Pub Date : 2025-02-01Epub Date: 2023-11-17DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2280994
Robert J B Lehmann, Thomas Schäfer, Monika Fleischhauer, Alexander F Schmidt, Till Amelung
This study combined research on human mate preferences and attraction to physical and psychological features of children. Specifically, we used the Ideals Standards Model (ISM) as a conceptual framework to investigate the sexual relevance of adult and child sex cues within the general population. A sample of 589 men (mean age 30.6 years, SD = 16.6) answered questions about their sexual age preferences as well as different child and adult sex cues. The sample showed the full gamut of sexual age preferences (i.e. ranging from prepubescent children to adults over sixty years of age). A principal component analysis revealed five dimensions of adult and child sex cues. Sexual interest in children was positively related to the two dimensions of attraction to neotenous innocence and attraction to neotenous physical appearance while being negatively related to the factor of agency. In contrast, sexual interest in adults was indicated by the dimension of vitality. The fifth dimension of warmth-truthfulness was neither related to sexual interest in children nor sexual interest in adults. We argue that attraction to neotenous innocence and attraction to neotenous physical appearance can be used as an indicator of sexual interest in children. Moreover, we discuss how our results fit in with theoretical notions from the ISM.
{"title":"Physical and Psychological Child and Adult Sex Cues and Their Association with Sexual Age Preferences.","authors":"Robert J B Lehmann, Thomas Schäfer, Monika Fleischhauer, Alexander F Schmidt, Till Amelung","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2023.2280994","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224499.2023.2280994","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study combined research on human mate preferences and attraction to physical and psychological features of children. Specifically, we used the Ideals Standards Model (ISM) as a conceptual framework to investigate the sexual relevance of adult and child sex cues within the general population. A sample of 589 men (mean age 30.6 years, <i>SD</i> = 16.6) answered questions about their sexual age preferences as well as different child and adult sex cues. The sample showed the full gamut of sexual age preferences (i.e. ranging from prepubescent children to adults over sixty years of age). A principal component analysis revealed five dimensions of adult and child sex cues. Sexual interest in children was positively related to the two dimensions of <i>attraction to neotenous innocence</i> and <i>attraction to neotenous physical appearance</i> while being negatively related to the factor of <i>agency</i>. In contrast, sexual interest in adults was indicated by the dimension of <i>vitality</i>. The fifth dimension of <i>warmth-truthfulness</i> was neither related to sexual interest in children nor sexual interest in adults. We argue that <i>attraction to neotenous innocence</i> and <i>attraction to neotenous physical appearance</i> can be used as an indicator of sexual interest in children. Moreover, we discuss how our results fit in with theoretical notions from the ISM.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"177-186"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136400264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01Epub Date: 2024-01-25DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2305823
Ryan M Wade, Maksymilian Piasecki
Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD), also referred to as "sexual racism," is widely reported among young sexual minority Black men (YSMBM). Though RSD is driven in part by sexual scripts and racial stereotypes, little is known about YSMBM's experiences with RSD with respect to their sexual positioning roles. Using data from a cross-sectional web-survey of YSMBM (N = 726), a multivariate Kruskal Wallis test was conducted comparing YSMBM who identified as mostly bottom, versatile, or mostly top, on the degree to which they were affected by four RSD experiences, as well as the frequency with which they encountered these experiences. Men identifying as mostly bottom reported significantly stronger negative reactions to same-race rejection and encountering sexual role assumptions than men identifying as mostly top. Men identifying as versatile encountered same-race rejection significantly more frequently than men identifying as mostly top. Men identifying as mostly bottom encountered White superiority significantly more frequently than men identifying as mostly top. RSD may impact YSMBM differentially based on sexual position. These findings may have implications for culturally competent clinical practice, as well as analytic implications (e.g., estimating more complex statistical models) for sexual racism research, which remains an important yet underexamined field in the health sciences.
