Adolescent Sexuality and Positive Well-being: a Group-norms Approach

Overview

Journal J Youth Adolesc

Specialties Pediatrics
Psychology
Social Sciences

Date 2011 Jan 29

PMID 21274608

Citations 11

Authors

Zhana Vrangalova

Ritch C Savin-Williams

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The link between adolescent sexual activity and psychological well-being is a controversial issue in developmental psychology. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between three aspects of teenage sexuality (genital sexual experience, age of sexual onset, and number of sex partners) and positive well-being (hedonic, eudaimonic, and overall) in a sample of 475 high school seniors (48% female; 89% White) from a single school district in a rural upstate New York community. Based on a group-norms perspective, we expected higher well-being in adolescents whose sexual behaviors followed group-normative patterns. As expected, sexually experienced and on-time (at age 16) students reported higher well-being than sexually inexperienced or late-onset (17 or older) students. Contrary to expectations, a high number of sex partners and an early sexual onset (15 or younger) were not related to lower well-being. Early-onset girls reported higher levels of well-being than normative-onset peers. Findings are discussed in relationship to theoretical perspectives and past empirical findings of teenage sexuality as a developmental asset versus risk.

Citing Articles

Understanding U.S. Caregivers' Perceptions of Youth's Sexting Motivations and Concerns About Their Children's Sexting Involvement: Fall ConsumerStyles Survey, 2018 and 2019.

Steele-Baser M, Allen C, Mercado M, Cooper A, Wagner R Arch Sex Behav. 2024; 53(10):3747-3757.

PMID: 39214952 PMC: 11588500. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02989-0.

Infidelity in the Adolescence Stage: The Roles of Negative Affect, Hostility, and Psychological Well-Being.

Beltran-Morillas A, Villanueva-Moya L, Sanchez-Hernandez M, Alonso-Ferres M, Garrido-Macias M, Exposito F Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023; 20(5).

PMID: 36901124 PMC: 10002242. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054114.

Sexual Development in Perinatally HIV-Infected Young People: A Systematic Review and Explorative Study.

Ter Haar A, Fieten A, van den Hof M, Malekzadeh A, Laan E, Oostrom K Sex Med. 2022; 10(6):100578.

PMID: 36274460 PMC: 9780776. DOI: 10.1016/j.esxm.2022.100578.

A Longitudinal Investigation of Observed Adolescent Text-Based Sexting and Adjustment.

Kurup A, George M, Burnell K, Underwood M Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2021; 50(4):431-445.

PMID: 34519906 PMC: 8918429. DOI: 10.1007/s10802-021-00850-9.

Prevalence of emergency contraceptive pill use among Spanish adolescent girls and their family and psychological profiles.

Jimenez-Iglesias A, Moreno C, Garcia-Moya I, Rivera F BMC Womens Health. 2018; 18(1):67.

PMID: 29769104 PMC: 5956739. DOI: 10.1186/s12905-018-0560-x.

References

Gloppen K, David-Ferdon C, Bates J . Confidence as a predictor of sexual and reproductive health outcomes for youth. J Adolesc Health. 2010; 46(3 Suppl):S42-58. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.11.216. View

Crockett L, Bingham C, Chopak J, Vicary J . Timing of first sexual intercourse: the role of social control, social learning, and problem behavior. J Youth Adolesc. 1996; 25(1):89-111. DOI: 10.1007/BF01537382. View

McDowell I . Measures of self-perceived well-being. J Psychosom Res. 2010; 69(1):69-79. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.07.002. View

Harvey S, Spigner C . Factors associated with sexual behavior among adolescents: a multivariate analysis. Adolescence. 1995; 30(118):253-64. View

Whitaker D, Miller K, Clark L . Reconceptualizing adolescent sexual behavior: beyond did they or didn't they?. Fam Plann Perspect. 2000; 32(3):111-7. View

Wood A, Joseph S . The absence of positive psychological (eudemonic) well-being as a risk factor for depression: a ten year cohort study. J Affect Disord. 2009; 122(3):213-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.06.032. View

Seligman M, Csikszentmihalyi M . Positive psychology. An introduction. Am Psychol. 2001; 55(1):5-14. DOI: 10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.5. View

LUCAS R, Fujita F . Factors influencing the relation between extraversion and pleasant affect. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2001; 79(6):1039-56. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.79.6.1039. View

Baumeister R, Leary M . The need to belong: desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychol Bull. 1995; 117(3):497-529. View

10.

Tolman D, Striepe M, Harmon T . Gender matters: constructing a model of adolescent sexual health. J Sex Res. 2003; 40(1):4-12. DOI: 10.1080/00224490309552162. View

11.

Kotchick B, Shaffer A, Forehand R, Miller K . Adolescent sexual risk behavior: a multi-system perspective. Clin Psychol Rev. 2001; 21(4):493-519. DOI: 10.1016/s0272-7358(99)00070-7. View

12.

Feldman L, Holowaty P, Harvey B, Rannie K, Shortt L, Jamal A . A comparison of the demographic, lifestyle, and sexual behaviour characteristics of virgin and non-virgin adolescents. Can J Hum Sex. 2002; 6(3):197-209. View

13.

Ryan R, Deci E . On happiness and human potentials: a review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annu Rev Psychol. 2001; 52:141-66. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.141. View

14.

Lambert T, Kahn A, Apple K . Pluralistic ignorance and hooking up. J Sex Res. 2003; 40(2):129-33. DOI: 10.1080/00224490309552174. View

15.

Slavich G, ODonovan A, Epel E, Kemeny M . Black sheep get the blues: a psychobiological model of social rejection and depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2010; 35(1):39-45. PMC: 2926175. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.01.003. View

16.

Raffaelli M, Crockett L . Sexual risk taking in adolescence: the role of self-regulation and attraction to risk. Dev Psychol. 2003; 39(6):1036-46. DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.39.6.1036. View

17.

Richter D, Valois R, McKeown R, Vincent M . Correlates of condom use and number of sexual partners among high school adolescents. J Sch Health. 1993; 63(2):91-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1993.tb06087.x. View

18.

Keyes C . Promoting and protecting mental health as flourishing: a complementary strategy for improving national mental health. Am Psychol. 2007; 62(2):95-108. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.62.2.95. View

19.

Ryff C, Keyes C . The structure of psychological well-being revisited. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1995; 69(4):719-27. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.69.4.719. View

20.

Steinberg L . A Social Neuroscience Perspective on Adolescent Risk-Taking. Dev Rev. 2008; 28(1):78-106. PMC: 2396566. DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2007.08.002. View