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Macdowall WG, Reid DS, Lewis R, Bosó Pérez R, Mitchell KR, Maxwell KJ, Smith C, Attwood F, Gibbs J, Hogan B, Mercer CH, Sonnenberg P, Bonell C. Sexting among British adults: a qualitative analysis of sexting as emotion work governed by 'feeling rules'. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2023; 25:617-632. [PMID: 35674014 PMCID: PMC7614518 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2022.2080866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Sexting has generated considerable public and professional interest with concerns centring on young people, and potential harms to mental and sexual health. Little research thus far has explored the practice among adults and none has focused on the cultural norms relating to the emotional experience of sexting across different ages and genders. We conducted 40 semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of adults aged 18-59 years in Britain on the role of digital technologies in participants' sexual lives. In this paper, we draw on the accounts of 34 people with experience of sexting. We identified three main themes in participants' accounts related to the emotional aspects of sexting: (1) trust, (2) desire/intimacy and (3) shame. Under each theme, we identified motivations, 'feeling rules', and examples of 'emotion work' relating to the self, the other and the dyad. We conclude that there are shared cultural norms that constitute what appropriate sexting should feel like. Interventions aiming to minimise harms arising from sexting need to build on commonly held cultural conventions regarding the 'rules of the game' concerning feelings as well as behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy G Macdowall
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - David S Reid
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ruth Lewis
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Raquel Bosó Pérez
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Kirstin R Mitchell
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Karen J Maxwell
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Clarissa Smith
- Department of Arts, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Jo Gibbs
- Institute for Global Health, UCL London, UK
| | - Bernie Hogan
- Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Chris Bonell
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Le L, Goegan LD, Daniels LM. The Impact of Autonomous and Controlled Sexting Motivations on Subjective Well-being and Relationship Quality. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:243-254. [PMID: 35881253 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02361-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although many studies have examined reasons for sexting among young people, few have taken into account the underlying motivations associated with different reasons and how that may be associated with divergent positive or negative outcomes. This study addressed this gap by employing Self-determination Theory to assess how autonomous and controlled motivations for sexting were related to subjective well-being and relationship quality among emerging adults. Online survey data from 267 emerging adults (72 men, 195 women) ages 18-25 who had sent sexually explicit images or videos of themselves through electronic means to a committed partner were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Autonomous and controlled motivations for sexting were significantly related to pleasant affect, with autonomous motivation predicting more pleasant affect and controlled motivation predicting less pleasant affect. Autonomous motivations for sexting were related to enhanced relationship quality, whereas controlled motivations for sexting were related to decreased relationship quality. Neither form of motivation had a statistically significant relationship with unpleasant affect or life satisfaction. These results demonstrate that the quality of motivations for sexting among emerging adults in committed relationships may contribute to different outcomes, particularly in terms of relationship quality. Implications for counselors, educators, and practitioners working with emerging adults who sext are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Le
- 6-123F Education North, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G5, Canada.
| | - Lauren D Goegan
- 230L Education Building, Department of Educational Administration, Foundations and Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Lia M Daniels
- 6-123F Education North, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G5, Canada
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Expectations VS reality: Expected and actual affective reactions to unsolicited sexual images. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Falconer T, Quinn-Nilas C, Milhausen R. Body image self-consciousness, sexting, and sexual satisfaction among midlife Canadians. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN SEXUALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3138/cjhs.2021-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Life circumstances at midlife are often different than those for younger adults (e.g., relationship type and duration, physical health, experience of sexual problems), and these circumstances impact experiences of sexuality and sexual behaviour. Past research on sexual behaviours like sexting, which has been primarily conducted on young people, may not generalize to middle-aged adults. Sexting may be a beneficial activity for midlife adults in long-term relationships who are seeking private and convenient ways to communicate sexual interest. Furthermore, as in younger samples, sexting may be associated with body image and sexual satisfaction. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 640 midlife (40–59 years old) married Canadians was conducted to address these suppositions. Structural equation modelling was used to test the factorial validity of a body image self-consciousness (BISC) scale and to investigate the connections between BISC, sexting frequency (to communicate sexual interest, to initiate sexual activity, and that include a picture), and sexual satisfaction. Almost one-half of participants (43%) reported sexting to communicate sexual interest, 37% sexted to initiate sexual activity, and 18% sexted sexy pictures of themselves. Women with lower levels of BISC were more likely to sext (communicate, initiate, and pictures), and men with lower levels of BISC were more likely to send sexts with pictures. Both men and women with lower levels of BISC and those who engaged in sexting to communicate sexual interest had higher levels of sexual satisfaction. Sexting may be an opportunity for busy marital partners to engage in technology-mediated sexual activity when apart. The current results indicate that technology-mediated sexual communication has similar psychological mechanisms to face-to-face interactions and that sexting may be a beneficial behaviour for sexual satisfaction within midlife marriages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasha Falconer
- Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher Quinn-Nilas
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
| | - Robin Milhausen
- Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Maes C, Vandenbosch L. Physically distant, virtually close: Adolescents' sexting behaviors during a strict lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021; 126:107033. [PMID: 34608353 PMCID: PMC8481129 DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.107033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This study contextualizes Belgian adolescents' (12-18 years old) sexting behaviors between romantic and non-romantic partners during a strict lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey among 543 Belgian respondents (M age = 15.29, 68% girls) showed that 40.9% of the adolescents engaged in at least one type of sexting (i.e., type one = textual, type two = visual content with underwear/swimwear, type three = visual depiction of private parts, type four = visual depiction of sexual acts). Arousal needs were the most common reasons to sext (M = 3.33, SD = 1.89). Generalized ordered logit analyses show that higher arousal needs were linked to higher frequencies of the first three sexting types. Relational affirmation needs were related to the engagement in sexting type two, whereas partner pressure was related to sexting type three and four. Regarding the latter, a significant link was also found with stress regulation. Conditional relations emerged according to adolescents' sex, developmental status, and relationship status. The current study's findings not only help to inform practitioners in terms of behavioral advice for future pandemics or periods after social isolation, but can also offer explanations for (changes in) adolescents' sexting behaviors after the pandemic and the possible dual nature of its effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelly Maes
- School for Mass Communication Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Vandenbosch
- School for Mass Communication Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Shaughnessy K, Braham J. Where’s the tech in sex research? A brief critique and call for research. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN SEXUALITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3138/cjhs.2021-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Internet and data-based technologies are ubiquitous in most societies around the world. People use online technologies (i.e., devices, software, platforms, applications, etc., that connect to the Internet through wired or wireless means) in almost all aspects of their daily lives, including sexuality. Yet, researchers have been slow to integrate online technologies in sexuality studies. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating research about online technology with research about human sexuality. We argue that researchers focused on (almost) all topics of human sexuality would benefit from considering online technologies in their studies. We describe how people’s online and in-person experiences do not exist in separate vacuums; rather, they influence and are influenced by one another in an ongoing and dynamic fashion. We propose three ways that sexuality researchers can integrate technology and technology-informed research in their future studies that address some of the opportunities and challenges: adding variables and constructs, using technology-focused theories, and collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Justine Braham
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Exploring Sexting and Online Sexual Victimization during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18126662. [PMID: 34205693 PMCID: PMC8296372 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has impacted daily routines, forcing people to stop socializing in person and changing the way people express their feelings and their romantic or sexual interactions. Social distancing has changed the way people behave online, and we expect that engagement in sexting and online sexual victimization behaviors have increased during lockdown. The aim of this paper is to study the prevalence of sexting and online sexual victimization behaviors during the COVID-19 lockdown in Spanish adults in order to explore how social distancing has affected these behaviors. The sample comprised 293 Spanish adults (mean age = 30.3; 66.2% female) who took part in an online survey about their engagement in sexting behaviors and online sexual victimization experiences. Overall results were apparently not supportive of our main hypothesis, showing that both sexting engagement and online sexual victimization decreased during lockdown despite the increase in internet use. Apart from differences in time period of reference, some alternative hypotheses relate to the increased presence of capable guardians according to the routine activities theory and to forced distance as a demotivation to sext. Possible explanations and hypotheses for these results are discussed further in the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Currin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Amelia E. Evans
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Sheila Garos
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
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Molla Esparza C, Nájera P, López-González E, Losilla JM. Development and Validation of the Adolescent Sexting Scale (A-SextS) with a Spanish Sample. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17218042. [PMID: 33142818 PMCID: PMC7663141 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17218042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
“Sexting” is generally defined as the exchange of sexual media content via the internet. However, research on this topic has underscored the need to seek greater consensus when considering different conceptual elements that make up this definition. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for measuring sexting among adolescents, in order to cover a gap identified in the previous literature. The Adolescent Sexting Scale (A-SextS for short) was developed for validation on a sample of 579 Spanish secondary school pupils between the ages of 11 and 18. Evidence for face, content, concurrent, and criterion validity were assessed. A comprehensive set of 64 items, covering six defining characteristics of sexting (e.g., actions, recipient, media format, degree of sexual explicitness), was constructed after conducting an extensive literature review, two discussion groups, and a pilot study. Sexting prevalence rates measured by A-SextS were mostly concurrent with those found in previous studies. A-SextS subscales produced statistically significant positive associations with pornography consumption and physical sexual intercourse. The study shows that A-SextS can be an integrating instrument that facilitates a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of adolescent sexting experiences, as well as the formulation of an operationalized definition of the practice of sexting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Molla Esparza
- Department of Research Methods and Educational Diagnosis, Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Valencia, Avenida Blasco Ibáñez 30, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Pablo Nájera
- Department of Social Psychology and Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Cantoblanco Campus, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Emelina López-González
- Department of Research Methods and Educational Diagnosis, Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Valencia, Avenida Blasco Ibáñez 30, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Josep-Maria Losilla
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Carrer Fortuna Edifici B, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
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