Thesis (M.S.)--Youngstown State University, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-107).

Hypoactive sexual desire is one of the most prevalent psychosexual problems seen by clinicians, yet there is little consensus as to its etiology, maintenance, appropriate therapeutic intervention or prognosis. Sexual disinterest is considered to be difficult to treat due to severe intrapsychic and/or interpersonal conflict. Few empirical studies exist, however, regarding intrapsychic or interpersonal dynamics in couples where one spouse is assigned the diagnosis of hypoactive sexual desire (HSD). The purpose of this study was to develop a clearer understanding of the intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics of the clinical group diagnosed with hypoactive sexual desire. Individual and interactional data was collected from both diagnosed individuals and spouses. The sample consisted of three groups of subjects and their partners. Twenty-two subjects assigned a DSM-III-R diagnosis of lifelong or acquired, generalized Hypoactive Sexual Desire (HSD) and their spouses were compared on intrapsychic and interpersonal variables with two groups consisting of twenty-one sexually dysfunctional subjects displaying a DSM-III-R arousal or orgasm disorder (SDys) and their spouses, and 19 couples with no reported sexual dysfunction (NSD). Only subjects free from other Axis I disorders, medical illness, or substance abuse were selected. Control subjects met similar criteria but had no reported sexual dysfunction. All partners were sexually functional. Subjects were administered: the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI), the Sexual History Form (SHF), the Medical History Questionnaire (MHQ), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Affect Balance Scale (ABS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) over a three week period. Statistical procedures used to analyse the data included Canonical Correlation, ANOVA, Profile Analysis, Hotelling's test (T²) and Student-Newman-Keuls test procedure. The test results measuring intrapsychic phenomena revealed that although all groups had normal MMPI profiles, the affect/anxiety variate was significantly elevated in the HSD and SDys groups. In addition, self concept as measured by the SASB introject was significantly more negative in the HSD and SDys groups as compared to the control group. No significant intrapsychic differences were found between partners in the three groups. The interpersonal measures indicated that HSD subjects and SDys subjects perceived their relationships as less nurturing and affirming than did control subjects. Additionally, HSD subjects and their spouses perceived their relationships as measured by the SASB to be more hostile. The study provides some evidence to support the view that HSD subjects have lower self concepts and higher relationship conflicts than do subjects with arousal or orgasm problems or control subjects. Similar to much of the previous research conducted on nonmedical aspects of human sexuality, the study design was exploratory and descriptive in nature thus removing any possibility of drawing cause and effect conclusions. / Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Graduate

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed on Feb. 5, 2007). PDF text: viii, 77 p. UMI publication number: AAT 3218191. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche format.

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work.))--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leave 253-261).

The aim of this study was to make an assessment of the role of the cognitive component in the development of sexual dysfunction. Past studies have largely focused on the impact of particular events on sexual dysfunction and have not assessed the role of the perception of these events. A number of theories on sexual dysfunction have been developed to explain the influence of cognitions, but these have not been empirically tested. This study investigated the role of the cognitive evaluation of sexual experiences among 30 sexually dysfunctional participants and 30 control participants who were matched on age, marital status and biological sex. The Cognitive Aspects of Sexual Dysfunction Measure (CASDM) was constructed to evaluate sexual dysfunction. This measure was designed to tap into the major events in participants’ lives and, more importantly, the participants’ perceptions of these events. The components assessed were the intergenerational (family of origin), individual, current life and relationship aspects of the person’s life. These factors were measured from the responses to questions regarding the participant's cognitions about past experiences, the effect of the past experience on the participant at the lime it occurred and the influence this experience had on the participant's sense of self now, their relationship now and sexual functioning now. The main findings in the intergenerational area were that past experiences were perceived by the sexually dysfunctional group to be having an impact on the self, relationships and their sexual functioning although there were no actual differences between the sexually functional and the sexual dysfunctional participants in the occurrence of the event. For the individual factors, there were differences between the sexually functional and sexually dysfunctional participants in both values and lifestyle, although these were not perceived to be having an impact on the self, relationship and sexual functioning. In the relationship area, anger was the major factor separating the sexually functional and sexually dysfunctional groups. Anger was high among the sexually dysfunctional participants and was perceived to be having an impact on self, the couple’s relationship and their sexual functioning. The importance of all these variables in providing a better understanding of the cognitive factors in sexual dysfunction was discussed. The findings demonstrate the importance of cognitions in influencing sexual functioning. Clinicians should not simply deal with the life experiences of sexually dysfunctional people when attempting to change their behaviour, but should focus on changing cognitions about the behaviours in relation to sexual functioning.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Marriage and Family Therapy, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-72).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-258). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-258). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / On cover: Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work. Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / It is generally accepted that pre-teen sexual offences are becoming a widespread problem in South Africa and social workers are ill-equipped to render a competent service to prevent these youth offenders from re-offending. To date, the social, judicial and legislative systems do not provide any definite guidelines to prevent pre-teen sexual offenders from re-offending. The purpose of this study was to present guidelines which could serve as a framework when designing prevention programmes for pre-teen sex offenders. With the results of the study an attempt will be made to augment the knowledge and skills in this area in the social service delivery system, in order to render a professional and effective service to prevent pre-teen sexual offenders from reoffending. The objectives of the study were: first, to explain policy under the South African criminal justice system regarding crime according to the Sexual Offences Act, no 23 of 1957, and the Child Care Act, no 74 of 1983, as well as government and non-government services available to children under the age of 13 who sexually offend; second, to describe the social and personal circumstances of pre-teen sexual offenders in order to illustrate the nature of the deviant sexual behaviour of these children and to determine the need for prevention programmes; third, to reflect on the nature and function of prevention programmes for pre-teen sexual offenders and to investigate the need for social workers to utilize these programmes in welfare agencies in South Africa; fourth, to determine the nature of social work programmes which social workers in welfare agencies are using to address the needs and/or problems of pre-teen sexual offenders; and finally, to describe the knowledge and practice skills needed by social workers to design prevention programmes for pre-teen sexual offenders. The literature review was focused on research findings relating to issues examined in this study. An exploratory research design for the study was confined to a purposive sample of 79 respondents who were identified from a universe of 130 social workers to assess their need to develop prevention programmes in order to render a competent service to pre-teen sex offenders and their families. The results were analysed mainly quantitatively. The empirical study enabled the researcher to draw certain conclusions. The main finding was that pre-teen sex offences were on the increase, and that social workers therefore required ever greater knowledge and skills to empower them to use existing prevention of re-offending programmes for preteen sexual offenders, or alternatively, needed to develop their own such programmes. A number of recommendations flowed from the findings. The main recommendation was that welfare organisations rendering child care service should ensure that social workers have at their disposal a diverse knowledge and skills base consisting of the most significant prevention models and approaches to enable them to design their own prevention programmes for pre-teen sexual offenders. The welfare organisations should further supply social workers with training opportunities to enable them to design prevention programmes, thereby empowering them to render a professional service to pre-teen sexual offenders and their families. Finally, preventing pre-teen sex offenders from reoffending should be a state-driven initiative and national and provincial governments should provide adequate policies and facilities for the implementation of prevention programmes for pre-teen sexual offenders.