While traditional beliefs and some research show that men have been more likely than women to initiate sexual activity, recent research indicates that traditional patterns of sexual initiation may be changing especially for married couples. Also, patterns of initiation seem to be related to sexual satisfaction. Specifically, women who always take the initiative and those who never do are the least satisfied with their sex lives. Conversely, those wives who initiate sex half the time are very happy with their sex lives. Since it appears that initiation of sexual activity is related to satisfaction with sex, information regarding why a partner does or does not initiate sex would be useful to a marriage and/or sex therapist. It was expected, on the basis of previous research and theorizing, that the tendency to initiate marital sex would be related to the following: a wife's own approach/avoidance orientation to sex and the approach/avoidance orientation to sex of her husband as measured by Byrne's Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS), attitudes towards sex roles of oneself and one's spouse as measured by the Attitude Towards Women Scale (ATWS), and experiences with pre-adolescent and adolescent genital selfstimulation. Patterns of correlation were analyzed to determine relationships between the following independent variables: husbands' and wives' approach/avoidance orientation towards sex, attitudes towards sex roles, and pre-adolescent and adolescent genital self-stimulation, and the following dependent variables: the number of times the wives take the initiative sexually, the number of times the husbands take the initiative sexually, and the resulting percentage that each takes the initiative sexually, as measured on a monthly basis. Husbands and wives gave relatively similar estimates of how often the husband initiated sex and how often it was mutually initiated. Both husbands and wives reported that the husband was more likely to initiate sex than the wife; however, wives reported significantly higher frequencies of wife initiated sex than their husbands did for wife initiated sex. Husbands were found to be more erotophilic on the Sexual Opinion Survey than wives. Also, wives tended to be more profeminist than their husbands as measured by the Attitude Toward Women Scale. Couples in which the husband experienced frequent pre-adolescent and adolescent masturbatory experience engaged in sexual activity more frequently. Initiation by the husband was negatively correlated with the wife's adolescent masturbatory experience. Gender differences in the masturbation score were apparent with husbands having more experience with genital self-stimulation. The wife's Attitude Towards Women Score was negatively correlated with the couple's total amount of sex. It appears that the traditional pattern of husband's initiating more frequently still holds. It also appears that households of a more profeminist bent are engaging in less marital sex.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa, it is important to understand the sexual behaviours that place youth at risk of HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unwanted pregnancies in order to develop and implement appropriate health-promoting interventions. Parents are in a unique position to help adolescents to have responsible attitudes and behaviour towards sex, and to educate adolescents into healthy sexual adults. The study aimed to investigate parent-adolescent communication and adolescents’ sexual risk-taking behaviour, and the relationship between them. An exploratory, descriptive research design and a quantitative methodological approach were used. One biographical questionnaire, three measuring scales of parent-adolescent communication and one questionnaire about adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviour were used as measuring instruments. Data from 95 female adolescents who were attending the family planning facilities of two clinics in the Metropole Region of the Western Cape were employed for the study. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlations, analyses of variance and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed a high prevalence of sexual risk-taking behaviours among adolescents in the Western Cape. Family environment characteristics, especially the parents’ marital status, play a significant role in both parent-adolescent communication and sexual risk-taking behaviour. Unexpected findings were some significant correlations that were found between different factors of both general and sexual parent-adolescent communication. Spearman’s correlations and best subsets multiple regression analysis were performed on the data to ascertain which factors are significantly correlated or associated with adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviour. In both statistical analyses, the amount of parent-adolescent communication about sexual issues was the most important. A significant negative correlation between adolescents’ sexual risk-taking behaviours and the amount of parent-adolescent communication about sexual issues illustrates the positive influence of amount of parent-adolescent sexual communication on adolescents’ sexual risk-taking behaviour. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die groeiende MIV/VIGS epidemie in Suid-Afrika is dit belangrik om te verstaan watter gedrag jong mense in gevaar stel om MIV of ander seksueel oordraagbare siektes op te doen of om ongewens swanger te word om daardeur programme wat hierdie gedrag verminder, te kan ontwikkel en implementeer. Ouers is in ‘n unieke posisie om te verseker dat hulle adolessente kinders verantwoordelike houdings en optrede teenoor seks ontwikkel en om hulle op te voed tot volwassenes wat ‘n gesonde houding tot seks het. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die verhouding tussen ouer-adolessente kommunikasie en die seksuele waaggedrag van jong mense te ondersoek en die verhouding tussen hulle te bepaal. ‘n Ondersoekende, beskrywende navorsingsontwerp en ‘n kwantitatiewe metodologiese benadering is gebruik. ‘n Biografiese vraelys, drie vraelyste oor ouer-adolessente kommunikasie en een vraelys oor die seksuele waaggedrag van jong mense is deur 95 adolessente meisies voltooi wat die gesinsbeplanningsfasiliteite by twee klinieke in die Wes-Kaapse metropool besoek het. Die data is ontleed deur die berekening van Spearman (Rho)-korrelasies, variansieontleding, meervoudige regressie-analise en beskrywende statistiek. Die bevindings dui op ‘n hoë voorkoms van seksuele waaggedrag onder adolessente in die Wes-Kaap. Gesinsomstandighede, veral die ouers se huwelikstatus, speel ‘n belangrike rol in ouer-adolessente kommunikasie en seksuele waaggedrag. Onvoorsiene bevindings was die beduidende korrelasies tussen verskillende faktore van beide algemene en seksuele ouer-adolessente kommunikasie. Spearman-korrelasies en best subsets meervoudige regressie-analise is op die data uitgevoer om te bepaal watter faktore betekenisvol met adolessente waaggedrag korreleer of daarmee geassosieer is. In beide statistiese analises is gevind dat die hoeveelheid ouer-adolessente kommunikasie oor seksuele kwessies die belangrikste was. Daar was ‘n statisties beduidende negatiewe korrelasie tussen die adolessent se seksuele waaggedrag en die hoeveelheid kommunikasie tussen die ouer en adolessent oor seks, wat beteken dat adolessente minder seksuele waaggedrag sal vertoon indien hulle ouers meer met hulle oor seksuele sake sal praat.

Thesis (MEd(Psych))--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Internationally there is concern about the reproductive health of adolescents. In South Africa a growing concern is the rampant sexual activity of underage learners. This study seeks to explore the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of a group of adolescents with regard to their psycho-sexual development. A qualitative study was conducted, with data being collected by using semistructured interviews, which were subsequently analysed thematically. The data was analysed and five themes emerged from the three categories (knowledge, attitudes and behaviour). The five themes that emerged were knowledge about HIV/AIDS and venereal diseases, where participants received their knowledge about sexual issues, knowledge about conception and pregnancy, attitudes about sexuality and sexual behaviours. The study found a disparity between participants' knowledge, attitudes and sexual behaviour. Many participants have not developed a healthy sexual identity because of many factors that has contributed to this development. Some of these factors were social, parental, emotional, socio-economic, lack of appropriate knowledge, media and attitudinal influences. The findings indicated that the majority of the participants had a fairly good knowledge about HIV/AIDS but were less knowledgeable about other venereal diseases. It appeared that many of the participants did not have reliable sources to furnish them adequate answers to sexuality questions. This lack of information had a direct bearing on the formation of their sexual attitudes and behaviours. There was a marked difference between the sexual practices reported by the male and female participants. More of the male participants reported that they engaged in sexual activity as compared to the female participants. The study also highlighted the interrelatedness between knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Internasionaal bestaan daar groot kommer aangaande die reproduktiewe gesondheid van adolessente. In Suid Afrika is die toenemende seksuele aktiwiteit van minderjarige leerders 'n toenemende bron van kommer. Hierdie studie het ten doelom die kennis, houdings en gedrag van 'n groep adolessente ten opsigte van hulle psigo-seksuele ontwikkeling te eksploreer. 'n Kwalitatiewe studie is uitgevoer. Data is ingesamel deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, wat tematies geanaliseer is. Vyf temas vanuit drie kategorieë (kennis, houdings en gedrag) het na vore gekom. Die vyf temas sluit in kennis aangaande HIVNIGS en veneriese siektes, waar adolessente hulle kennis aangaande seksuele sake ontvang het, kennis aangaande konsepsie en swangerskap, houdings aangaande seksualiteit en seksuele gedragsvorme. Die studie het 'n dispariteit gevind tussen deelnemers se kennis, houdings en seksuele gedrag. Baie van die deelnemers het nie seksuele identiteit ontwikkel nie, as gevolg van verskeie faktore wat hierdie ontwikkeling beïnvloed het. Sosiale, ouerlike, emosionele en sosio-ekonomiese veranderlikes, onkunde, sowel as die invloed van die media, is faktore wat bydra tot die swak ontwikkelde seksuele identiteit van deelnemers. Die bevindinge het aangetoon dat die oorgrote meerderheid van die respondente 'n redelik goeie kennis aangaande HIVNIGS het, maar nie so goed ingelig is aangaande veneriese siektes nie. Dit wil voorkom asof 'n aansienlike hoeveelheid van die deelnemers nie oor betroubare bronne beskik om hulle van die nodige antwoorde op seksuele vrae te voorsien nie. Hierdie gebrek aan informasie het 'n direkte invloed op die vorming van hul houdings aangaande seksualiteit en hul seksuele gedrag. 'n Betekenisvolle verskil is tussen die seksuele praktyke van manlike en vroulike deelnemers gevind. Meer manlike deelnemers was betrokke in seksuele bedrywighede in vergelyking met vroulike deelnemers. Die onderlinge verwantskap tussen kennis, houdings en gedrag is ook deur die studie na vore gebring.

