a new and validated measure of what people experience sexual desire for. From
- The Gender/Sex 3x3: This provides three simple questions anyone can use to ask about gender/sex (including trans, cis, nonbinary, binary status) and an analytical framework for responses and analyses. From
- The Gender/Sex Diversity Beliefs Scale: This is a new and validated measure about what people believe gender/sex is. From
- Household Labour: This is a new and validated measure of household labour. From
- The Imagined Social Situation Exercise (ISSE): The ISSE provides a structured framework for imagining social interactions (including sexual ones) to explore impacts on hormones. From
- Sexual Configurations Theory (SCT) materials: There's so much, we have a whole SCT platform!
Other Feminist/Queer Resources
We are involved in a number of initiatives that might be of interest:
- Dr. van Anders organizes a Feminist Sex Research Reception every few years at the International Academy of Sex Research.
- is a feminist science website Dr. van Anders created a while ago with informative, entertaining (hopefully!), and accessible entries. Right now, it's not being updated but there is still interesting material!.
- Dr. van Anders is one of the members of the team developing the . There are a number of tools, including determining & communicating eligibility, effective recruitment strategies, sampling plans & data analyses, asking about & measuring participants' genders and sexes, and methodological responsiveness over time.
- The annual Summer Session in Gender/Sex/uality In/Justice is a multi-week session with a (paid) facilitator and free attendance, organized by Dr. van Anders.
- is an academic reference guide to, and glossary for, talking about transgender people, experiences, identities, backgrounds, and existences in academic spaces for anyone interested; it might also be useful for classrooms and teaching.