Young adult sexual styles: Links to concepts of self and others

Abstract

Sexual identity is examined in terms of three distinct parts: sexual style, self-concept in relational and sexual domains, and concepts of relationships and partners. Sexual style, the first component of sexual identity in this study, is defined operationally to include numerous features of sexual behavior and attitudes about behavior. Self-concept in relational and sexual domains is the second component of sexual identity and includes beliefs about the self in relationships, desire for relationships, personal marriage expectations and gender role beliefs. Concepts of relationships and partners, the third component of sexual identity, includes features of dating relationships in general, beliefs about dating, experience of communication and violence in relationships, and for people in relationships, specific characteristics of the relationship. The data for this project were taken from Wave 7 (age 20-21) of the Michigan Study of Adolescent Life Transitions (MSALT). Part one of the study utilized hierarchical cluster analysis with split halves of females and males to group individuals into different sexual style clusters. Clusters were based on the measured variables: Usual frequency of intercourse, importance of regularly having sex, satisfaction with sex life, experience of coercion for sex, and sexual risk reduction. For females, the following five-cluster solution best represented the sample: Satisfied, Moderate, Active Unprotected, Pressured and Comfortably Inactive. For males, the following six-cluster solution best represented the sample: Satisfied, Dissatisfied, Moderate, Active Unprotected, Pressured and Comfortably Inactive. The model to predict sexual style was based on a model of sexual identity, and used multivariate logistic regression to estimate the probability of cluster membership given a certain level of each predictor variable, holding constant the other predictor variables. Using the model of sexual identity, it was possible to correctly classify between 35--47% of the females and males into the correct sexual style.