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Sexual Self-Esteem, Sexual Functioning and Sexual Satisfaction in Portuguese Heterosexual University Students
Abstract
Sexual functioning plays a significant role in an individual’s sexual satisfaction, nevertheless, thus far little attention has been paid to the mediating role of sexual self-esteem. The current study aims to analyse sexual self-esteem effect on the relationship between sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction among Portuguese heterosexual university students. Data from 438 students was obtained via online sampling and analysed assessing sexual self-esteem, sexual functioning and satisfaction. The main findings indicated that sexual functioning was a significant predictor of sexual satisfaction. Moreover, sexual self-esteem appears to partially mediate the relationship between sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. Practical implications for safe sex education programs for universities are discussed.
... Portuguese research on sexual satisfaction is in line with this lay definition, indicating that factors such as sexual (dys)function and relational characteristics may influence satisfaction in a positive manner (as a facilitator or protective factor) or negatively (as a barrier or risk factor) (e.g. Pascoal et al., 2019;Peixoto et al., 2018). However, the still-low number of studies and their characteristics -aim, design, type of results -impose limitations on the conclusions about sexual satisfaction in Portuguese society. ...
... Other quantitative work developed with college students and college-age groups of the general population showed that sexual functioning (e.g. sexual desire, lubrication/erectile function) was a predictor of sexual satisfaction (Peixoto et al., 2018), and that premature ejaculation in men and low sexual desire in women were among the main difficulties experienced by young people (Peixoto & Nobre, 2015;Quinta-Gomes et al., 2011;Quinta-Gomes & Nobre, 2014). Dynamic or relational predictors of sexual satisfaction were also identified in quantitative research conducted with female (Carvalheira & Leal, 2008) and male (Carvalheira & Costa, 2015) samples from the general population, with cisgender heterosexual individuals in committed relationships (Pascoal et al., 2019), and with mixed-sex couples (Pascoal et al., 2018). ...
... Specifically, the studies showed that sexual satisfaction was predicted by interpersonal factors in women, by relational intimacy in men, and by both male and female expression of feelings and sexual functioning, but there were also some important limitations. Except for Peixoto et al. (2018) and Pascoal et al. (2019) finding no gender differences in sexual satisfaction/ functioning, most of these studies did not report on the level of sexual satisfaction, or else they did not report on gender differences or similarities. In any case, the representation of single and/or noncommitted individuals was relatively low in all of them. ...
Research on sexual satisfaction in Portugal is still limited; what exists, however, highlights barriers preventing optimal realisation of this dimension of sexuality and sexual health. Physical and relational barriers have been consistently evidenced, whereas social and cultural barriers have been less studied. Using focus groups, we aimed to explore perceptions of Portuguese college students (N = 47) about sexual satisfaction – more specifically, about gender differences and about how sexual gender roles and stereotypes and the Sexual Double Standard may influence sexual satisfaction. We found that sexual satisfaction is perceived to be sub-optimal, especially for women in casual sexual relationships, and that the differences are attributed by both male and female to the constraints imposed by sexual gender roles, sexual gender stereotypes, and the sexual double standard. Deconstructing these socio-sexual beliefs is needed in order to achieve a higher, egalitarian level of sexual satisfaction and to promote sexual health.
... Acknowledging the association between sexual behaviour and self-esteem, sexual self-esteem has been identified as a pertinent aspect of sexual health and wellbeing (Maas & Lefkowitz, 2015;Ménard & Offman, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018). Developed from models of global self-esteem, sexual self-esteem encompasses self-perceived sexual competence and sexual self-acceptance (Calogero & Thompson, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018), and is limited to self-evaluation within sexual contexts (Calogero & Thompson, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018). ...
... Acknowledging the association between sexual behaviour and self-esteem, sexual self-esteem has been identified as a pertinent aspect of sexual health and wellbeing (Maas & Lefkowitz, 2015;Ménard & Offman, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018). Developed from models of global self-esteem, sexual self-esteem encompasses self-perceived sexual competence and sexual self-acceptance (Calogero & Thompson, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018), and is limited to self-evaluation within sexual contexts (Calogero & Thompson, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018). As the pervasive sexual objectification of women encapsulates messages pertaining to overall selfworth and gender expectations, investigation of the role of global self-esteem warrants further investigation. ...
... Acknowledging the association between sexual behaviour and self-esteem, sexual self-esteem has been identified as a pertinent aspect of sexual health and wellbeing (Maas & Lefkowitz, 2015;Ménard & Offman, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018). Developed from models of global self-esteem, sexual self-esteem encompasses self-perceived sexual competence and sexual self-acceptance (Calogero & Thompson, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018), and is limited to self-evaluation within sexual contexts (Calogero & Thompson, 2009;Peixoto et al., 2018). As the pervasive sexual objectification of women encapsulates messages pertaining to overall selfworth and gender expectations, investigation of the role of global self-esteem warrants further investigation. ...
The gendered disparity in orgasm frequency and sexual satisfaction during partnered sexual activity has implications for wellbeing, mental health, and relationship satisfaction. As such the current study investigated the role of sexual assertiveness and self-esteem as predictors of women’s sexual satisfaction, with sexual script theory offering a theoretical framework which may illuminate the problematic female sexual role. It was hypothesised that sexual assertiveness would mediate the positive relationship between self-esteem and both ego-centred and partner/activity-focused sexual satisfaction. Cross-sectional self-report data were collected online from 304 participants aged between 18–68 years who identified as heterosexual women. Results demonstrated that higher sexual assertiveness predicted higher sexual satisfaction, with sexual assertiveness found to mediate the relationship between women’s self-esteem and ego-centred sexual satisfaction (R² = .46, p < .001; Bindirect = .29, 95% BCI = .267, .523). Sexual assertiveness was also found to mediate the relationship between self-esteem and partner- and activity-focused sexual satisfaction (R² = .26, p < .001; Bindirect = .29, 95% BCI – .191, .400). Findings offer a foundation for future research and practical applications for practice professionals, mental health practitioners, and sex education programmes.
... The studied female partner's age ranged from 20 to 50 years old, with a mean of 36.04 ± 6.11 years old, demographic characteristics of the participants, age of 56% of the them ranged from 30 to 40 years old and 23% of them were older than 40 years old, only 15 % of them had sex problems , are illustrated in table (3). ...
... Much research has shown that negative body image and body dissatisfaction leads to low self-esteem. Sexual self-esteem is currently being assessed as the value that each person attributes to one self as a sexual being related to sexual competence, sexual identity and sexual self-acceptance [3]. ...
... Another study M. Peixoto et al. [3] used sexual self -esteem as a parameter for sexual activity, they concluded that, sexual self-esteem was closely related to nonpainful sexual activity and sexual pain has higher rates among young women when compared to older. ...
... Some authors have not found any differences between women and men (Maas & Lefkowitz, 2015;Shaheen & Batool, 2019;Sierra et al., 2018;Snell & Papini, 1989). By contrast, others such as Peixoto et al. (2018) have reported higher scores in this sexual variable in men compared to women in a sample of young adults. Sexual self-esteem has been associated with perceived body image or physical attraction; gender has shown to be a moderating variable of the relationship between both, specifically between concern about being overweight and sexual self-esteem (Shaheen & Batool, 2019). ...
... In fact, there is no agreement on the existence or not of differences between men and women in this variable. For example, Peixoto et al. (2018) found that men reported a higher sexual self-esteem than women. Along these lines, Snell et al. (1992) reported a trend that did not reach significance (p <. 10). ...
The scientific evidence suggests that COVID-19 is affecting much more than the physical health of individuals, particularly in places where a lockdown has been established to slow down the spread of the virus. An area that may be particularly affected is human sexuality. This study explored the impact of the situation generated by COVID-19 on the sexuality of 201 adults living in Spain. We collected data cross-sectionally through an online survey during the month of April 2020. Results showed a reduction of sexual self-esteem and a decrease in the number of interpersonal sexual relations, although the frequency of masturbation and the consumption of pornography did not vary compared to previous levels. A regression analysis showed that masturbation, the ability to maintain sexual arousal and interpersonal sex were mediating variables in the relationship between gender – specifically being male – and having higher sexual self-esteem during the lockdown. This study provides new insight on the relevance of certain sexual behaviors in a pandemic situation with considerable social restrictions and on the effect of this situation on sexual self-esteem and arousal. It brings some clarity on the relationship between sexual self-esteem and gender, about which there is currently no consensus in the scientific literature.
... Afin de contribuer à ce champ de recherche émergent, nous proposons ici d'étudier les répercussions du confinement COVID19 sur les pensées automatiques -les cognitionset émotions éprouvées lors des relations sexuelles, dans la continuité des approches sociocognitives de la sexualité (Byers et al., 1998;Renaud and Byers, 1999;Nobre and Pinto-Gouveia, 2008;Else-Quest, 2014;Sprecher, 2014;Moyano et al., 2016;Tavares et al., 2020;Verbeek et al., 2020). Parce que la satisfaction sexuelle 2 est associée à la santé mentale et à la qualité de vie individuelle et de couple (Sánchez-Fuentes et al., 2014;Flynn et al., 2016;Peixoto et al., 2018), nous étudions également l'impact de ces cognitions et émotions sur la satisfaction sexuelle dans la continuité de la littérature internationale récente (Li et al., 2020;Panzeri et al., 2020). ...
... • les cognitions et émotions sexuelles négatives sont associées à des niveaux accrus de difficultés sexuelles (Nobre and Pinto-Gouveia, 2008 ;Tavares et al., 2020) ; • les cognitions et émotions sexuelles affectent la satisfaction sexuelle ; • que la satisfaction sexuelle est associée à la santé mentale et la qualité de vie individuelle et de couple (Sánchez-Fuentes et al., 2014;Flynn et al., 2016;Peixoto et al., 2018). ...
Objectifs: Etudier l’impact du confinement COVID19 sur les cognitions et émotions ressenties lors des rapports sexuels par l’analyse des réponses de 1079 sujets francophones (338 hommes, 741 femmes, âge médian : 31 ans) ayant participé à une enquête en ligne entre le 27 avril et le 11 mai 2020.
Méthode: Les cognitions sexuelles négatives (CSN) et les émotions sexuelles positives (ESP) et négatives (ESN) sont recensées à partir d’un outil inspiré du Sexual Mode Questionnaire de Nobre et Pinto-Gouveia (2003). Les données sont croisées avec des indicateurs sociodémographiques, des informations concernant les modalités de confinement, des indices sur la vie sexuelle, des informations relatives au fonctionnement psychologique et la satisfaction sexuelle.