{"title":"Whose Role is It Anyway? Sexual Racism and Sexual Positioning Among Young Sexual Minority Black Men.","authors":"Ryan M Wade, Maksymilian Piasecki","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2024.2305823","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224499.2024.2305823","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD), also referred to as \"sexual racism,\" is widely reported among young sexual minority Black men (YSMBM). Though RSD is driven in part by sexual scripts and racial stereotypes, little is known about YSMBM's experiences with RSD with respect to their sexual positioning roles. Using data from a cross-sectional web-survey of YSMBM (<i>N</i> = 726), a multivariate Kruskal Wallis test was conducted comparing YSMBM who identified as mostly bottom, versatile, or mostly top, on the degree to which they were affected by four RSD experiences, as well as the frequency with which they encountered these experiences. Men identifying as mostly bottom reported significantly stronger negative reactions to same-race rejection and encountering sexual role assumptions than men identifying as mostly top. Men identifying as versatile encountered same-race rejection significantly more frequently than men identifying as mostly top. Men identifying as mostly bottom encountered White superiority significantly more frequently than men identifying as mostly top. RSD may impact YSMBM differentially based on sexual position. These findings may have implications for culturally competent clinical practice, as well as analytic implications (e.g., estimating more complex statistical models) for sexual racism research, which remains an important yet underexamined field in the health sciences.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"187-198"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139547445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01Epub Date: 2024-02-07DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2311309
Heather Littleton, Katie M Edwards, Stephanie Lim, Lorey A Wheeler, Donna Chen, Merle Huff, Kayla E Sall, Laura Siller, Victoria A Mauer
Sexual stigma operates at multiple levels (institutional, group, individual), which serves to disadvantage sexual minority (LGBQ+) individuals and increases risk for deleterious outcomes. The current study evaluated a novel multilevel sexual stigma model of intimate partner violence (MLSSM-IPV) that incorporates multiple levels of sexual stigma as related to IPV risk via several pathways (e.g. hazardous drinking, affective symptoms). We evaluated this model in a longitudinal study of LGBQ+ undergraduate college students (n = 2,415) attending 18 universities who completed surveys in the Fall and Spring semesters. Group-level sexual stigma on each campus was assessed via surveys with heterosexual students (n = 8,517) and faculty, staff, and administrators (n = 2,865), and institutional-level stigma was evaluated via a campus climate assessment. At the campus level, institutional stigma was related to LGBQ+ students' self-stigma and identity concealment. Moreover, self-stigma prospectively predicted IPV victimization, and hazardous drinking mediated the relations between self-stigma and IPV perpetration and victimization. Results suggest that interventions addressing stigma and hazardous drinking may be efficacious in reducing IPV among LGBQ+ students. Further, comprehensive efforts to improve campus climate for LGBQ+ students are likely to produce a plethora of benefits for these students.
{"title":"Examination of the Multilevel Sexual Stigma Model of Intimate Partner Violence Risk Among LGBQ+ College Students: A Prospective Analysis Across Eighteen Institutions of Higher Education.","authors":"Heather Littleton, Katie M Edwards, Stephanie Lim, Lorey A Wheeler, Donna Chen, Merle Huff, Kayla E Sall, Laura Siller, Victoria A Mauer","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2024.2311309","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224499.2024.2311309","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sexual stigma operates at multiple levels (institutional, group, individual), which serves to disadvantage sexual minority (LGBQ+) individuals and increases risk for deleterious outcomes. The current study evaluated a novel multilevel sexual stigma model of intimate partner violence (MLSSM-IPV) that incorporates multiple levels of sexual stigma as related to IPV risk via several pathways (e.g. hazardous drinking, affective symptoms). We evaluated this model in a longitudinal study of LGBQ+ undergraduate college students (<i>n</i> = 2,415) attending 18 universities who completed surveys in the Fall and Spring semesters. Group-level sexual stigma on each campus was assessed via surveys with heterosexual students (<i>n</i> = 8,517) and faculty, staff, and administrators (<i>n</i> = 2,865), and institutional-level stigma was evaluated via a campus climate assessment. At the campus level, institutional stigma was related to LGBQ+ students' self-stigma and identity concealment. Moreover, self-stigma prospectively predicted IPV victimization, and hazardous drinking mediated the relations between self-stigma and IPV perpetration and victimization. Results suggest that interventions addressing stigma and hazardous drinking may be efficacious in reducing IPV among LGBQ+ students. Further, comprehensive efforts to improve campus climate for LGBQ+ students are likely to produce a plethora of benefits for these students.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"290-305"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139698887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01Epub Date: 2024-03-22DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2321319
