MENU

Classifying Our Metamour/Partner Emotional Response Scale (COMPERSe)

The Classifying Our Metamour/Partner Emotional Response Scale (COMPERSe) is an 11-item measure that captures consensually non-monogamous (CNM) individuals’ lived experience of compersion. It comprises of three subscales: Happiness about Partner/Metamour Relationship, Sexual Arousal, and Excitement for New Connections.

Categories

Geographies Tested: United States of America

Populations Included: Female, Male, Transgender, Other

Age Range: Adults

Items:

Please think about one of your current intimate partners and one of their intimate partners ("metamour") for all items.

1. I experience sexual arousal thinking about my partner and metamour together
2. I cherish my partner and metamour’s relationship
3. I am delighted that my partner has a relationship with my metamour
4. I’m excited when my partner is talking to a potential hookup
5. I feel sexual excitement when I think about my partner and metamour together
6. I am grateful that my partner has my metamour as a partner
7. My partner and metamour’s relationship turns me on sexually
8. When my partner has a crush and I see that crush responding to my partner, I’m thrilled
9. I am very pleased that my partner and metamour are together
10. I share in the emotional high when my partner tells me about a new potential intimate partner
11. I am reassured knowing that my partner has my metamour as a partner

Response Options
Not at all - 1
A little bit - 2
Moderately - 3
Quite a bit - 4
A lot - 5

Scoring Procedures

To score, average the following items for each subscale (do not use a total compersion score):
Happiness about Partner/Metamour Relationship: 2, 3, 6,9, 11
Sexual Arousal: 1, 5, 7
Excitement for New Connections: 4, 8, 10

Original Citation

Flicker, S. M., Vaughan, M. D., & Meyers, L. S. (2021). Feeling Good About Your Partners' Relationships: Compersion in Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationships. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 50(4), 1569-1585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-01985-y


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

Join the EMERGE Community

to get the latest updates on new measures and guidance for survey researchers