No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Joyce Baptist / Quality of couples sexual communication remains an understudied area, despite its link with important relational outcomes such as relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction and condom use. Using a sample of 441 college students, this study examined how parent-child sexual communication (frequency, quality and permissive and restrictive messages) is related to sexual attitudes (permissive and idealistic) and couples sexual communication. Results suggests quality of couples sexual communication was positively related to frequency of parent-child sexual communication and negatively related to quality of parent-child sexual communication. There was not a significant relationship between the types of messages about sexuality from parents and quality of couples sexual communication. However, permissive parental messages were positively related to permissive sexual attitudes and restrictive parental messages was negatively related to permissive sexual attitudes. Idealistic sexual attitudes were found to be positively related to couples sexual communication. Finally, idealistic sexual attitudes marginally mediated the relationship between quality of parent-child sexual communication and quality of couples sexual communication. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

No description available.

The objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of fireflies and the mating behavior of Luciola anceyi in Guanziling, Tainan. The field study was carried out from September 2010 to April 2012. The nocturnal survey of number of individuals and species of firefly was within one hour after sunset weekly in two transects, Jiulongshan 1 (JS1) and Shiya valley (SV). The diurnal firefly survey was from 2011 March to May once for every two weeks in these two transects. In addition, vegetation species and layers was recorded in these two transects during winter and spring. The sex ratio, population size and mating behavior of L. anceyi were studied in three transects (Jiulongshan 2, Jiulongshan 3 and Dadongshan) with mark-recapture and digital video camera. Total 6 genus and 14 species of firefly were found in JS1 and SV, Guanziling from September 2010 to December 2011. The maximum number of firefly species reached its peak of 8 in May and June in Guanziling, but no adult firefly was found in January, February and September. Four species of fireflies were found active during daytime, including Drilaster olivieri, Pyrocoelia formosana, Vesta scutellonigra and L. anceyi . The Shannon-Wiener¡¦s diversity index and evenness of nocturnal fireflies were both highest in summer, significantly higher than those from other seasons (Tukey's HSD, P¡Õ0.05). During spring and summer, 12 species of firefly species were recorded but only 4 species was recorded during autumn and winter. In 2011, Luciola cerata was the most dominant species in firefly community in Guanziling, accounted for 68.21%. The second comeon one was Luciola praeusta (9.48 %), followed by Luciola anceyi (6.42%), Curtos mundulus (5.92%), Diaphanes citrinus (4.47%), and Pyrocoelia praetexta (3.29%). The highest average density within one hour after sunset of L. cerata was from April to May (22.77/ 100 m2 and 15.54/ 100 m2 in JS1 and 6.07/ 100 m2 and 5.91/ 100 m2 in SV). The number of L. cerata was positively correlated with temperature in SV (P¡Õ0.05), but the number of L. anceyi was negatively correlated with relative humidity in SV (P¡Õ0.001). The number of L. praeusta was positively correlated with temperature of these two transects (P¡Õ0.05), and C. mundulus was positively correlated with temperature and relative humidity (P¡Õ0.05) in SV. But the number of D. citrinus and P. praetexta were neither correlated with temperature nor relative humidity from these two transects (P¡Ö0.05). Vegetation stratification in SV was more complex than in JS1, and firefly communities were influenced by plant stratification. The relative frequency of plant layer was the highest in two layers of shrub and herb (winter¡G31.82%¡Fspring¡G33.64%) and three layers of tree, shrub and herb (winter¡G30.91%¡Fspring¡G34.55%) among seven layers of plants in SV. On the other hand, The relative frequency was the highest in the single herb layer in JS1 (winter¡G47.50%¡Fspring¡G48.75 %), and lacking herb layer, two layers of tree and shrub and three layers of tree, shrub and herb. L. cerata prefers to appear in the grasslands of JS1, and D. citrinus and P. praetexta prefer to appear in the habitat with complex vegetation in SV. The courtship and copulation behavior of L. anceyi were recorded during daytime as well as nighttime. The number of adult male L. anceyi captured during daytime flying was significantly higher than adult female captured (P¡Õ0.05). During nighttime, the recapture rate of marked adult males of L. anceyi was twice that of adult females (15.94 % versus 8.55 %). It indicates that the adult L. anceyi appears to be active in the daytime and nighttime in the same area. The mating behavior of L. anceyi occurrs both day and night, therefore, male L. anceyi most likely uses chemical signals to find mates during day time. The mating pattern of L. anceyi is not corresponded with any sexual communication systems known for fireflies. Therefore it can be regarded as a new type of activity and sexual communication systems for fireflies. Although Guanziling area is influenced by long-term cultivation and over development, the quantity and species number of fireflies are plentiful and fireflies occur in all four seasons. Therefore Guanziling has the potential for developing ecotourism and firefly-watch. However, firefly-watch can also increase the damage to the environment. How to appropriately develop ecotourism without destroying the habitat may become the challenge and test for the goal of sustainable management. Finally, the results of this study can provide useful information for habitat conservation and management of fireflies in Guanziling.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Melinda Markham / The following three studies examine school-based sexuality education and parent-child sexual communication. Using findings from qualitative data, the studies address what information is missing and/or needed in sexuality education delivered by parents and the school system, and to determine the best methods to deliver the information. Study 1 identifies the need for a change in sexuality education discourse, especially for women. Study 2 identifies the important need for parents to keep in mind the environment, the methods, and the timing of their parent-child sexual communication. Finally, study 3 assesses novel and discussion question use in mother-daughter sexual communication. Implications are provided for Family Life Educators, Sexuality Educators, and Policymakers.

