Diversity of romantic experiences in late adolescence and their contribution to identity formation

The Sexual Self as a Function of Relationship Status in an Emerging Adult Sample

A sample of emerging adult university students completed a survey with the goal of investigating components of "the sexual self" and how these constructs were influenced by romantic relationship status. Three general aspects of the sexual self were considered: sexual self-concept, comfort with sexuality, and past sexual behavior. Sexual self-concept was defined as composed of constructs such as sexual self-schema, self-efficacy, consciousness, optimism, problem self-blame, power/other control, and motivation to avoid risky sex. Sexual comfort, conceptualized as a personality disposition of erotophobia-erotophilia, was assessed using three instruments. This included the Sexual Opinion Survey, the original individual difference measure of erotophobia-erotophilia. Past sexual behavior was assessed with the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory. Findings suggested that individuals in a relationship had more positive sexual self-concepts and were more erotophilic and comfortable with sexuality generally. These differences were modest, based on effect size statistics. Past sexual experience also differed, contingent on relationship status. Some sexual self-concept scales were predictive of sexual satisfaction, while comfort with sexuality was predictive of relational satisfaction. Romantic relationships may have important implications for sexual selfhood, but this is a tentative suggestion, as this was a correlational study and the relationships are likely bidirectional.

Emotional and social cognitive predictors of sexual risk indicators among adolescents in committed and noncommitted partnerships

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about the risks of casual sexual partnerships during adolescence despite many adolescents having sex within noncommitted relationships. We applied theories of adult attachment, planned behavior, and problem behavior to examine emotional and social cognitive predictors of variability in sexual risk indicators among adolescents in committed and noncommitted partnerships.

METHOD

Data were drawn from 801 adolescents (53.6% females; aged 14-20 years (M = 16.25)) living in a southern state in the United States.

RESULTS

Findings showed that healthy sex attitudes were related to knowing one's sexual partner longer; this association was stronger for females, particularly those in noncommitted sexual partnerships. Additionally, healthy sex attitudes predicted fewer sexual partners across adolescents, except for male adolescents in noncommitted sexual partnerships. Romantic attachment insecurity and constraining relationship beliefs had different associations with sexual risk indicators according to gender and relationship status.

CONCLUSION

Findings contribute to the current understanding of risks associated with adolescents' sexual engagement and offer insights into adolescents' casual sexual partnerships.