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The Sexual Self as a Function of Relationship Status in an Emerging Adult Sample
1Department of Psychology, St. Jerome's University at the University of Waterloo, 290 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G3, Canada.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 27, 2023
Summary
University students in relationships reported more positive sexual self-concepts and greater comfort with sexuality. Romantic relationships may influence sexual selfhood, impacting sexual and relational satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Human Sexuality
Background:
- Understanding the
- sexual self
- is crucial for emerging adults navigating identity and relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the components of the sexual self, including sexual self-concept, comfort with sexuality, and past sexual behavior.
- To examine how romantic relationship status influences these aspects of the sexual self in emerging adult university students.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to emerging adult university students.
- Measures included the Sexual Opinion Survey (for erotophobia-erotophilia), the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (for past sexual behavior), and scales assessing sexual self-concept constructs.
- Statistical analyses examined differences based on relationship status and the predictive power of sexual self-concept and comfort on satisfaction.
Main Results:
- Students in romantic relationships exhibited more positive sexual self-concepts and higher erotophilia (comfort with sexuality) compared to single students.
- Past sexual behavior also varied significantly based on relationship status.
- Certain sexual self-concept scales predicted sexual satisfaction, while comfort with sexuality predicted relational satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- Romantic relationships appear to be associated with a more positive sexual self and greater comfort with sexuality among emerging adults.
- These findings suggest potential bidirectional implications of romantic relationships for sexual selfhood and satisfaction.
- Further correlational research is needed to confirm these tentative suggestions.
Keywords:
erotophobia–erotophiliarelationship statussexual comfortsexual selfsexual self-conceptsexual selfhoodMore Related Videos
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