Personal characteristics associated with sexuality can be classified into seven dimensions in Brazil

The present study sought to map the structure of personal descriptors of sexuality in the Brazilian Portuguese language and test relationships between sexuality and the Big 5 personality traits (i.e., Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness). A selection of descriptors resulted in a list of 28 adjectives that were empirically tested to evaluate how well each descriptor could describe each participant. In the first study (N = 331), we found seven explanatory dimensions based on sexuality descriptors, whose content resembled those reported by Schmitt and Buss (2000). In the second study (N = 723), we confirmed the seven-dimension structure. These sexuality dimensions, however, presented independent constructs that were not subordinated to the Big 5 factors. The sexuality dimensions also explained variance in self-esteem beyond the Big 5 factors. Our results advance the mapping of individual differences concerning sexuality and suggest that these seven dimensions may represent features that have widespread importance to humans in many cultures. This discovery implies the possibility of developing specific tests for assessing these characteristics.