Compulsive sexual behavior may be more state-like than trait-like: Findings from a three-year longitudinal representative survey

Background and aims: Studies regarding whether compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) shows a persistent or transient longitudinal course have been scarce and generated mixed findings, complicating its conceptualization. A model that includes both trait-like/stable and state-like/occasion-specific factors may clarify the course and nature of CSB. The authors aimed to determine the proportion of variance in CSB scores attributable to trait-like/stable and state-like/occasion-specific factors and examine the strength of autoregressive effects between successive state-like/occasion-specific factors. 

Methods: Data from young adults (N = 782; women: 39.60% [N = 310]; age at wave 1: M = 27.06 [SD = 4.69]) showing continuous sexual activity from waves 1–4 of the representative Budapest Longitudinal Study were analyzed. CSB was measured with the eight-item Hypersexual Behavior Inventory. 

Results: Latent growth modeling showed decreases in CSB over waves 1–4 across three years, following a non-linear (quadratic) trajectory (M [SE] = −0.26 [0.08]). A latent state-trait model with one CSB trait-like/stable factor and four state-like/occasion-specific residual factors (capturing time-specific fluctuations) had optimal fit (χ2 [df] = 653.667 [550], p = 0.002; CFI = 0.996; TLI = 0.997; RMSEA [90% CI] = 0.016 [0.011; 0.021]; SRMR = 0.075). High proportions of CSB score variance were attributable to state-like/occasion-specific factors (69–93%), while lower proportions of CSB scores were attributable to the trait-like/stable factor (7–31%). Additionally, positive, moderate-to-strong autoregressive effects were observed between successive state-like/occasion-specific factors, indicating short-term stability and carry-over across assessments (β [SE] = 0.36–0.65 [0.06–0.08]). 

Discussion and conclusions: Overall, CSB is more likely to be a state-like phenomenon in young adults from the general population. Situational influences may explain the longitudinally fluctuating and transient course of CSB. Significant state-like/occasion-specific effects may have important implications for screening for and diagnosis of CSB disorder.