No description available.

No description available.

Black women in the United States disproportionately represent 64% of women with an HIV infection (CDC, 2013). Research is needed to better understand gender and culturally-specific factors that contribute to Black women’s HIV risk. The Theory of Gender and Power and the Theory of Planned behavior were used as theoretical frameworks in examining the effect of attitudinal beliefs (gender related beliefs), subjective norm beliefs (peer norms), and perceived behavioral control beliefs (relationship power) on sexual behavior in Black college women. Condom use and assertiveness in sexual communication were the dependent variables. Participants included 136 Black college women recruited through the department of psychology’s subject pool and as student volunteers. Results revealed peer norms as a significant predictor of condom use, and agency and gender ratio imbalance beliefs as significant predictors of perceived relationship power. Findings have implications for understanding social and gender related factors for HIV prevention among Black women.

abstract: Sexual satisfaction has been positively linked to both individual and relational wellbeing (Christopher & Sprecher, 2000; Davison, Bell, LaChina, Holden, & Davis, 2009). Further, sexual communication has demonstrated positive impacts on sexual satisfaction (Byers, 2005); yet, research by MacNeil and Byers (2009) found that most people in romantic relationships do not share their sexual preferences with their partner. According to Tolman (2002), women seem to be especially reluctant to communicate sexually, due to the particular societal restrictions placed on expressions of female sexuality and desire. This study aims to understand how emerging adult women communicate with their sexual partners in order to increase pleasure, what barriers exist to sexual communication for these women, and how gendered social norms are expressed in the process. Based on interviews with 19 women between the ages of 20-29, the findings of this study suggest that emerging women often place more weight on social expectations of appropriate female sexual expression than relational context when choosing whether or not and/or how to sexually self-disclose. Further, the women in this study were at varying stages of renegotiating their internalization of the prioritization of male sexual pleasure over female pleasure. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Communication Studies 2019

abstract: The current study employs dyadic data analysis to explore the intrapersonal and interpersonal antecedents of sexual communication in romantic relationships. Working from a family relational schema theoretical framework (family communication patterns [FCPs]; see Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2002a), it is argued that FCPs within individuals’ family of origin structure their relational schema, which is subsequently associated with their openness and quality of sexual communication in their sexually active romantic relationships. In particular, dyadic data procedures are used to explore the interdependent influence of partners’ FCPs on reported sexual communication. It was predicted that individual (actor effects) and partner (partner effects) reports of FCPs are associated with individuals’ reports of sexual communication within romantic relationships. In addition, alternative models were proposed that predicted FCPs are associated with individuals’ self-schema (i.e., general and sexual self-concept), which is in turn associated with sexual communication. A sample of 216 heterosexual romantic dyads (N = 432) participated in a cross-sectional online questionnaire study. Results from path analyses provide partial support for hypotheses. Specifically, individuals from conversationally-oriented families tended to report higher levels of sexual communication in their romantic relationships. Also, the interaction effect between conversation and conformity orientations indicate that dyads tend to engage in more sexual communication when dyadic partners are from pluralistic families (i.e., high conversation, low conformity), and they engage in less sexual communication when partners are from laissez-faire families (i.e., low conversation, low conformity). Furthermore, FCPs were associated with the general and sexual self-concept (i.e., general self-esteem, general social anxiety, sexual self-esteem, and sexual anxiety), which in turn were associated with sexual communication. This study is important for its contribution to the family, interpersonal, and relational communication literature, as well as for its potential to expand Koerner and Fitzpatrick’s (2002a) theory of family relational schema to more domain-specific areas of communication, like sexual communication. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Communication Studies 2016