George Smeaton, Peter B Anderson, Cindy Struckman-Johnson
We examined three proximal motives for sexual aggression (sexual persistence after a turn down): sexual arousal, power, and relationship. The MTurk sample consisted of 264 adults: 92 Millennial men (35%), 51 Millennial women (19%), 82 Gen X men (31%) and 39 Gen X women (15%). The motive data, measured by the Sexual Aggression Motive Assessment (SAMA), were unanalyzed data extracted from the authors' previous study of the Millennial shift, a phenomenon in which Millennial women, as compared to older generation women, showed higher levels of sexual aggression, while Millennial men, in comparison to older generation men, demonstrated lower levels of sexual aggression. For all respondents combined, the most chosen motive category was sexual arousal (95%), followed by relationship (49%), and then by power (18%) with 50% choosing two or more motive categories. Providing conceptual support for the Millennial shift, significantly more Millennial women than Gen X women chose motives of sexual arousal and power as reasons for perpetrating sexual aggression. An important finding for the relationship motive is that substantial numbers of both men and women engaged in sexual aggression because they felt that having sex would make the person like them.
{"title":"Proximal Motives of Sexual Arousal, Power, and Relationship for Sexual Aggression: Supporting the Millennial Shift.","authors":"George Smeaton, Peter B Anderson, Cindy Struckman-Johnson","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2024.2321319","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224499.2024.2321319","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We examined three proximal motives for sexual aggression (sexual persistence after a turn down): sexual arousal, power, and relationship. The MTurk sample consisted of 264 adults: 92 Millennial men (35%), 51 Millennial women (19%), 82 Gen X men (31%) and 39 Gen X women (15%). The motive data, measured by the Sexual Aggression Motive Assessment (SAMA), were unanalyzed data extracted from the authors' previous study of the Millennial shift, a phenomenon in which Millennial women, as compared to older generation women, showed higher levels of sexual aggression, while Millennial men, in comparison to older generation men, demonstrated lower levels of sexual aggression. For all respondents combined, the most chosen motive category was sexual arousal (95%), followed by relationship (49%), and then by power (18%) with 50% choosing two or more motive categories. Providing conceptual support for the Millennial shift, significantly more Millennial women than Gen X women chose motives of sexual arousal and power as reasons for perpetrating sexual aggression. An important finding for the relationship motive is that substantial numbers of both men and women engaged in sexual aggression because they felt that having sex would make the person like them.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"232-244"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140186256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01Epub Date: 2024-02-29DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2323654
Heather Hensman Kettrey, Robert A Marx
Campus sexual assault is a significant problem across the United States, and research has indicated LGBTQ+ students are at a greater risk of victimization than their straight-cisgender peers. Furthermore, LGBTQ+ students face unique barriers to help-seeking following an assault, including fear of stigmatizing the LGBTQ+ community. We propose that straight-cisgender allies may act as vigilant bystanders who notice signs of sexual assault and offer assistance to prevent assault from happening to LGBTQ+ students and/or to offer support after an assault occurs. Yet, research on the role of bystanders in preventing and alleviating sexual assault has largely overlooked experiences and perspectives of LGBTQ+ students. In this study, we explored LGBTQ+ students' perceptions of the roles straight-cisgender allies may play in alleviating the problem of sexual assault of LGBTQ+ students. We conducted group interviews with 30 LGBTQ+ college students from 19 campuses across the United States, paying attention to what they perceived as barriers to allies' help. Findings illustrate ways that boundaries between LGBTQ+ insiders and outsiders can leave both groups reluctant to make a "blind faith jump" to seek or offer help. We propose suggestions for how sexual assault prevention programming may bridge this gap between LGBTQ+ students and straight-cisgender allies.
