Title:
Adolescent sexual decision-making: a qualitative investigation of the influence of parents, peers, and media
Author:
Kristin Hogan
Thesis Advisor:
Rachel Grover
Committee Member:
Beth A. Kotchick
Committee Member:
Adanna Johnson
Committee Member:
James Miracky
Committee Member:
Charles LoPresto
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
2014
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
born digital
Abstract:
The present study examined the subjectively perceived influence of parents, peers, and media on individual adolescent sexual decision-making. Past research addressing adolescent sexual behavior has largely focused on coital initiation, public health concerns, such as sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy, and the various roles parents and peers play in sexual decision-making. Recent research has begun to examine the influence of media and the Internet on sexual behavior, but an exploration of the role of social media remains inchoate. The present study aims to integrate three domains (parents, peers, and media/social media), which have previously been examined individually, in an effort to better contextualize sexual decision-making within the adolescent's personal and social experience. The present study employs the qualitative methodology of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). IPA is particularly well-suited for the study of life experiences and how individuals make sense of and assign meaning to them, and is consistently utilized for the study of sex and sexuality. Participants consist of seven racially diverse, assumed heterosexual female students, ages 17 and 18 years old. The participants are either past or present students at a private school in the Mid-Atlantic, which was selected for its educational emphasis on self-reflection, critical thinking, and exposure to sexual discourse via required sexual education classes. Each participant engaged in an hour long, semi-structured interview, and completed a demographic questionnaire. Findings suggest the following major themes: of open, reciprocal, and organic communication with parents, specifically mothers; utilization of a non-peer support system; and thoughtful reflection and the intentional use of self as a guide appear to play a major role in adolescent female sexual decision-making. Evaluation of the negative sexual choices and experiences of peers (as observed in social situations and social media) emerged as a strong influence for participants to not engage in similar sexual situations and/or behaviors. Media was reported to not have an impact on sexual decision-making, but was described as sending messages regarding sexuality and what is socially desirable. The role of parental communication regarding sexual activity and decision-making is consistent with previous research regarding factors that influence delayed coital initiation. However, the intentional use of self as a primary decision-making tool, as well as the social contextualization of sexual development, may provide new avenues for future research.
Subject:
Electronic dissertations
Degree:
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Psychology
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online.
Use and Reproduction:
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Identifier:
HoganK-14