This study investigates whether sex information, experience, or attitudes are related to self-concept. The subjects were 120 students enrolled in a university sex-education course, All students completed questionnaires measuring sex information, experience, and attitudes. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale was given to obtain self-concept scores. Correlation coefficients and correlation ratios were computed between sex information, sexual experience, sex attitudes, self-concept, and course grades. No pattern of relationships emerges between self-concept and the other variables studied. A strong negative correlation (P < .01) was found between sex experience and sexual attitude orthodoxy. Consistent with other research, males report more sex experience (D < .01) and more liberal sex attitudes (P < .01) than females.

College student men (n = 185) and women (n = 244) rated how desirable certain characteristics are in an ideal sex partner within a long-term relationship. They reported personal beliefs and predictions about the other gender's preferences. Of the twenty-six items that comprised each measure, factor analyses yielded five subscales: Communication/Openness, Physical Attractiveness, Knowledge/Skill, Take Control, and Response/Drive. As hypothesized, men placed greater emphasis than did women on Physical Attractiveness and Response/Drive, whereas women, more than men, believed Knowledge/Skill was important. Men and women differed completely on what they thought was important to each other. Furthermore, men recognized that there were gender differences on all subscales but Knowledge/Skill, whereas women recognized gender differences on all subscales. When the actual responses of men and women were compared with the beliefs that each had about the other, results showed that both genders underestimated the importance the other placed on Communication/Openness and overestimated that of Physical Attractiveness. Results are discussed with regard to implications for counselors. / Department of Psychological Science

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed September 15, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-223).

Non-violent, degrading pornography -- Ratings of degradation and arousal -- Men vs. women -- Male reations to video depictions of sexually explicit behavior, status reduction, availability, semen/penis worship, dominance, status inequality, submission, objectification, and unreciprocated sex.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Recent research in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention suggests that for more effective interventions to be developed, it is necessary to understand, consider, and address the social context in which high risk sexual behaviours occur, and particularly to understand how issues of gender are implicated in the perpetuation of these behaviours. Based on the broad theoretical premise that social discourses play an integral role in the production and maintenance of gender and sexual identity, and in line with research suggesting that more attention needs to be paid to the role that men and masculinity play in HIV transmission through sex, this pilot study employed a social constructionist framework to explore constructions of masculine sexuality, high risk sexual behaviours, HIV/AIDS and the relationships between these, amongst a small sample of 10 young adult Xhosa speaking males that reside in or around Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa. The findings of this study indicate that the participants generally construct their gender and sexual identities in ways that are highly consistent with social discourses that construct men as dominant over women. There was also strong evidence that, for the participants, their sexual identity represented a primary source of their identity as men. This sexual identity appeared in itself to be constructed primarily along patriarchal lines, and maintained by pervasive reference to what is normative for men within their social contexts, thereby setting up a self perpetuating loop. The data revealed a number of dimensions to this sexual identity, such as the role that sexual success and prowess plays in maintaining and enhancing a sense of self and public esteem, that provided participants with logical motivations for engaging in high risk sexual behaviours (although participants did not necessarily construct them as such) such as having multiple sexual partners, casual sex, non-use of condoms and, importantly, sexual coercion: 70% of the participants indicated that they either do not use condoms consistently or don’t use them at all while 80% reported having sexually coerced at least one partner. There is strong evidence to support the suggestion that the content of the participants’ masculine sexual identity is inextricably linked both to the social gender discourses present in the social context, and their sexual behaviour. There was also evidence to suggest that this link represents a psychological motivation for behaviour that is often more powerful than the participants’ cognitive awareness of the risk of contracting HIV and their own personal morality put together.