{"title":"Reluctance to Make a \"Blind Faith Jump\": LGBTQ+ College Students' Perspectives on Allies' Barriers to Preventing Sexual Assault.","authors":"Heather Hensman Kettrey, Robert A Marx","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2024.2323654","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00224499.2024.2323654","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Campus sexual assault is a significant problem across the United States, and research has indicated LGBTQ+ students are at a greater risk of victimization than their straight-cisgender peers. Furthermore, LGBTQ+ students face unique barriers to help-seeking following an assault, including fear of stigmatizing the LGBTQ+ community. We propose that straight-cisgender allies may act as vigilant bystanders who notice signs of sexual assault and offer assistance to prevent assault from happening to LGBTQ+ students and/or to offer support after an assault occurs. Yet, research on the role of bystanders in preventing and alleviating sexual assault has largely overlooked experiences and perspectives of LGBTQ+ students. In this study, we explored LGBTQ+ students' perceptions of the roles straight-cisgender allies may play in alleviating the problem of sexual assault of LGBTQ+ students. We conducted group interviews with 30 LGBTQ+ college students from 19 campuses across the United States, paying attention to what they perceived as barriers to allies' help. Findings illustrate ways that boundaries between LGBTQ+ insiders and outsiders can leave both groups reluctant to make a \"blind faith jump\" to seek or offer help. We propose suggestions for how sexual assault prevention programming may bridge this gap between LGBTQ+ students and straight-cisgender allies.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"263-275"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139991721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-31DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2454989
Elena De Gioannis, Niccolò Casnici, Elia Sigala
The rise of adult content creation platforms is triggering a deep revision of the social acceptability of new habits and the relations between the human body and marketing practices. However, academic research on this phenomenon is still scarce. This scoping review aimed to summarize and discuss the studies about content creators sharing adult content on subscription-based digital platforms. Based on the protocol established a priori, we selected 17 studies. Of these, we reported the field of academic research, the definition used for the content creators, the topic of interest, the results and the suggestions for future research. The current literature is mainly qualitative and focuses on the experiences of the creators of OnlyFans. While most authors used the label of content creator when referring to them, participants mainly defined themselves as sex workers. Some of the recurrent themes in the interviews were those that characterize traditional sex workers.
{"title":"Online Sex Work and Subscription-Based Digital Platforms: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Elena De Gioannis, Niccolò Casnici, Elia Sigala","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2454989","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2454989","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The rise of adult content creation platforms is triggering a deep revision of the social acceptability of new habits and the relations between the human body and marketing practices. However, academic research on this phenomenon is still scarce. This scoping review aimed to summarize and discuss the studies about content creators sharing adult content on subscription-based digital platforms. Based on the protocol established a priori, we selected 17 studies. Of these, we reported the field of academic research, the definition used for the content creators, the topic of interest, the results and the suggestions for future research. The current literature is mainly qualitative and focuses on the experiences of the creators of OnlyFans. While most authors used the label of content creator when referring to them, participants mainly defined themselves as sex workers. Some of the recurrent themes in the interviews were those that characterize traditional sex workers.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143068548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-31DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2454395
Alex S Diede, Kathryn J Holland
Sexual education is important for young people's sexual health. Sexual education comes from a myriad of sources, but most research in this area has examined one source at a time, limiting a holistic understanding of how people learn about sexuality. The current study considered how different sources of information come together to inform a person's sexual education. We conducted qualitative interviews with 44 U.S. college students, with questions about their sexual educational experiences from eight possible sources (i.e., school, caregivers, siblings, extended family, peers, early partners, self-sought sources such as websites and books, and pornography). We analyzed these data using reflexive thematic analysis and generated three main themes. The first theme illustrated the common ways that participants acquired information about sex from four categories of sources over time, including (a) foundational (i.e. parents, schools), (b) secondary (e.g., friends, siblings), (c) self-sought (e.g., websites, books), and (d) incidental (e.g., partners, pornography). Second, participants' engagement with educational sources was informed by their previous experiences with those sources. Finally, the most influential source of participants' sex education was fundamentally linked to their comfort with the source. These findings further demonstrate the necessity of open communication about sexuality and sexual health from sexual educators.
{"title":"Sexual Education as a Dynamic Multisource Process: A Qualitative Examination of Sexual Education Experiences in a Sample of U.S. College Students.","authors":"Alex S Diede, Kathryn J Holland","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2454395","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2454395","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sexual education is important for young people's sexual health. Sexual education comes from a myriad of sources, but most research in this area has examined one source at a time, limiting a holistic understanding of how people learn about sexuality. The current study considered how different sources of information come together to inform a person's sexual education. We conducted qualitative interviews with 44 U.S. college students, with questions about their sexual educational experiences from eight possible sources (i.e., school, caregivers, siblings, extended family, peers, early partners, self-sought sources such as websites and books, and pornography). We analyzed these data using reflexive thematic analysis and generated three main themes. The first theme illustrated the common ways that participants acquired information about sex from four categories of sources over time, including (a) foundational (i.e. parents, schools), (b) secondary (e.g., friends, siblings), (c) self-sought (e.g., websites, books), and (d) incidental (e.g., partners, pornography). Second, participants' engagement with educational sources was informed by their previous experiences with those sources. Finally, the most influential source of participants' sex education was fundamentally linked to their comfort with the source. These findings further demonstrate the necessity of open communication about sexuality and sexual health from sexual educators.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143068670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-30DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2025.2451144
Kirsten M Greer, Kyla M Cary, Morgan E PettyJohn, Gianna Casaburo, Carin Graves, Kristen N Jozkowski
Sexual coercion occurs when a person applies pressure to force another person to have unwanted sex. Yet, sociocultural expectations may also impact women's sexual consent/refusal behaviors in the absence of partner pressure. We conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis to investigate factors contributing to incongruent sexual decision-making (i.e. internal feelings which are inconsistent with their consent/refusal behaviors) among women from westernized nations. A scoping review of eight databases was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Our search yielded 2,946 articles, with 41 meeting inclusion and quality appraisal criteria. Results revealed sources of incongruent consent/refusal behaviors through five themes: (1) women experience communication barriers, (2) women internalize relationship norms and prioritize men, (3) women experience situational pressure, (4) women experience a fear of sexual violence, and (5) women manage a double bind of sexual behavior. We propose a novel concept to understand sociocultural factors influencing people's consent/refusal behaviors that are incongruent with their internal feelings, labeled internalized sociocultural sexual pressure (ISSP). We conceptualize ISSP as a framework for internalizing sociocultural norms to a degree that they are influential or may even feel coercive, resulting in a spectrum of sexual consent/refusal behaviors, like acquiescing to unwanted sex and declining wanted sex. The intensity of ISSP experiences can vary significantly; some people may perceive these pressures as mild, whereas others may experience them to a degree that they feel coercive.
{"title":"A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Women's Experiences of Internalized Sociocultural Sexual Pressure.","authors":"Kirsten M Greer, Kyla M Cary, Morgan E PettyJohn, Gianna Casaburo, Carin Graves, Kristen N Jozkowski","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2451144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2451144","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sexual coercion occurs when a person applies pressure to force another person to have unwanted sex. Yet, sociocultural expectations may also impact women's sexual consent/refusal behaviors in the absence of partner pressure. We conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis to investigate factors contributing to incongruent sexual decision-making (i.e. internal feelings which are inconsistent with their consent/refusal behaviors) among women from westernized nations. A scoping review of eight databases was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Our search yielded 2,946 articles, with 41 meeting inclusion and quality appraisal criteria. Results revealed sources of incongruent consent/refusal behaviors through five themes: (1) women experience communication barriers, (2) women internalize relationship norms and prioritize men, (3) women experience situational pressure, (4) women experience a fear of sexual violence, and (5) women manage a double bind of sexual behavior. We propose a novel concept to understand sociocultural factors influencing people's consent/refusal behaviors that are incongruent with their internal feelings, labeled internalized sociocultural sexual pressure (ISSP). We conceptualize ISSP as a framework for internalizing sociocultural norms to a degree that they are influential or may even feel coercive, resulting in a spectrum of sexual consent/refusal behaviors, like acquiescing to unwanted sex and declining wanted sex. The intensity of ISSP experiences can vary significantly; some people may perceive these pressures as mild, whereas others may experience them to a degree that they feel coercive.</p>","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143069635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The multidimensional model of perfectionism includes three dimensions: Self-oriented perfectionism (SOP), other-oriented perfectionism (OOP), and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP). Although previous research has identified significant cross-sectional associations between perfectionism and sexual function, these studies predominantly focused on women without examining the links between the different dimensions of perfectionism and various indicators of sexual difficulties among both members of a couple. This study aimed to address this gap by examining the dyadic associations between perfectionism dimensions, sexual function, partner-focused sexual desire, and sexual distress, both cross-sectionally (T1) and longitudinally (T2) over one year. The secondary aim of the study was to explore the moderating role of gender on these associations. A sample of 308 cohabiting adult couples completed online questionnaires assessing participants' three dimensions of perfectionism, partner-focused sexual desire, sexual function and sexual distress. Path analyses using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) revealed that SOP was positively associated with individuals' own partner-focused sexual desire at T1 and T2. In contrast, SPP was negatively associated with individuals' own sexual function at T1 and positively associated with their own sexual distress at T1 and T2. A moderation analysis revealed that men's SPP was related to their partner's higher sexual distress at T1. The results underscore the importance of considering perfectionism dimensions in clinical assessments and interventions for couples experiencing sexual difficulties and problematic perfectionist behaviors.
{"title":"Multidimensional Perfectionism and Sexual Difficulties Among Adult Couples: A Dyadic Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study.","authors":"Noémie Viens,Frédéric Langlois,Marie-Pier Vaillancourt-Morel","doi":"10.1080/00224499.2025.2456117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2456117","url":null,"abstract":"The multidimensional model of perfectionism includes three dimensions: Self-oriented perfectionism (SOP), other-oriented perfectionism (OOP), and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP). Although previous research has identified significant cross-sectional associations between perfectionism and sexual function, these studies predominantly focused on women without examining the links between the different dimensions of perfectionism and various indicators of sexual difficulties among both members of a couple. This study aimed to address this gap by examining the dyadic associations between perfectionism dimensions, sexual function, partner-focused sexual desire, and sexual distress, both cross-sectionally (T1) and longitudinally (T2) over one year. The secondary aim of the study was to explore the moderating role of gender on these associations. A sample of 308 cohabiting adult couples completed online questionnaires assessing participants' three dimensions of perfectionism, partner-focused sexual desire, sexual function and sexual distress. Path analyses using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) revealed that SOP was positively associated with individuals' own partner-focused sexual desire at T1 and T2. In contrast, SPP was negatively associated with individuals' own sexual function at T1 and positively associated with their own sexual distress at T1 and T2. A moderation analysis revealed that men's SPP was related to their partner's higher sexual distress at T1. The results underscore the importance of considering perfectionism dimensions in clinical assessments and interventions for couples experiencing sexual difficulties and problematic perfectionist behaviors.","PeriodicalId":51361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sex Research","volume":"36 1","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143056703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-15DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2438711
Nicola Gavey, Olivia Brewster
The term "rough sex" is widely used, but it is not always clear what it means. Through exploring people's working definitions of "rough sex," we asked what they revealed about the underlying phenomenon it is applied to, and whether it is actually a thing. Our online survey of 567 New Zealand respondents (73.7% women, 21% men, 5.3% gender diverse; mean age, 35.6 years, SD = 10.8) identified various behaviors that many considered to be part of "rough sex" - including hair pulling, holding down someone forcefully, slapping and "choking." While this behavioral profile was similar to previous U.S. studies, our survey was designed with novel features that allowed us to look more closely at the variation in how people make sense of "rough sex." Embedded within a critical psychology approach, our descriptive analysis highlighted areas of ambiguity and difference, including points of contradiction across people's working definitions. Critical qualitative analysis of open-ended textual data further examined categorical misalignments and the difficulties in interpreting behavioral indicators as defining of "rough sex" - especially without more contextual information. Overall, we found considerable variability and some contradictions in people's definitions of "rough sex" and the meanings they ascribed to it. Our findings led us to argue that the term "rough sex" does not map onto a coherent phenomenon, and that use of the term can be misleading, with potentially problematic implications.
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