Principaux résultats: Un tiers des participants ont vu la fréquence de leurs activités sexuelles ou leur satisfaction sexuelle diminuer. Les CSN ont augmenté chez 38.4% des sujets et diminué pour 36% des participants. L’augmentation des ESN concerne 20.2% des sujets, leur diminution concerne 30.5%. Les ESP ont augmenté pour 24.6% des participants et diminué pour 36.3% d’entre eux. Les femmes, les sujets insécures et ceux présentant des symptômes dépressif apparaissent plus particulièrement fragilisées par le confinement. L’impact du confinement dépend également des changements de fréquence des relations sexuelles physiques / digitales pendant le confinement et des modalités de confinement. Les changements des CSN, des ESN et des ESP ont eu un effet significatif sur la satisfaction sexuelle ressentie pendant le confinement
Conclusion: L’impact du confinement sur les émotions et cognitions sexuelles est non-négligeable et plus important que l’impact sur les comportements sexuels. Qu’il soit positif ou négatif, il interroge concernant les répercussions post-confinement : quel devenir d’un impact positif avec le déconfinement? Les répercussions négatives seront-elles ponctuelles ou les vulnérabilités s’exprimeront-elles au long cours?
... In order to contribute to this emerging field of research, we propose to study the repercussions of COVID-19 lockdown on the automatic thoughts -cognitions -and emotions experienced during sexual relations, in line with socio-cognitive approaches to sexuality (Byers et al., 1998;Else-Quest, 2014;Nobre and Pinto-Gouveia, 2008;Moyano et al., 2016;Renaud and Byers, 1999;Sprecher, 2014;Tavares et al., 2020;Verbeek et al., 2020). Because sexual satisfaction is associated with mental health and quality of life for individuals and couples (Flynn et al., 2016;Peixoto et al., 2018;Sánchez-Fuentes et al., 2014), we also study the impact of these cognitions and emotions on sexual satisfaction in line with recent international literature (Li et al., 2020;Panzeri et al., 2020). ...
... • that sexual satisfaction is associated with mental health and individual and couple quality of life (Flynn et al., 2016;Peixoto et al., 2018;Sánchez-Fuentes et al., 2014). ...
Objectives: To study the impact of COVID19 lockdown on cognitions and emotions felt during sexual intercourse by analyzing the responses of 1079 French-speaking subjects (338 men, 741 women, median age: 31 years) who participated in an online survey between April 27 and May 11, 2020.
Method: Negative sexual cognitions (NSC), positive sexual emotions (PSE) and negative sexual emotions (NSE) are assessed using a tool inspired by the Sexual Mode Questionnaire. Data are crossed with sociodemographic indicators, information on lockdown modalities, indices on sex life, information on psychological functioning and sexual satisfaction.
Main Results: One third of the participants saw a decrease in the frequency of their sexual activities or in their sexual satisfaction. Changes in NSCs were found in 74.4% of subjects (increase: 38.4%; decrease: 36%). Emotional changes are found in between 50.7% (NSC: increase: 20.2%; decrease: 30.5 %) and 60.9% (PSE: increase: 24.6 %; decrease: 36.3%) of participants. The effect of lockdown on NSC, NSE, and PSE depends on gender at birth, intensity of depressive symptoms, and attachment styles. Women appear to be more vulnerable to lockdown than men. Insecure or depressed subjects also appear more vulnerable. The lockdown impact also depends on changes in the frequency of physical/digital intercourse during lockdown and the modalities of confinement. Changes in NSC, NSE, and PSE had a significant effect on sexual satisfaction during lockdown.
Conclusion: The lockdown impact on sexual emotions and cognitions is non-negligible and greater than the impact on sexual behaviors. Whether it is positive or negative, it asks about the post-confinement repercussions: what becomes of a positive impact with deconfinement? Will the negative impacts be one-off or will vulnerabilities be expressed over the long term?
... Además, estudios recientes demuestran que la satisfacción sexual se correlaciona con: la estima sexual, el estado de salud, la frecuencia de la actividad sexual, los niveles de depresión y ansiedad, la consciencia sexual, la satisfacción marital, el funcionamiento sexual, la autoestima sexual, la percepción de la imagen corporal y la autoestima (Dekker et al., 2020;Carcedo et al., 2020;Ebrahimkhani et al., 2019;Peixoto et al., 2018;Lin & Lin, 2018). ...
Estudios revelan que tanto la satisfacción sexual como la calidad del sueño tienen implicaciones en la salud física, mental y en el bienestar general, así como asociaciones con distintas condiciones médico/fisiológicas, psicológicas, factores personales, interpersonales, socioeconómicos y demográficos; y están presentes en todo el ciclo vital humano. El objetivo es determinar la relación entre la satisfacción sexual y la calidad del sueño; y comparar el nivel de satisfacción sexual entre hombres y mujeres estudiantes universitarios. Se incluyó en el estudio (n=171) estudiantes del último semestre de la Facultad de Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación de la Universidad Técnica de Ambato, perteneciente al cantón Ambato de la Provincia de Tungurahua en Ecuador, de los cuales 59 eran varones y 112 fueron mujeres, mismos que fueron evaluados mediante la Nueva Escala de Satisfacción Sexual (NSSS) y el Índice de Calidad del Sueño de Pittsburg (PSQI). Se mostró que la población presenta niveles de medio a alto de satisfacción sexual y de calidad del sueño; según la prueba Rho de Spearman existe una correlación negativa leve entre la Satisfacción sexual y las dificultades en torno a la calidad del sueño (Rho = -0,262. p < 0,01); y según la prueba T de Welch no existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en cuanto a la variable Satisfacción Sexual entre hombres y mujeres (p > 0,05). En base a los resultados obtenidos, se puede comprobar que, a mayor satisfacción sexual, mayor calidad del sueño, sin embargo, el ser hombre o mujer en el contexto del estudio, no predijo el nivel de satisfacción sexual.
... High sexual self-esteem and appropriate sexual performance play a key role in increasing marital satisfaction and hence increasing quality of life. People with high selfesteem have the ability to have a happy and successful relationship with their partners [19,20]. There was no significant difference between the affected and healthy women with vaginismus in terms of irrational beliefs and the subscales of helplessness against change, expecting approval from others, problem avoidance, and emotional irresponsibility. ...
Introduction
Vaginismus disorder is one of the most common sexual disorders in women, which is characterized by involuntary muscle spasm of the outer third of the vagina and interferes with vaginal intercourse.
Objective
The present study aimed to assess self-esteem, sexual self-concept, and irrational beliefs in vaginismus women with other women who do not have sexual problems.
Methods
This study was a cross-sectional analytical study, conducted on 60 married women aged 18 to 35 years old (vaginismus=30, control=30) by convenient sampling in 2020. The samples were selected from a sexual disorders’ clinic. The written informed consent forms were obtained. It took 30 to 40 minutes to complete the questionnaires The Multidimensional Sex Questionnaire (MSQ), The Sexual Self-esteem Inventory for Women (SSEI-W) and Jones' Irrational Beliefs Test (IBT-40). The data were analyzed using statistical methods at the levels of descriptive and inferential statistics of chi-square, and t-test with SPSS 23.
Results
According to the calculated mean for each group, it can be said that the women with vaginismus vs. control had lower score in sexual self-concept (113.33 ± 21.66 vs. 125.26± 24.32). Further, the mean of Self-esteem and irrational belief in the vaginismus and control groups were 261.40±49 vs 223.36± 46.53 and 122.26±22.49 vs 118.333 that of the control group indicated significant statistical difference (p=0.003).
Conclusion
The present study showed that women with vaginismus have lower sexual self-concept and self-esteem but their non-sexual irrational beliefs have no difference with those of non-affected women though their non-sexual beliefs are different. Therefore, it seems that medical and educational programs must focus on changing these variables.
... One of those variables is gender. In general, studies have shown that there is a difference between men and women when talking about sexual self-esteem (Peixoto et al., 2018). For example, Rodríguez-Domínguez et al., (2021) reported that gender, specifically being male, could serve as a mediating variable in the relationship between gender and having higher sexual self-esteem during the lockdown. ...
This study examined attachment style and its relationship with sexual self-esteem during COVID-19 confinement. COVID-19 has caused changes in the way couples interact intimately and sexually around the world; some have found improvements and others an increase in difficulties. This article uses a retrospective pre post approach to evaluate 120 men and 89 women who were part of a couple at the time of confinement in Spain and completed an online survey. The sample was obtained during the de-escalation months, from May 9th until July 1st, 2020. Through an online survey we collected the data using the Spanish version of the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-S) to measure attachment and the Brief Sexuality Scale (SS) to measure aspects related to the participants sexuality (sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation), as well as a scale designed post hoc on other aspects related to sexuality. Overall, the t-test results suggest that confinement had a negative effect on sexuality because sexual depression (SD) had a small increased in our sample. Multiple regression analysis showed that FSI, and ANXS attachment style were able to predict sexual depression during confinement. The results also showed a decrease in the strength of the relationship between sexual self-esteem (SSE) and attachment styles during confinement. However, sexual preoccupation (SP) and sexual self-esteem (SSE) remained relatively stable. Based on the results obtained, we conclude that there is an association between an increase in participants' sexual depression and being confined due to COVID-19.
... Although no study has directly examined the role of sexual self-concept in the link between dispositional mindfulness and sexual satisfaction, previous studies provide evidence for this underlying mechanism. Notably, past studies have shown that sexual esteem, one of the components of sexual self-concept, may act as an explanatory mechanism for sexual satisfaction in university students (Peixoto et al., 2018) and CSA survivors (Lemieux & Byers, 2008). Antičević et al. (2017) have shown that lower sexual self-esteem and higher sexual depression were linked to lower sexual satisfaction in the general Croatian population. ...
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with long-lasting and pervasive
impacts on survivors’ sexual health, particularly on their sexual satisfaction.
Dispositional mindfulness has been found to be associated with greater sexual
satisfaction among adult CSA survivors. However, the mechanisms involved
in this association remain understudied. The present study examined the
role of sexual self-concept (i.e., sexual esteem, sexual preoccupation, and
sexual depression) in the relationship between dispositional mindfulness
and sexual satisfaction among CSA survivors. A total of 176 adult CSA
survivors (60.6% women, 39.4% men) completed an online survey assessing
dispositional mindfulness, sexual self-concept, and sexual satisfaction. Path
analyses revealed that dispositional mindfulness was positively related
to sexual satisfaction through a significant indirect effect of higher sexual
esteem and lower sexual depression. The integrative model explained 66.5% of the variance in sexual satisfaction. These findings highlight the key roles
that dispositional mindfulness and sexual self-concept play in CSA survivors’
sexual satisfaction. Implications for interventions based on trauma-sensitive
mindfulness targeting the sexual self-concept are discussed, as they may
promote sexual satisfaction in adult CSA survivors.
... Controlling for the baseline scores, participants in the intervention group, relative to participants in the control group, reported higher levels of sexual self-esteem at T2, which in turn predicted higher sexual self-esteem nine months (T3) and 21 months (T4) later. Sexual self-esteem is conceptually and empirically important for achieving sexual well-being (see Sakaluk et al., 2020, for a meta-analysis) and sexual satisfaction (Lafortune et al., 2022;Peixoto et al., 2018). Previous research has already shown that sexual self-esteem is modifiable and can be increased by intervention programs (Ogunsanmi & Agbede, 2020). ...
The current study evaluated an intervention program, designed by the authors and based on the theory of sexual scripts and social learning theory, to reduce empirically established risk and vulnerability factors of sexual aggression. A sample of 1,181 university students in Germany (762 female) were randomly assigned to an intervention and a no-intervention control group. The intervention group completed six modules addressing established antecedents of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization: risky sexual scripts, risky sexual behavior, low sexual self-esteem, low sexual assertiveness, acceptance of sexual coercion, and perceived realism of pornography. After baseline (T1), intervention effects were measured one week after the last module (T2), nine months later (T3), and another 12 months later (T4). The intervention group showed significantly less risky sexual scripts and higher sexual self-esteem at T2, T3, and T4. The intervention indirectly reduced risky sexual behavior at T3 and T4 via less risky sexual scripts at T2 and increased sexual assertiveness at T3 and T4 via higher sexual self-esteem at T2. No intervention effects were found on the acceptance of sexual coercion and pornography realism. The implications of the findings for reducing the prevalence of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization are discussed.
... Subjects who reported a more positive sense of sexual self in real life rather than online were on average more committed to a sexual identity, more satisfied with their sex lives and had a stronger sense of sexual-self compared to the subjects from the opposite group. The importance of the sexual self-concept in relation to sexuality-related outcomes has been addressed in previous studies linking various sexual-self components, such as sexual self-esteem or sexual assertiveness, to sexual satisfaction [41][42][43] and identity [11,44]. ...
Self-concept differentiation (SCD) has been of interest to researchers, mainly as a structural concept indicative of social specialization or self-concept fragmentation. Nevertheless, this aspect of self-representation has not been studied in regard to sexuality and the extent to which the sexual self may vary across different roles or situations. With the emergence of the Internet, people found new opportunities to explore and express aspects of their sexuality in multiple online scenes, thus increasing the complexity of human sexual experience and expanding the reach of sexual identity. The aim of this study is to investigate SCD in relation to the sexual self-concept, as experienced in the online and offline environments, and its effects on sexual identity, sexual satisfaction and online sexual behaviors. Data analysis pointed towards a fragmented self-view with high degrees of differentiation between the online and offline sexual self-instances being linked to a weaker sense of sexual identity, less sexual satisfaction in real life and less partnered online interactions. However, there were some indications that these relationships were influenced by how people perceive themselves sexually in one instance compared to the other. The results obtained in this study encourage further research on SCD as an important factor in understanding the real-world consequences of online sexual expression.
... Couples' relationships and their sexuality have been affected by the current pandemic. Some studies have reported a decrease in sexual intercourse because of COVID-19 (Ibarra et al., 2020;Sanchez, Zlotorzynska, Rai, & Baral, 2020), and because it's well known that sexual intercourse is closely intertwined with sexual satisfaction (Peixoto, Amarelo-Pires, Pimentel Biscaia, & Machado, 2018) and couples' relationship (Litzinger & Gordon, 2005), we will explore its relationship with sexual self-esteem and dyadic adjustment during confinement in this study. Most of the research that evaluated the effects of confinement in the contexts mentioned above found that confinement correlates with high levels of stress, anxiety, fatigue, depression, and in general, it is associated with a detriment in psychosocial health and global well-being (Guenther, 2013;Qiu et al., 2020). ...
This study examined dyadic adjustment, which is an essential aspect for a couple’s functioning, and its relationship with sexual self-esteem during COVID-19 confinement. This article presents data from before and during the confinement due to COVID-19 in Spain. 120 men and 89 women who were part of a couple at the time of confinement and completed an online survey participated in the study. The sample was obtained during the de-escalation months, from May 9th until July 1st, 2020. Three questionnaires were administered. The results that were obtained from the T-student, Pearson correlations and regression analyses show a decline in couples’ adjustment during the months of confinement. Regarding the Sexuality Scale, the results showed that the sexual-depression subscale and the sexual self-esteem subscale had a statistically significant role in predicting the dyadic adjustment during confinement. Overall, our findings suggest that confinement had a negative effect on sexuality because the sexual-depression of the sample increased and couple adjustment decreased during the confinement due to COVID-19.
... Specifically, in Portugal, a study of 1,144 participants between the ages of 20 and 80 indicated that men and women had no differences in satisfaction with their sex lives, but had sexual satisfaction scores well above average [19]. Recently, research with Portuguese heterosexual college students also reported no significant differences in sexual satisfaction between the two sexes [20]. Another study noted that sexual satisfaction is a similar construct for men and women, characterized by mutual pleasure and that it is a consequence of positive sexual experiences rather than the absence of conflict or dysfunction [21]. ...
Introduction: In recent years, greater attention has been paid to research on sexual satisfaction because of its association with general well-being and increased interest in sexual and public health issues. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Sex Life Scale (SWSLS). Methods: 2,154 Portuguese individuals (M = 34.67 years, SD = 17.18) participated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) were used. Specifically, the internal structure, reliability and factor invariance of the SWSLS were evaluated by sex and age, as well as the characteristics and performance of the items based on the IRT analysis. Results: The SWSLS Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed that a one-dimensional model fit the data well, both for the total sample and for each sex and age group. Furthermore, the SWSLS has adequate reliability for internal consistency. Factor invariance across sex and age was supported by confirmatory multigroup factor analysis. The graduated response model showed a good fit for the one-dimensional model, while the item and test information curves indicated that the SWSLS is more informative to identify high levels of sexual satisfaction. Conclusion: The SWSLS has adequate psychometric properties to measure general sexual satisfaction in the Portuguese population regardless of age and sex.
... These dimensions of sexual self-concept are related to physical, mental, and relational wellbeing in adolescents and adults (Fortenberry, 2013;Heidari, Ghodusi, & Rafiei, 2017). For example, sexual esteem is related to sexual functioning and satisfaction among adults (Peixoto, Amarelo-Pires, Pimentel Biscaia, & Machado, 2018;Ziaei, Farahmand Rad, Rezaei Aval, & Roshandel, 2017). Sexual functioning and satisfaction are in turn related to relationship satisfaction (McNulty, Wenner, & Fisher, 2016). ...
The purpose of this study was to move beyond a sexual risk framework to investigate the possible associations among three sex-positive constructs for adolescents: their sexual self-concept (i.e., their positive/negative feelings about themselves as sexual beings), their sexual communication with romantic/sexual partners, and their sexual communication self-efficacy. We also examined differences in these constructs by sexual intercourse experience and gender. Participants were 171 adolescents who had been in a dating or sexual relationship in the past year (Mage = 16.32 years; 64.3% girls). Compared to girls, boys had more positive sexual self-concepts but less self-efficacy to communicate with their partners about sex. Adolescents who reported having had sexual intercourse had more positive sexual self-concepts as well as more frequent partner sexual communication compared to adolescents without sexual intercourse experience. Adolescents with a more positive sexual self-concept had higher sexual communication self-efficacy and reported more frequent sexual communication. In addition, sexual communication self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between sexual self-concept and sexual communication. Results highlight the connection between sexual self-concept and sexual communication and contribute to a growing body of work on the positive aspects of adolescent sexuality.
... Realization of the potential abilities and their adaptation to efficient behaviors are considered promising cases in establishing and achieving satisfaction in their own mate. In fact, in addition to reducing couples' psychological and personal problems, such as low sexual self-esteem that itself affects sexual satisfaction [33], it increases their intimacy and emotional-sexual involvement, resulting in a positive effect on other life aspects. Research reports show that conflict and incompatibility, as well as poor performance in parental and spouse duties as the main source of stress, have detrimental consequences for the physical and mental health of working people [34]. ...
... Finally, sex drive is at times described synonymously with sexual desire [15], an increased motivation for sex [16], or as a biological need [17]. Additionally, sex drive and desire can also affect sexual satisfaction [18,19]. Sexual satisfaction has also been found to be a key factor in relationship satisfaction [18,20,21], demonstrating that all aspects of sexuality are important and interconnected. ...
In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased partnered sexual behavior and increased the use of enhancement (e.g., toys). This has been partly attributed to reduced social interactions and stress. However, individuals’ perceptions of changes are missing in research. This study aims to examine how adults perceive changes in their sexuality during the pandemic. We conducted a nationwide survey of US adults from April–June 2020 (N = 326). This qualitative study examines the open-ended responses using thematic analyses. The following themes emerged from the data: (1) changes in the purpose of sex; (2) changes in sexual identity; (3) decreases in sex drive and desire; (4) increases in sex drive and desire; (5) fluctuations in sex drive and desire; (6) increased sexual experimentation and reflection. The stress, changes in home responsibilities and living situations, and time spent with partners (more or less) has affected individuals by increasing or decreasing their sex drive and desire. Participants responded to changes with self-reflection and awareness, and incorporating new practices (e.g., technology, kink). The purpose of sex has shifted in order to gain intimacy or connect, or to pass time. These changes were perceived as both positive and negative, and more research is needed to determine the durability of these changes.
... Realization of the potential abilities and their adaptation to efficient behaviors are considered promising cases in establishing and achieving satisfaction in their own mate. In fact, in addition to reducing couples' psychological and personal problems, such as low sexual self-esteem that itself affects sexual satisfaction [33], it increases their intimacy and emotional-sexual involvement, resulting in a positive effect on other life aspects. Research reports show that conflict and incompatibility, as well as poor performance in parental and spouse duties as the main source of stress, have detrimental consequences for the physical and mental health of working people [34]. ...
Article Info Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of sexual relationship enrichment program training on the sexual satisfaction of dual-career couples. Material and Methods: This research was a single-case experiment. The statistical population was all couples referred to the counseling center in Ardabil in 2019. In this study, three couples were purposefully selected as a sample. Larson's (1998) Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to collect data, and visual shape analysis, clinical significance, and improvement rate were used to analyze them. Results: The mean of sexual satisfaction before treatment for first to third couples was 55.16, 57.37, and 58.4, respectively, after treatment, it was 70.2, 71.8, and 73, respectively, and in the follow-up stage, it was 70.66, 72.33, and 73.66, respectively, indicating an increase compared to the baseline stage. The reliable change index after treatment for the first to third couples was equal to 2.83, 2.71, and 2.74, respectively, and in the follow-up stage, it was equal to 2.92, 2.81, and 2.87, respectively, showing that for all three couple participants, these values were higher than the standard value of Z = 1.96. Conclusion: The results of the present study, along with other studies, showed the importance of sexual relationship enrichment program training in increasing the level of sexual satisfaction in dual-career couples.
... In addition, girls reported more conversations about basic reproduction and resisting unwanted sexual pressure than about how to give and get consent. Because women are more likely to be the victims of sexual assault and are much less frequently the perpetrators (Cantor et al., 2015), one explanation of this difference is that conversations are weighted in concert with those realities (Peixoto et al., 2018). Alternatively, it could be that parents' discussions of resisting unwanted sexual pressure not only are about consent but are also about abstaining from and delaying sex, which may account for higher frequencies. ...
Research on sexual consent has increased in recent years, but we know almost nothing about how beliefs about consent are socialized during adolescence, which likely has important implications for behaviors related to obtaining sexual consent. The current study explored the frequency of parent–adolescent consent communication, as well as demographic, adolescent, and parent predictors of adolescents’ beliefs about the importance of consent and the frequency of parent–adolescent consent communication. Two national samples were used, one consisting of 2,044 adolescents, ages 13 to 18 (M age = 16.19, SD = 1.71; 50% female), and a second sample of 2,081 nonrelated individuals, ages 28 to 81, who were parents of teens ages 13–18 (M age = 15.25, SD = 1.56). Findings suggested that parents did not talk about sexual consent any more than they did about other sexual topics (e.g., reproduction). We also found that maternal warmth was positively associated with adolescents’ importance of consent beliefs and that adolescents’ uninhibited temperament and parents’ self-efficacy and sexual beliefs were associated with parent–adolescent consent communication. The discussion focuses on the need to educate parents so they feel more confident talking to adolescents about the importance of giving and receiving sexual consent.
... The high prevalence rate for women in particular might be interpreted as a societal mirror of phallocentric scripts of sexuality which encourages women to disregard their own sexual needs and instead prioritize their (mostly male) partner's sexual interests (Fahs, 2014;Willis, Jozkowski, Lo, & Sanders, 2018) even at the cost of pain or sexual dissatisfaction (Elmerstig, Wijma, & Swahnberg, 2013;Fahs, 2014). Additionally, female gender roles placing a high emphasis on women's appearance may be detrimental to women's positive sexual experiences (Peixoto, Amarelo-Pires, Pimentel Biscaia, & Machado, 2018;Woertman & van Den Brink, 2012). ...
There is a need for more holistic and multidisciplinary approaches to treat female sexual dysfunction disorders. New programs to improve female sexual experiences or help with sexual dysfunctions have been created. In a controlled pilot study, we evaluated Self:Cervix, an online intervention aimed to increase women’s sexual pleasure and reducing genital pain and/or numbness through guided self-massage, mindfulness techniques to increase pleasure, and learning about consent.
To this end, 36 women in the intervention group and 25 in an untreated control group (CG) filled in online questionnaires twice across a 6-month interval. In this period, Self:Cervix participants took part in three 21-day online courses. Outcome criteria were genital numbness, sexual functioning, and pain during intercourse in addition to attitudes towards women’s genitals and psychological well-being. There were no significant effects on numbness and pain in the repeated measures analysis of variance. However, compared with the control group, women in the intervention group showed significantly increases in desire (p ≤ .010, η² = .122), arousal (F = 7.114, p ≤ .010, η² = .122), and psychological well-being (anxiety: F = 12.227, p < .001, η² = .172; depression: F = 4.887, p ≤ .031, η² = .076; somatization: F = 5.465, p ≤ .023, η² = .086) and more positive attitudes towards women’s genitals. To conclude, participants benefited from Self:Cervix in some areas, but more research is needed with more sensitive measures to capture more subtle changes in genital sensitivity and numbness.
Background:
Today, dual-career couples are becoming increasingly prevalent around the world. Due to the nature of the life of this group of people, their sexual and marital life can be damaged.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to develop a psycho-educational model based on the lived experiences of dual career couples who are dissatisfied with sexual relations and its effectiveness on sexual satisfaction.
Methods:
This research was done based on a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) method. The qualitative part was performed using the phenomenological method and 13 couples were selected for semi-structured interviews using the purposive sampling method. In a small part of this study, a single case plan (AB plan) was used, and three couples were selected from those who referred to counseling centers in Ardabil and underwent counseling interventions. In a small part, the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to measure the changes of couples during the implementation of the intervention program. The information obtained in the qualitative part was analyzed through content analysis and the quantitative part was analyzed using visual analysis, clinical significance and recovery percentage.
Results:
Based on the results obtained in the qualitative analysis section, the experiences of sexual dissatisfaction of dual-career couples can be classified into 10 main themes, 20 sub-themes and 30 categories that affect the sexual satisfaction of dual-career couples. The results of the quantitative section indicate that the designed psycho-educational model has led to an increase in sexual satisfaction of dual-career couples.
Conclusion:
Achieving sexual and marital satisfaction and finally mental health and reducing divorce is a process that begins with pathology in the cultural context and is achieved by emphasizing indigenous culture through developing a counseling package for appropriate intervention by therapists and counselors.
Despite typically being studied as a unidimensional construct, self-esteem has been proposed to comprise of two distinct but highly correlated domains: self-competence and self-liking. This study aimed to examine how the two domains of self-esteem predict the sexual functioning of young adults in Malaysia, and the potential role of relationship status as a moderator. A total of 314 Malaysian young adults aged 21.08 years on average (SD = 1.84) completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Female Sexual Function Index. Results suggest that self-competence, but not self-liking, was positively associated with sexual arousal, lubrication/erection, and orgasm among those who were single. Aside from the sexual functioning domain of sexual pain, no significant associations between self-esteem and sexual functioning were found among those who were in a relationship. These findings provide support to the bidimensional conceptualisation of self-esteem in the context of sexual well-being.
Little is known about specific intimacy dimensions' role in sexual function. In the current study, we aimed to gain more insight into how expression of feelings and sexual self-disclosure (a mediator) might potentially affect sexual functioning testing a theoretically based moderated mediation model, that uses gender as a moderator. A total of 661 participants, of which 211 were men (31,90%) and 450 were women (68,10%) aged 18-74 years involved in a monogamous committed relationship participated in the study. We used macro PROCESS 3.2 for IBM - SPSS to test simple mediation and moderated mediation models. The data revealed a significant overall effect of expression of feelings on sexual function, supporting that sexual self-disclosure mediates this relationship. We found that gender does not moderate either the relationship between expression of feelings and sexual self-disclosure nor the trajectory between sexual self-disclosure and sexual function. Our results highlight the importance of taking an interpersonal behavioral approach to sexual function, namely one that focuses on communication behaviors. However, these results need to be explored with clinical samples to understand their full potential for clinical interventions within a behavioral paradigm to partnered people's sexual problems.
Objectification theory has provided a useful framework for the study of women’s sexual outcomes. However, little research has been conducted on the role of self-objectification in predicting sexual satisfaction. We conducted a replication of Calogero and Thompson (2009a), which reported a direct relationship between self-surveillance and sexual satisfaction, and expanded upon their work. We tested four path analysis models: Calogero and Thompson’s reported and hypothesized models, and two previously untested models, all containing our variables of interest (media internalization, self-surveillance, body shame, sexual self-esteem, and sexual satisfaction). Each model was tested with the full sample (N = 349) and a restricted sample (N = 127) that met Calogero and Thompson’s relationship status and sexual frequency inclusion criteria, and with and without BMI covaried. Both samples consisted of U.S. college women recruited in Fall 2019, with a mean age of M = 19.68 in the restricted sample. Results showed good fit for all tested models but failed to replicate the direct pathway between self-surveillance and sexual satisfaction. Instead, our models supported an indirect effect of self-surveillance on sexual satisfaction through body shame and sexual self-esteem. Findings support the role of sociocultural channels in influencing college women’s body image and sexual experiences.
Introduction
The increasing research interest in sexual satisfaction corresponds to a large amount of studies which focus on different singular determinants without establishing a common model for its explanation.
Objectives
The purpose of this review is to systematically identify and evaluate the structure and results of the current research about sexual satisfaction in heterosexual women in a long-term relationship.
Methods
A systematic literature search using Web of Knowledge, ProQuest and PSYNDEX was conducted from January 2004 to October 2019. In total, 1,649 studies published in the last 15 years were extracted from the databases with a systematic keyword search. Through a multistage evaluation process 204 studies met the inclusion criteria and described findings about sexual satisfaction as dependent variable.
Results
Research interest in sexual satisfaction increased notably in the last 5 years. Empirical analyses were predominantly based on data from North America whereas a considerably smaller share of research analyzed samples from Europe or Asia. Relationship variables were the most frequently analyzed predictors and included in more than half of the identified studies. Sexual behavior was most often analyzed in the form of frequency of sexual interactions. Contrariwise, sexual practices, communication about sexuality and sexual desire, and sexual thoughts received limited attention. Demographics were considered in one third of all studies. The inclusion of control variables was rare. Some important studies considered variables closely related to sexual satisfaction such as sexual dysfunction.
Conclusion
Relationship satisfaction and the frequency of sexual interactions are identified as the most frequently confirmed predictors of sexual satisfaction across all evaluated studies. Results about the effects of pornography consumption, religion, and relationship duration showed the greatest inconsistency. In general, identified effects were often believed to result from mediator variables like sexual desire or distracting thoughts.
Background
Sexual self-esteem and communication on sexual issues with a partner contribute greatly to an individual's quality of sex life; however, their effects on the relationship between body image and sexual function are underexplored.
Aim
To test a serial mediating pathway of sexual self-esteem and sexual communication underlying the relationship between body image and sexual function.
Methods
A total of 510 women aged 18–53 years (mean = 28, SD = 5.5) who were involved in an intimate relationship completed an online survey.
Outcomes
Women's (i) body appreciation, (ii) body image self-consciousness during sexual intimacy, (iii) sexual self-esteem, (iv) dyadic sexual communication, (v) negative disclosure apprehension, and (vi) sexual function were assessed.
Results
Findings revealed that sexual self-esteem and dyadic sexual communication played a serial mediating role in the relationship between body image (body appreciation and body image self-consciousness during sexual intimacy) and sexual function, and the relationship between body image and arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Sexual self-esteem and negative disclosure apprehension also played a serial mediating role in the relationship between body image and sexual pain. In addition, dyadic sexual communication played a unique mediating role in the relationship between body image and sexual function, which is isolated from the effect of sexual self-esteem.
Clinical Implications
Women's sexual self-esteem and sexual communication with their partner can make beneficial contributions to the relationship between body image and sexual function. Therefore, promoting women's positive body image, sexual self-esteem, and sexual communication skills deserves attention from women themselves and clinicians.
Strengths & Limitations
This study used a robust method of data analysis to test the mediating effect of sexual self-esteem and sexual communication to clarify the mechanism underlying the relationship between body image and sexual function among Chinese women; however, causal conclusions cannot be drawn. Furthermore, various demographics including participants' age, education level, sexual orientation—factors such as relationship status and length, relationship functioning, and partner-related variables—and other aspects of sexual self-concept and sexual communication should be examined in future research.
Conclusion
The current study indicates that women's thoughts and feelings regarding sexuality and communicating sexual issues with their partner are associated closely with their body image and sexual function.
T Wu, Y Zheng. Effect of Sexual Esteem and Sexual Communication on the Relationship Between Body Image and Sexual Function in Chinese Heterosexual Women. J Sex Med 2021;XX:XXX–XXX.
Introduction: The contemporary psychology is looking for numerous mediators and risk factors that may exacerbate the marital relationship with regard to the consequences of disordered eating patterns in general and sexual satisfaction in particular. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of body image concern in the relationship between disordered eating patterns and sexual self-esteem in married women.
Methods: The participants of this study were 213 married women who referred to the nutrition department of Kazerun City in 2019 and were selected by available sampling method. To collect data, Eating Attitudes Test (Garner & Garfinkel, 1979), Body Image Concern Inventory (Littleton et al., 2005), and Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory for Women (Zeanah, Schwarz, 1996) were used.
Results: The results of structural equation modeling indicated that the three subscales of disordered eating patterns were directly associated with sexual self-esteem. Of the above-mentioned patterns, only the "overeating and food preoccupation" pattern affected sexual self-esteem indirectly by mediating of body image concern (β= -0.14, P< 0.01). Therefore, it can be argued that overeating and food preoccupation reduced the sexual self-esteem in married women by increasing the body image concern.
Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study indicated the importance of simultaneous attention to disordered diets and body image concern for predicting sexual self-esteem in married women.
The article presents a new Polish tool serving to measure the degree of sexual satisfaction achieved with a particular partner. It is a three-factor tool (measuring intimacy, petting, and sex) comprising 10 items that meet standardization requirements completely. The results of the performed factor validity analysis indicate that the three-factor model is the most valid for the purpose of description of sexual satisfaction measured with the SSQ (Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire)—the aspects of satisfaction singled out in the model are strongly correlated. The three dimensions of satisfaction that were distinguished describe intimacy in a romantic relationship, satisfaction with one’s sex life, and satisfaction with mutual physical contacts other than sex. The cross-validation tests revealed that such a factor structure of the SSQ is stable and characteristic for the representatives of both of the sexes as well as married people. The three-factor structure significantly merges into a single global indicator only in the case of people maintaining partnerships, which advocates verification of a hypothesis regarding differences in the way married and cohabiting partners experience sexual satisfaction.
Results regarding the association between global self-esteem and sexual behavior suggest the importance of a domain-specific construct—so-called sexual self-esteem (SSE). Prior studies suggested that SSE is malleable and found a negative impact of sexual abuse on SSE. In the present study, the German translation of the Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory-Short Form (SSEI-SF) by Zeanah and Schwarz (1996) was validated via an online survey with 557 women and then investigated in a clinical sample of women suffering from PTSD following sexual and physical abuse compared with healthy controls (n = 130). We examined differences in SSE depending on the type of abuse. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed adequate model fit, with acceptable-to-excellent reliability (α = .78–.94) and sound convergent and discriminant validity. As expected, SSEI-SF scores were significantly lower in the clinical sample than those in the healthy control group. Within the clinical sample, there were no significant differences in SSE between clients who had experienced sexual abuse and those who had experienced physical abuse, but a history of sexual abuse was significantly linked to lower SSE and SSE was related to both sexual behavior and sexual satisfaction. In conclusion, our study supports the validity and applicability of the German version of the SSEI-SF. Results regarding the differences in SSE between survivors of abuse and healthy controls contribute to the further understanding of female sexuality and have implications for treatment.
Background:
Women's sexual self-esteem is one of the most important factors that affect women's sexual satisfaction and their sexual anxiety. Various aspects of sexual life are blended with the entire personality. Determining the relationship between personality traits and self-concept aspects such as sexual self-esteem leads to better understanding of sexual behavior in people with different personality traits and helps in identifying the psychological variables affecting their sexual performance. The aim this study was to determine the relationship between personality traits and sexual self-esteem.
Materials and methods:
This correlation study was performed on 127 married women who referred to selected health care centers of Mashhad in 2014-2015. Data collection tools included NEO personality inventory dimensions and Zeanah and Schwarz sexual self-esteem questionnaire. Data were analyzed through Pearson correlation coefficient test and stepwise regression model.
Results:
The results of Pearson correlation test showed a significant relationship between neuroticism personality dimension (r = -0.414), extroversion (r = 0.363), agreeableness (r = 0.420), and conscientiousness (r = 0.364) with sexual self-esteem (P < 0.05). The relationship between openness with sexual self-esteem was not significant (P > 0.05). In addition, based on the results of the stepwise regression model, three dimensions of agreeableness, neuroticism, and extraversion could predict 27% of the women's sexual self-esteem variance.
Conclusions:
The results showed a correlation between women's personality characteristics and their sexual self-esteem. Paying attention to personality characteristics may be important to identify at-risk group or the women having low sexual self-esteem in premarital and family counseling.
The purpose of the present study was to validate a portuguese version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), a multidimensional scale that assesses the female sexual response cycle. Using two convenience samples, one of wich was a community sample (n=152) and the other a clinical sample (n=51 women), it was possible to demonstrate psychometric properties similar to the one's of the original scale that justify its use with portuguese women.
Sexual satisfaction is an important indicator of sexual health, however, its definition is not consensual. Lawrence and Byers (1995) developed a conceptual model of sexual satisfaction for people in committed relationships and, within this model, the authors developed the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX) which assesses global sexual satisfaction in the context of an intimate relationship. In the present study we aimed to adapt and assess the psychometric properties of this scale with three distinct samples from the Portuguese population in cohabitation relationships. One was designated as "normative group" with no diagnosis and perception of sexual problems (n = 291), another called "clinical group", whose participants presented sexual problems (n = 84), and an "online" sample of participants with and without perception of sexual problems (n = 760). The scale proved to have a single factor structure as well as good reliability and validity.
Class Listservs and online discussion boards are being widely used at the university level to supplement in-class discussion and as a critical aspect of online instruction. What are the advantages and disadvantages inherent in the online discussion experience? How favorably do these online experiences compare to their face-to-face counterparts? Survey data from graduate students involved in online discussions indicates positive reactions to most aspects of the experience, even those elements which clearly differ from the face-to-face experience. But when given a choice, students still indicated a preference for face-to-face experiences. Online discussions were perceived as a valuable addition to in-class discussions, rather than as an acceptable substitution for them.
Sexual satisfaction is an important indicator of sexual health, however, its definition is not consensual. Lawrence and Byers (1995) developed a conceptual model of sexual satisfaction for people in committed relationships and, within this model, the authors developed the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX) which assesses global sexual satisfaction in the context of an intimate relationship. In the present study we aimed to adapt and assess the psychometric properties of this scale with three distinct samples from the Portuguese population in cohabitation relationships. One was designated as "normative group" with no diagnosis and perception of sexual problems (n = 291), another called "clinical group", whose participants presented sexual problems (n = 84), and an "online" sample of participants with and without perception of sexual problems (n = 760). The scale proved to have a single factor structure as well as good reliability and validity.
Sexual satisfaction is an important indicator of sexual health and is strongly associated with relationship satisfaction. However, research exploring lay definitions of sexual satisfaction has been scarce. We present thematic analysis of written responses of 449 women and 311 men to the question "How would you define sexual satisfaction?" The participants were heterosexual individuals with a mean age of 36.05 years (SD = 8.34) involved in a committed exclusive relationship. In this exploratory study, two main themes were identified: personal sexual well-being and dyadic processes. The first theme focuses on the positive aspects of individual sexual experience, such as pleasure, positive feelings, arousal, sexual openness, and orgasm. The second theme emphasizes relational dimensions, such as mutuality, romance, expression of feelings, creativity, acting out desires, and frequency of sexual activity. Our results highlight that mutual pleasure is a crucial component of sexual satisfaction and that sexual satisfaction derives from positive sexual experiences and not from the absence of conflict or dysfunction. The findings support definitions and models of sexual satisfaction that focus on positive sexual outcomes and the use of measures that incorporate items linked to personal and dyadic sexual rewards for both men and women.
The Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory for Women (SSEI-W) was developed to assess affective reactions to self-appraisals of sexuality. The 81-item measure contains five subscales, each of which reflects a domain of sexual self-esteem: Skill/Experience, Attractiveness, Control, Moral Judgement, and Adaptiveness. Using a college student sample, reliability analyses indicated that the subscales have high internal consistency. Construct validity was assessed by testing hypotheses regarding the effects of sexual experience, relationship commitment, sex guilt, and global self-esteem on sexual self-esteem. In most cases, as predicted, specific SSEI-W subscales were most strongly associated with specific constellations of predictor variables. These findings suggest that different domains of sexual self-esteem are affected by different situations and provide evidence for the multi-dimensionality of sexual self-esteem.
This study extended the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction (IEMSS) to short-term dating relationships. The IEMSS has been shown to have excellent validity for long-term heterosexual relationships. The IEMSS proposes that sexual satisfaction is greater to the extent that, over time, relationship satisfaction is high, levels of sexual rewards exceed levels of sexual costs, relative sexual reward levels exceed relative sexual cost levels, and interpersonal equality of sexual rewards and of sexual costs are perceived to exist. Fifty-one college men and 57 college women in a dating relationship of 3 to 36 months participated in the study. As predicted, more sexually satisfied individuals reported greater relationship satisfaction, a more favorable reward/cost ratio, a more favorable relative reward/relative cost ratio, and more equal rewards and costs between partners. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that relationship satisfaction, the difference between relative rewards, relative costs and cost equality made unique contributions to the prediction of sexual satisfaction, accounting for 75 percent of the variance in sexual satisfaction. The model was shown to work equally well for men and women, for individuals new and less new to their relationship, and for high and low self-disclosers. The IEMSS offers a promising approach for investigating and understanding sexual satisfaction.
A recently reported finding that negative body image is associated with lower levels of sexual experience was replicated in a large, ethnically diverse sample of undergraduates. Additional analyses failed to support a proposed spectatoring, or chronic self‐focus, interpretation of this association (e.g., Faith & Schare, 1993). First, correlations between body image and a variety of dispositional self‐focus measures were either nonsignificant or in a direction opposite to that assumed by the spectatoring hypothesis. Second, a composite of self‐focus ratings on three trait adjectives shown to be associated with a narcissistic personality profile, flirtatiousness, seductive, and fashionable, explained most of the correlation between body image and sexual experience. These findings suggest body image‐related sexual inexperience may have more to do with motivational mechanisms associated with self‐valence (e.g., expectancy‐mediated disengagement or avoidance) than with cognitive mechanisms associated with self‐focus (e.g., chronic attentional distraction from arousal cues). Explanatory pitfalls in the dual attentional and evaluative meanings of Masters and Johnson's (1970) construct of spectatoring are discussed.
This article describes the development of the Sexuality Scale, an instrument designed to measure three aspects of human sexuality: sexual‐esteem, defined as positive regard for and confidence in the capacity to experience one's sexuality in a satisfying and enjoyable way; sexual‐depression, defined as the experience of feelings of depression regarding one's sex life; and sexual‐preoccupation, defined as the tendency to think about sex to an excessive degree. The procedure involved (a) item construction, selection and subsequent validation through item analysis; and (b) a factor analysis of the items on the Sexuality Scale and the establishment of factorial validity. The results indicated that the three subscales were psychometrically sound, that males reported more sexual‐preoccupation than did females, and that the three subscales have unique intercorrelation patterns. The exploratory nature of these findings are discussed.
Despite the use of different methodologies, target populations, and clinical definitions of sexual problems, recent epidemiological studies have shown that the occurrence of sexual difficulties is a very common experience among men from the general population regardless of their age. The objective of this study was to present epidemiological data on the prevalence of sexual difficulties in a community sample of 650 sexually active Portuguese men, stratified by age, marital status, and educational level. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire assessing sexual function in the previous four weeks (International Index of Erectile Function). Results showed that sexual difficulties were relatively common among this sample. Rapid ejaculation was the most frequently reported sexual difficulty (23.2%), followed by erectile difficulties (10.2%), orgasm problems (8.2%), and low desire (2.9%) in the previous four weeks. With the exception of rapid ejaculation, all categories showed age-specific prevalence rates, with sexual difficulties increasing gradually in men above age 45. Age was a significant predictor of all sexual difficulties except rapid ejaculation, and lower educational levels were related to orgasm difficulties. Findings are consistent with the majority of epidemiological studies indicating a high prevalence of sexual difficulties among men in the general population and highlight the importance and the need to implement sexual health promotion programs in the target population.
Low self-esteem and depression are strongly related, but there is not yet consistent evidence on the nature of the relation. Whereas the vulnerability model states that low self-esteem contributes to depression, the scar model states that depression erodes self-esteem. Furthermore, it is unknown whether the models are specific for depression or whether they are also valid for anxiety. We evaluated the vulnerability and scar models of low self-esteem and depression, and low self-esteem and anxiety, by meta-analyzing the available longitudinal data (covering 77 studies on depression and 18 studies on anxiety). The mean age of the samples ranged from childhood to old age. In the analyses, we used a random-effects model and examined prospective effects between the variables, controlling for prior levels of the predicted variables. For depression, the findings supported the vulnerability model: The effect of self-esteem on depression (β = -.16) was significantly stronger than the effect of depression on self-esteem (β = -.08). In contrast, the effects between low self-esteem and anxiety were relatively balanced: Self-esteem predicted anxiety with β = -.10, and anxiety predicted self-esteem with β = -.08. Moderator analyses were conducted for the effect of low self-esteem on depression; these suggested that the effect is not significantly influenced by gender, age, measures of self-esteem and depression, or time lag between assessments. If future research supports the hypothesized causality of the vulnerability effect of low self-esteem on depression, interventions aimed at increasing self-esteem might be useful in reducing the risk of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
The present study extended Objectification Theory (Fredrickson and Roberts, Psychol Women Q 21:173–206, 1997) to test the role of sexual self-esteem in models of disordered eating. Measures of self-objectification, sexual well-being,
and disordered eating were completed by American (N = 104) and British (N = 111) college women. In Study 1, higher self-objectification was associated with lower sexual self-esteem, which, in turn,
mediated the relationship between self-objectification and disordered eating in American women. In Study 2, path analyses
indicated that self-objectification led to sexual self-esteem and body shame, which led to disordered eating in British women.
This pattern of results was replicated, albeit weaker, when sexual self-competence replaced sexual self-esteem in the model.
Discussion considers the significance of self-objectification and sexual self-esteem for women’s well-being.
This research tested two hypotheses about the evolutionary function of self-esteem, with reference to the marital context: Self-esteem evolved as a psychological solution to the adaptive problem of (1) tracking reproductively-relevant costs inflicted by a spouse, and (2) tracking own value as a long-term mate. Two hundred and fourteen individuals evaluated their self-esteem and provided information about marital conflict and marital satisfaction. Couples were interviewed by two interviewers who independently assessed each participant’s mate value and physical attractiveness. Results provide support for both hypothesized functions of self-esteem. Key findings include: husbands’ self-esteem is negatively correlated with wives’ sexual infidelity and with wives’ complaints of husbands’ abuse and jealousy; wives’ self-esteem is negatively correlated with husbands’ derogation of wives’ physical attractiveness and positively correlated with interviewer ratings of wives’ physical attractiveness. Discussion integrates the two hypothesized functions of self-esteem with the “sociometer hypothesis” (M. R. Leary, E. S. Tambor, S. K. Terdal & D. L. Downs, 1995: Self-esteem as an interpersonal monitor. The sociometer hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 518–530) that self-esteem tracks social rejection.
The statistical analysis of mediation effects has become an indispensable tool for helping scientists investigate processes thought to be causal. Yet, in spite of many recent advances in the estimation and testing of mediation effects, little attention has been given to methods for communicating effect size and the practical importance of those effect sizes. Our goals in this article are to (a) outline some general desiderata for effect size measures, (b) describe current methods of expressing effect size and practical importance for mediation, (c) use the desiderata to evaluate these methods, and (d) develop new methods to communicate effect size in the context of mediation analysis. The first new effect size index we describe is a residual-based index that quantifies the amount of variance explained in both the mediator and the outcome. The second new effect size index quantifies the indirect effect as the proportion of the maximum possible indirect effect that could have been obtained, given the scales of the variables involved. We supplement our discussion by offering easy-to-use R tools for the numerical and visual communication of effect size for mediation effects.
Although sexual functioning has been linked to sexual satisfaction, it only partially explains the degree to which women report being sexually satisfied. Other factors include quality of life, relational variables, and individual factors such as body image. Of the few studies that have investigated the link between body image and sexual satisfaction, most have considered body image to be a single construct and have shown mixed results.
The present study assessed multiple body image variables in order to better understand which aspects of body image influence multiple domains of sexual satisfaction, including sexual communication, compatibility, contentment, personal concern, and relational concern in a community sample of women.
Women between the ages of 18 and 49 years in sexual relationships (N = 154) participated in an Internet survey that assessed sexual functioning, five domains of sexual satisfaction, and several body image variables.
Body image variables included the sexual attractiveness, weight concern, and physical condition subscales of the Body Esteem Scale, the appearance-based subscale of the Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity Scale, and body mass index. Total score of the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women was the main outcome measure. Sexual functioning was measured by a modified Female Sexual Function Index.
Consistent with expectations, correlations indicated significant positive relationships between sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and all body image variables. A multiple regression analysis revealed that sexual satisfaction was predicted by high body esteem and low frequency of appearance-based distracting thoughts during sexual activity, even after controlling for sexual functioning status.
Several aspects of body image, including weight concern, physical condition, sexual attractiveness, and thoughts about the body during sexual activity predict sexual satisfaction in women. The findings suggest that women who experience low sexual satisfaction may benefit from treatments that target these specific aspects of body image.
Relationships between body image variables and sexuality have been found among several groups of women. However, research has largely focused on generalized experiences of sexuality. With the exception of two studies which focused on specific medical populations, to our knowledge there has been no investigation of the relationship between body image and acute measures of sexual response. In the current study, we investigated the relationships between body esteem, sexual response to erotica in a laboratory-setting, and self-reported sexual functioning in a non-clinical sample of 85 college women. Women participated in one study session, during which mental sexual arousal, perceptions of physical arousal, and sexual desire were assessed. Results showed that higher body esteem was significantly positively related to sexual desire in response to erotica in the laboratory setting. Similarly, higher body esteem was positively related to self-reported measures of sexual desire, as assessed by a validated measure of sexual function. The sexual attractiveness and weight concern subscales of the Body Esteem Scale, which relate to body characteristics that are most likely to be under public scrutiny, were particularly linked to sexual desire. This is the first study to show that body esteem is related to sexual responses to a standardized erotic stimulus in a laboratory setting.
This article empirically studies how much aging modifies human sexual activity and sexual desire, and what the most important determinants in this change are. The analyses are based on 2 representative national sex surveys conducted in Finland in the 1990s. As a result of female widowhood, aging men had a higher incidence of sexual intercourse compared with aging women; and in relationships, women were more likely than men to report lack of sexual desire. In regression analysis, age was a predictor of sexual activity but not of sexual desire, when controlling for the impact of other factors. Relationship duration did not play an important role in sexual activity or sexual desire when controlling for a number of other variables. Sexual desire, valuing sexuality, and a healthy partner were important to female sexual activity; and high sexual self-esteem, good health, and active sexual history were important to male sexual activity. To keep up their sexual desire, both men and women needed good health, good sexual functioning, positive sexual self-esteem, and a sexually skilful partner.
This study examined the associations between sexual self-concept (sexual esteem and sexual anxiety) and sexual self-efficacy (situational and resistive) in a sample of 388 high school students (59% Caucasian, 28% African American). Males reported lower sexual esteem and lower sexual self-efficacy than females. Males and African Americans reported higher levels of sexual anxiety and lower levels of resistive self-efficacy than females and Caucasians. In regression models, higher sexual self-esteem uniquely predicted higher sexual self-efficacy scores, even after controlling for demographic variables, knowledge of sexual risk, and previous coital experience. In post hoc analyses, sexual self-esteem mediated the relation between knowledge of sexual risk and both types of sexual self-efficacy. Results suggest the need for interventions to promote male sexual self-efficacy and sexual esteem and the need for longitudinal research that explicates models of sexual health in adolescence.
This study investigates the influences on young women's sexual risk taking of (a) attitudes such as sexual self-efficacy and sexual self-esteem and (b) personal and sexual characteristics, such as age, the age of first sexual experience, the number of sexual partners and reported overall amount of sex. Three hundred and thirty-one young women participated in this study. With respect to regular sexual relationships, the results show that risk taking behaviour is directly and positively associated with sexual self-esteem. The effect of sexual self-efficacy on risk taking in regular relationships, however, is indirect and positive, being mediated by the overall amount of sexual activity. In contrast, with respect to casual sexual relationships, risk taking behaviour is negatively associated with self-esteem and positively associated with sexual self-efficacy. In addition, sexual self-esteem influences casual risk taking indirectly and positively, the effect being mediated by the overall amount of sexual activity. The findings in relation to sexual self-esteem and sexual self-efficacy are contrary to the expectations that these variables would be negatively associated with sexual risk taking behaviours. The implications for safe sex education are discussed.
Past research on sexual satisfaction (SS) has primarily developed along three lines of research: interpersonal exchange as related to SS, impact of body image on sexuality and SS, and dysfunction and sexual anxiety as detractors from SS. Furthermore, past research has tended to focus on heterosexual couples, thereby excluding potentially important predictors of SS that are unique to LGB men and women. In this study, we sought to integrate the three disparate lines of research related to SS and attend to LGB-specific factors that may influence SS. We employed multiple linear regression to analyze data from 369 partnered LGB men and women. This method allowed for the examination of how each predictor influenced SS while accounting for the relationships between SS and the other variables. Results indicated that four variables (sexual anxiety, relationship commitment, body image, and identity pride) contributed significantly to SS. Neither internalized homonegativity nor gender contributed significantly to SS; however, analyses indicated that for partnered LGB adults, relationship commitment was an important predictor of SS for women, but not for men. Overall, our findings indicate that partnered LGB adults’ perception of their SS is influenced by factors that are unique to their LGB identity (i.e., identity pride), as well as by those shared by heterosexually identified adults (i.e., body image, relationship commitment, and sexual anxiety). These findings have implications for psychotherapy and SS research with LGB clients.
The aim of this study was to examine the moderating role of attachment styles among single and coupled participants (N = 632) in the associations between sexual self-concept (sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation) and sexual satisfaction. The results indicated lower sexual self-esteem and sexual satisfaction and higher sexual depression and avoidant attachment among singles, as compared to coupled participants. Furthermore, in coupled participants (securely, anxiously, and avoidantly attached), sexual self-esteem and sexual depression were predictors of sexual satisfaction. Among securely, fearfully, and avoidantly attached singles, sexual self-esteem was a predictor of sexual satisfaction. Sexual satisfaction was also predicted by sexual preoccupation among avoidantly attached singles. Finally, the only predictor of sexual satisfaction among anxiously attached singles was sexual depression.
Up until today, with the exception of the Wiederman and Hurst study in 1998, no research has been done with regard to the relationship between women's sexual self-esteem, body mass index, physical satisfaction and body image. Through two studies done on adult women, our objective was to better understand the impact of physical satisfaction on women's sexual self-esteem as well as investigate the elements on which the latter is founded. Data from the first study seem to indicate that BMI would be correlated in a negative and moderate manner to women's sexual self-esteem. A clearer relationship, however, is observed between sexual self-esteem and body/physical satisfaction. Results from the second study indicate no relationship between BMI and sexual self-esteem but they do, however, indicate a relationship between sexual self-esteem and body image/esteem. Furthermore, the most salient traits of attractiveness/seduction were found to be related to the face (eyes, lips, smile). Altogether, research results seem to suggest that "relationship to the body" may be central to women's conceptualization of sexual self-esteem.
Objective:
We examine how sexual activity relates to sexual well-being within the context of sexual attitudes, sexual agency, and sexual desire.
Participants/methods:
We surveyed 471 college women in 2012-14 who had ever had sex.
Results:
Sexual agency and sexual desire consistently predicted well-being, regardless of recent sexual activity. There was a significant interaction between recent sexual activity (none, casual, or exclusive relationship) and sexual attitudes. Exclusive sex was associated with higher than average sexual well-being, especially for women with permissive attitudes. Women who had casual sex and held permissive to average attitudes had the next highest levels of well-being, but those with non-permissive attitudes fell substantially below the overall mean. Women who had no recent sex were consistently below the mean, especially for women with more permissive attitudes.
Conclusions:
A disconnect between sexual attitudes and recent sexual activity may lower women's sexual well-being.
Purpose:
Rates of sexual dysfunctions are high among adults, but little is known about problems in sexual functioning among adolescents. We completed a comprehensive assessment of problems in sexual functioning and related distress over a 2-year period among adolescents (16-21 years).
Methods:
A sample of 405 adolescents completed five online surveys over 2 years. The main outcome measures were clinical cutoff scores on the International Index of Erectile Function and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool for male adolescents and the Female Sexual Function Index for female adolescents. A secondary outcome was clinical levels of distress.
Results:
The majority of sexually active adolescents (78.6% of the male and 84.4% of the female) reported a sexual problem over the course; rates did not differ significantly by gender. Common problems for males were low sexual satisfaction (47.9%), low desire (46.2%), and problems in erectile function (45.3%). Common problems for females were inability to reach orgasm (59.2%), low satisfaction (48.3%), and pain (46.9%). Models predicting problems over time showed increased odds among those not in a sexual relationship. Odds of reporting a distressing sexual problem decreased over time for female but not male adolescents.
Conclusions:
Problems in sexual functioning emerge early in individuals' sexual lives, are often distressing, and appear not to fluctuate over time. Additional efforts to identify key factors linked to onset will help elucidate possible mechanisms.
Using online surveys is becoming increasingly extensive and widespread. Social science research in China is no exception. However, due to contextual factors (e.g., technological constraints, social and cultural norms, and language barriers), prior successful methods may not apply. This article reports an alternative way of conducting online surveys in China, by combining local commercial online survey service providers with indigenous Web 2.0 applications. The case study demonstrates the feasibility of this approach and provides practical advice (e.g., adding incentives) on how to effectively conduct online survey in China.
Little research on adolescents has examined developmentally normative facets of sexuality that are not obviously linked to physical health. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to qualitatively analyze adolescents' thoughts about and experiences with sexual pleasure. The study sample consisted of 56 sexually experienced, ethnically diverse, predominantly female adolescents who were participating in a Web-based intervention to promote healthy sexual decision making. Comments on one message board, "Sexual Pleasure: Does It Matter to You?," provided an opportunity to examine adolescents' thoughts about and experiences with sexual pleasure, as well as their communication with partners about that topic. Adolescents' comments demonstrated that they experience difficulties with pleasure in their sexual relationships. Adolescents generally believed that men are more likely than women to feel pleasure due to differences that include biology, understanding of one's body, and control over partnered sexual behavior. Adolescents defined inequality of received pleasure differently and discussed contexts in which inequality may be acceptable. Adolescents expressed motivation to communicate with partners about sexual pleasure. However, their statements suggested they often lack the skills to do so. Future prevention and intervention programs should equip adolescents with skills to communicate with partners about sexual pleasure.
The goal of the present study was to examine the possible links between global self-esteem and sexual self-esteem, and their links to sexual communication in relationships. It was hypothesized that while there is a positive relationship between global self-esteem and communication in intimate relationships, sexual self-esteem will be a unique predictor of communication. Analyses of the responses of 74 individuals indicated that sexual self-esteem is a distinct, although contributing, aspect of global self-esteem and that sexual communication differs from general communication. Furthermore, while it was found that high levels of both global and sexual self-esteem predicted a higher ability to communicate about satisfying sexual behaviours with a partner, hierarchical regressions demonstrated that sexual self-esteem was a unique predictor of sexual communication over and above the contribution of global self-esteem. These results suggest that global self-esteem may be too broad a construct to predict one's ability to discuss sexual needs with a partner, and that future research may benefit from using measures of sexual self-esteem when researching sexual communication in intimate relationships.
The associations among sexual functioning and two categorical constraints, psychosocial adaptation and sexual desire adjustment, were examined in a sample of women (N = 66) with hypoactive sexual desire. The findings suggest that sexual functioning, especially sexual stress, contributes an independent source of variance above and beyond that contributed by demographic characteristics, physical characteristics, and relationship dynamic variables in predicting the women's desire adjustment and psychosocial functioning. High sexual compatibility and high sexual satisfaction contributed unique variance in predicting positive self-motivation in women with hypoactive sexual desire. Acquired type hypoactive sexual desire and sexual stress in the relationships contributed independently to depression in the study sample. Sexual stress also contributed unique variance to the women's self-esteem and the husband's perception of problem impact. Additionally, social class and body weight served as unique predictors of female subjects' self-esteem. The findings suggest that husband-wife relationships and female sexual functioning represent interrelated and independent subsystems within the marital relationship, and both subsystems may influence the sexual desire adjustment and psychosocial functioning of women with hypoactive sexual desire.
This study investigated the relationships between sexual self-esteem, sexual assertiveness and sexual satisfaction. It was hypothesized that higher levels of sexual self-esteem would be associated with greater sexual satisfaction and that sexual assertiveness would act as a partial mediator. The participants were 25 men and 46 women, aged 19-56 years, recruited from the community. Participants completed questionnaires measuring sexual self-esteem, sexual assertiveness and sexual satisfaction. The results showed strong correlations between all three variables and confirmed sexual assertiveness as a partial mediator of the relationship between sexual self-esteem and sexual satisfaction. The implications of the findings for clinical practice are considered.
Sexual subjectivity refers to multiple aspects of sexual self-perceptions, including sexual body-esteem, perceptions of efficacy and entitlement to sexual desire and pleasure, and sexual self-reflection (Horne & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2006). Previous research on sexual subjectivity has shown that it is elevated in young women who report better global well-being and have more sexual experience. However, research has not focused on young men. Thus, two studies were conducted to develop a new measure to assess young men's sexual subjectivity (Study 1, N = 304 men) and to examine associations of sexual subjectivity with general and sexual well-being among young men and women (Study 2, N = 208 men and 214 women). In Study 1, five elements of men's sexual subjectivity were found, which paralleled the elements found in previous research with young women. In Study 2, sexual subjectivity, especially two elements of sexual body-esteem and self-efficacy in achieving pleasure, was significantly associated with enhanced global and sexual well-being in both men and women. Gender did not moderate these associations, supporting sexual subjectivity as an aspect of sexual health in all young adults. As anticipated, men reported greater entitlement to self-pleasure and self-efficacy in achieving pleasure, but women reported greater entitlement to pleasure with partners. Women's feelings of less efficacy but more entitlement to pleasure with partners suggest that feelings of entitlement may not be consistent with their experiences. Future research with young men and women will be important for understanding sexual health and development during late adolescence and early adulthood.
IntroductionConservative and dysfunctional sexual beliefs are commonly associated with sexual problems among heterosexual men and women. However, little is known about the role of sexual beliefs in sexual problems in gay men and lesbians.AimThe present study aimed at analyzing the role of sexual beliefs in sexual dysfunction in a sample of heterosexual and homosexual men and women.Main Outcome MeasuresParticipants answered questions about self-perceived sexual problems and completed the Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire.Methods
Two hundred twelve men (106 gay) and 192 women (96 lesbian) completed a Web survey.ResultsFindings indicated that men with sexual dysfunction (regardless of sexual orientation) reported significantly more conservative beliefs and more erroneous beliefs related to partner's sexual satisfaction compared with sexually healthy men. Also, gay men with sexual dysfunction (but not heterosexual men) scored higher on belief in sex as an abuse of men's power compared with healthy controls. In addition, heterosexual men scored higher on “macho” beliefs, beliefs regarding partner's sexual satisfaction, and partner's power, compared with gay men. For women, a main effect was found for sexual orientation, with lesbian women scoring higher on sexual desire as a sin, age-related beliefs, and affection primacy and lower on beliefs related to motherhood primacy.Conclusions
Overall, findings suggest that dysfunctional sexual beliefs may play a role as vulnerability factors for sexual dysfunction regardless of sexual orientation, particularly in men. Peixoto MM and Nobre P. Dysfunctional sexual beliefs: A comparative study of heterosexual men and women, gay men, and lesbian women with and without sexual problems. J Sex Med **;**:**–**.
The purpose of this research was to compare the self-images of male and female children in order to determine whether females were at a particular disadvantage and, if so, why. A random sample of 1988 children from grades 3-12 were interviewed in Baltimore in 1968. Findings show more disturbance among White adolescent females than among White males or Black females: White girls become much more self-conscious and show greater self-image instability and somewhat lower self-esteem. Three sets of factors appear to explain part of these differences: (1) attitudes toward present and future sex role, (2) peer relationships in general and opposite sex relationships in particular, and (3) attitudes toward changing looks in adolescence.
Studies on epidemiology of female sexual problems consistently indicate high prevalence rates worldwide, suggesting that this clinical presentation should be considered as a public health concern. However, there are no published studies on prevalence of sexual problems in Portugal. The present study investigated the prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of female sexual problems in a Portuguese community sample. In addition, the authors assessed the role of sociodemographic predictors of women's sexual difficulties. The authors recruited 500 women using quota methods to resemble the Portuguese population according to its demographic characteristics. Participants answered to the Female Sexual Function Index and to a sociodemographic questionnaire. Findings indicated that 37.9% of the Portuguese women reported symptoms of sexual problems. Symptoms of lack of sexual desire was the most frequent sexual difficulty with 25.4% of the women reporting low desire most times or always, followed by symptoms of orgasmic (16.8%), sexual arousal (15.1%), and lubrication difficulties (12.9%), dyspareunia (9.8%), and vaginismus (6.6%). Results indicated that age was a significant predictor of female sexual problems. Results also indicated that symptoms of female sexual problems are a significant health concern in Portugal, suggesting that public policies should be developed to promote sexual health.
We examined the potential role of three mediators-sexual self-esteem, sexual anxiety, and sexual assertiveness-of the association between romantic attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) and two aspects of women's sexual functioning: sexual function and sexual satisfaction. A sample of 556 women aged 18 to 30 agreed to complete an online series of validated questionnaires assessing attachment insecurities and several aspects of sexual functioning. Lower sexual self-esteem and higher sexual anxiety mediated the associations between attachment anxiety and lower sexual function and satisfaction. Lower sexual self-esteem and higher sexual anxiety also partially mediated the links between attachment-related avoidance and the two sexual functioning variables. Sexual assertiveness, however, did not mediate these associations. A significant interaction between attachment anxiety and avoidance was also found to predict sexual satisfaction, with women high in avoidance and low in anxiety being the least satisfied. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical and clinical implications.
Purpose:
Sexual health refers a state of lifespan well-being related to sexuality. Among young people, sexual health has multiple dimensions, including the positive developmental contributions of sexuality, as well as the acquisition of skills pertinent to avoiding adverse sexual outcomes such as unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Existing efforts to understand sexual health, however, have yet to empirically operationalize a multi-dimensional model of sexual health and to evaluate its association to different sexual/prevention behaviors.
Methods:
Sexual health dimensions and sexual/prevention behaviors were drawn from a larger longitudinal cohort study of sexual relationships among adolescent women (N = 387, 14-17 years). Second order latent variable modeling (AMOS/19.0) evaluated the relationship between sexual health and dimensions and analyzed the effect of sexual health to sexual/prevention outcomes.
Results:
All first order latent variables were significant indicators of sexual health (β: 0.192 - 0.874, all p < .001). Greater sexual health was significantly associated with sexual abstinence, as well as with more frequent non-coital and vaginal sex, condom use at last sex, a higher proportion of condom-protected events, use of hormonal or other methods of pregnancy control and absence of STI. All models showed good fit.
Conclusions:
Sexual health is an empirically coherent structure, in which the totality of its dimensions is significantly linked to a wide range of outcomes, including sexual abstinence, condom use and absence of STI. This means that, regardless of a young person's experiences, sexual health is an important construct for promoting positive sexual development and for primary prevention.
This study examined the validity of the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction (IEMSS) in long-term, heterosexual sexual relationships. The IEMSS proposes that sexual satisfaction depends on one's levels of rewards and costs in the sexual relationship, one's comparison levels (CL) for rewards/costs, and one's perceptions of the dyadic equality (EQ) of these rewards/costs. Sexual satisfaction is expected to be greater to the extent that, over time, levels of rewards (REW) exceed levels of costs (CST), relative reward levels (CLREW) exceed relative cost levels (CLcst), and interpersonal equality of rewards (EQrew) and of costs (EQCST) is perceived to exist. Married/cohabiting community volunteers and university alumni/staff completed two questionnaires, 3 months apart. The results obtained from this well-educated, relationally satisfied sample (N= 143) provided excellent support for the IEMSS. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that each component of the model (REW - CST, CLrew - CLcst, and EQrew, EQcst) added to the prediction of sexual satisfaction as expected, accounting for 75% of the variance. Repeated measurement of the IEMSS components offered a better prediction of sexual satisfaction than a one-time measure alone. Neither gender nor relationship satisfaction interacted with the IEMSS components. However, including relationship satisfaction (but not gender) in the model significantly improved the prediction of sexual satisfaction. It was concluded that the model should be revised to include relationship satisfaction. Both the exchange components of the IEMSS and sexual satisfaction uniquely predicted relationship satisfaction. The IEMSS offers a promising approach for understanding sexual satisfaction and its relationship to relationship satisfaction, as well as for reconciling inconsistent findings in the literature.
Problems related to negative body image are very common among young women. In this study, we examined the relationship between women's body image and their sexual functioning over and above the effects of physical exercise and body mass index (BMI) in a sample of 214 university women. Low situational body image dysphoria and low body dissatisfaction were associated with high sexual assertiveness and sexual esteem, low sexual anxiety, and fewer sexual problems. Positive body image was significantly associated with better sexual functioning, even after controlling for BMI and exercise. Although related to body image, BMI and exercise did not predict sexual functioning. These results were interpreted as indicating that a woman's subjective body image is significantly related to her sexual functioning beyond the effects of actual body size and level of physical exercise.
Damage to sexual self-esteem can occur readily through interactions with others; name-calling, sexual insults, unsuccessful sexual interactions, sexual victimization, and one's own impulsivity and self-destructiveness in a sexual encounter can affect the individual's sexual self-esteem. In this paper, five cases are provided to clarify the ways in which individuals experience damage to their sexual self-esteem. Some of these cases came under court scrutiny; monetary compensation was ordered by the courts because of extreme damage in some of the cases. Damage to SSE can be extreme, disabling and can significantly detract from the individual's self-view, satisfaction with life, capability to experience pleasure, willingness to interact with others and ability to develop relationships.
Examines the relationship between low self-esteem and a variety of psychological difficulties from the standpoint of the sociometer model of self-esteem. According to this model, the behavioral concomitants of low self-esteem are best viewed as reactions to real, anticipated, or imagined rejection rather than as consequences of low self-esteem per se. Evidence relevant to this model is reviewed as it relates to dysphoric emotions, substance abuse, irresponsible sexual behavior, aggression, membership in deviant groups, and eating disorders. Low self-esteem is viewed as a co-effect of perceived social exclusion. It is suggested that modifying the ways in which clients deal with issues involving interpersonal acceptance and rejection would ameliorate certain emotional and behavioral problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)
The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) is a brief, reliable, and multidimensional scale for assessing sexual function in men in both research and clinical trials.
The objective of the present study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the IIEF.
A total of 1,363 Portuguese men participated in this study (a clinical sample of 37 men and a community sample of 1,326 men).
All participants completed a questionnaire regarding demographic information and the IIEF.
Principal component analysis using varimax rotation indicated a two-factor structure explaining approximately 55% of the total variance (one factor encompassing erection and orgasmic function domains of the original IIEF, and a second factor corresponding to sexual desire, intercourse, and overall satisfaction). The differentiated factor structure with five separate domains of sexual function was not replicated in the Portuguese version. The two-factor model and the original five-factor model of male sexual function were assessed with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and overall acceptable fits were demonstrated for both models. However, despite a non-optimal performance, CFA provided a better support for the five-factor solution as the model that best fitted the data. An important lack of discriminant validity evidenced by high intercorrelations among dimensions was detected in both models, suggesting a substantial overlap among factors. Reliability studies showed good internal consistency for the five subscales, and test-retest reliability analysis supported the stability of the measure over time. Discriminant validity confirmed the ability of both subscales to differentiate men with erectile dysfunction from matched controls.
Results suggested that the Portuguese version of the IIEF has adequate psychometric properties, and its use is recommended for clinical and research purposes. Further studies are needed in order to elucidate the association among dimensions of male sexual function and, ultimately, to offer a clearer conceptualization of male's sexual response.
The topic of sexual self-esteem has been widely addressed in the literature on female sexuality but few studies have addressed the factors that facilitate or hinder women's sense of sexual self-esteem. Based on previously reported definitions of sexual self-esteem, the present study employed semi-structured interviews with 17 women aged 24-39 years in long-term heterosexual relationships (5-20 years) to identify incidents and factors that had a negative or positive impact on their current levels of sexual self-esteem. Analysis of the interviews using Critical Incident Technique identified 301 incidents of which 131 facilitated and 170 hindered sexual self-esteem. The incidents were sorted into 31 categories (14 facilitating, 17 hindering) which in turn yielded six emergent themes that characterized sexual self-esteem in relation to: husbands, boyfriends, and other males; women's bodies; self- empowerment; damaging experiences and learning; interference of life stressors and sexual scripting; and the topic of sex and engagement in sexual activity. The findings indicate that women's sexual self- esteem is impacted by many bio-psychosocial factors that should be approached holistically in counselling, therapy and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality is the property of Sex Information & Education Council of Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Findings regarding the link between body image and sexuality have been equivocal, possibly because of the insensitivity of many of body image measures to potential variability across sensory aspects of the body (e.g., appearance versus odor), individual body parts (e.g., genitalia versus thighs), and social settings (e.g., public versus intimate). The current study refined existing methods of evaluating women's body image in the context of sexuality by focusing upon two highly specified dimensions: satisfaction with the visual appearance of the genitalia and self-consciousness about the genitalia during a sexual encounter. Genital appearance dissatisfaction, genital image self-consciousness, and multiple facets of sexuality were examined with a sample of 217 undergraduate women using an online survey. Path analysis revealed that greater dissatisfaction with genital appearance was associated with higher genital image self-consciousness during physical intimacy, which, in turn, was associated with lower sexual esteem, sexual satisfaction, and motivation to avoid risky sexual behavior. These findings underscore the detrimental impact of negative genital perceptions on young women's sexual wellbeing, which is of particular concern given their vulnerability at this stage of sexual development as well as the high rates of sexually transmitted infections within this age group. Interventions that enhance satisfaction with the natural appearance of their genitalia could facilitate the development of a healthy sexual self-concept and provide long-term benefits in terms of sexual safety and satisfaction.
Hypotheses involving mediation are common in the behavioral sciences. Mediation exists when a predictor affects a dependent variable indirectly through at least one intervening variable, or mediator. Methods to assess mediation involving multiple simultaneous mediators have received little attention in the methodological literature despite a clear need. We provide an overview of simple and multiple mediation and explore three approaches that can be used to investigate indirect processes, as well as methods for contrasting two or more mediators within a single model. We present an illustrative example, assessing and contrasting potential mediators of the relationship between the helpfulness of socialization agents and job satisfaction. We also provide SAS and SPSS macros, as well as Mplus and LISREL syntax, to facilitate the use of these methods in applications.