Orientador: Elizabeth Piemonte Constantino / Banca: Renata Maria Coimbra Libório / Banca: Luis Fernando Rocha / Banca: Maria de Fátima Araújo / Banca: Leonardo Lemos de Souza / Resumo: A presença do psicólogo no sistema de justiça se consolidou com a promulgação do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente, há mais de vinte anos; no entanto, muito se discute, atualmente, sobre o seu papel nos casos de abuso sexual infantil. Neste momento de reorganização dos espaços profissionais, definir e valorizar o trabalho interdisciplinar, especialmente na relação entre a Psicologia e o Direito, possivelmente provocará, no meio jurídico, transformações nas ações e nas representações relacionadas à proteção da criança. O lugar do psicólogo passou a ser discutido nessa perspectiva, pois as propostas de depoimento especial para a escuta da criança em situação judicial o coloca na função de facilitador do diálogo entre o juiz e a vítima, em um método de inquirição. Com isso, o aprendizado da interdisciplinaridade é prejudicado, porque o psicólogo tem seu conhecimento científico desvalorizado, assim como as técnicas que orientam seu trabalho são submetidas aos procedimentos e finalidades do Direito. Diante de tal impasse, a presente pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar e discutir as representações dos juízes e dos desembargadores quanto ao papel do psicólogo na produção de subsídios para as decisões judiciais, nos casos de violência sexual na infância. O referencial teórico que embasa as reflexões e análises é a Teoria das Representações Sociais, com enfoque na relação entre a Psicologia e o Direito, exposta no texto dos acórdãos judiciais. Mediante a metodologia da análise documental, foram selecionados 27 acórdãos referentes aos crimes sexuais contra crianças, os quais apresentam critérios semelhantes com respeito ao emprego do laudo psicológico na decisão. Este trabalho evidencia que o parecer psicológico assertivo e explicativo oferece fundamentos para a representação dos juízes e dos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The presence of psychologists in the justice system became more prevalent twenty years ago with the enactment of the Statute of Children and Adolescents. Today, there is a continued debate about its role in cases of child sexual abuse. At this time of reorganization of the professional field, to define and enhance interdisciplinary work, especially in the relationship between psychology and the law, will possibly provoke, amid the juridical environment, transformations in the actions and representations related to child protection.The role of the psychologist enters the debate in regards to the special testimony for listening to a child's legal situation. This puts him in the role of facilitator of dialogue between the judge and the victim in a method of inquiry. Thus, the interdisciplinary learning is impaired because the psychologist has their scientific knowledge devalued. Also, the techniques that guide their work are subject to the procedures and purposes of the law. Faced with this impasse, this research aims to analyze and discuss the representation of the judges and judges of the high court as to the role of psychologists in the final judgment in cases of childhood sexual violence. The theoretical referential that underlies the reflections and analysis is the Social Representations Theory, focusing on the relationship between psychology and the law, exposed in the text of judicial decisions. Using the methodology of documentary analysis, 27 judgments were selected relating to sexual offenses against children, which present similar criterions regarding the use of the psychological report on the decision. This work shows that the assertive and explanatory psychological opinion offers foundations for the judge‟s representation and judges of the... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor