Individual and familial influences on the onset of sexual intercourse among urban African American adolescents.

A sample of 198 African American families, living in urban poverty, participated in a longitudinal study of adolescent sexual development beginning when children were in the 4th or 5th grade. Self-reports of family conflict and pubertal development and videotaped family interaction data were collected at 2 time points approximately 2 years apart. Youths reported on sexual debut at each time point. More boys than girls reached sexual debut early. Greater levels of family conflict predicted early sexual debut. Observational data indicated more developed preadolescents with greater family conflict and less positive affect were least likely to delay debut. Changes in pubertal development and observed family conflict were associated with early debut. Possible mediating mechanisms and implications for preventive interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drinking and sexual experience on first dates among adolescents.

Using Steele's inhibitory conflict model (C. M. Steele & R. A. Josephs, 1990) as a framework, the present study investigated the link between alcohol use and the probability that intercourse occurred on 2 different 1st date occasions in a random sample of adolescents and young adults interviewed twice approximately 4? years apart (Ns?=?1,678 and 1,780, respectively). As expected, both between-subjects/within-occasion and within-subjects/across-occasion analyses indicated that the probability of intercourse was significantly higher when the male couple member, but not his female counterpart, drank alcohol. Also consistent with Steele's model, alcohol effects on intercourse probability were found primarily among males who were highly conflicted about having intercourse on the date. Inconsistent with Steele's model, however, a similar effect was not found among highly conflicted females. Results are discussed in terms of a more general variant of Steele's model that allows for both alcohol-related disinhibition and inhibition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial factors and high-risk sexual behavior: race differences among urban adolescents

Adolescence is a period of sexual experimentation. We examined psychosocial predictors of high-risk sexual behavior and condom use. The sample included 824 ninth-graders, most of whom are African American. We conducted separate analyses for whites and African Americans. Predictors included alcohol and substance use, delinquency, prosocial behaviors, and family and peer influences. We found that problem behaviors predicted high-risk sexual behavior, but the effects were stronger for white youth. We also found that friends' behaviors were more predictive than family influences, except for family conflict. In general, the models explained more variance for white youths than for African-American youths. The results suggest that problem behavior theory and social interactions theory may be most relevant for white youth and that other models may be necessary to explain high-risk sexual behavior among African-American youths.     

Time of first intercourse: A prospective study.

Longitudinal psychosocial data were used to predict the transition from virginity to nonvirginity among 430 7th–9th graders, all of whom were virgins at the initial testing in 1970. By the most recent follow-up in 1979, 93% reported having had sexual intercourse. Variation in time of onset of initial intercourse was categorized into 6 time periods and served as the main criterion variable in the study. Bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that antecedent measures of personality, the perceived environment, and behavior were predictive of variation in time of onset and, taken together, accounted for approximately 30% of the criterion variance. Results support the utility of the problem-behavior-theory framework and show onset of sexual intercourse to be a systematic aspect of psychosocial development in adolescence. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial predictors of binge eating and purging behaviors among adolescents with and without diabetes mellitus

The way of announcing a late-onset, heritable, disabling disease, and the impact of this realisation on the patient's life, were studied by means of unstructured interviews conducted with 10 neurologists and 22 patients. All physicians announced the name of the disease to the patient, and considered it important to do so. At the same time they also provided explanations concerning the unpredictable prognosis, the absence of curative therapy, and genetic transmission. It was extremely shocking for the patients to learn that their illness is a myopathy and furthermore that it is genetically transmissible. This shock was linked to the naming of the disease, which represented an abrupt transition in the patient's life. Patients feel that this moment marks the beginning of social exclusion. A strong disavowal of the disease is developed, regarding its disabling and heritable characteristics. This disavowal hampers reconstruction of the personality. A post-diagnostic follow-up by a genetic counsellor is highly recommended for patients and relatives alike. This should allow the patient to mourn his/her previous life, a prerequisite for positive rebuilding.     

Psychosocial predictors of children's postoperative pain

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of psychosocial variables in the prediction of children's pain intensity following surgery. Forty-two children, ages 7 to 17 years (M = 12.26, SD = 3.06), completed an interview 1 week prior to surgery assessing anticipatory distress related to their forthcoming surgery and history of coping strategy use. Following surgery, children reported the intensity of their pain using visual analog scales. Findings demonstrated that the majority of children experienced moderate to severe postoperative pain. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that psychosocial variables added to the prediction of children's postoperative pain after controlling for the influence of surgery-related and demographic variables. These findings lend initial support for the inclusion of psychosocial assessment measures (e.g., anticipatory surgery distress) in the preoperative assessment of pediatric patients who may be at risk for excessive postsurgical pain.     

Women's fantasies during sexual intercourse: Normative and theoretical implications.

Explored normative variations in daydreams that women reported as occurring during sexual intercourse and tested the relative validity of several theoretical models of the function of coital fantasy. Ss were 141 suburban housewives who responded to questionnaires involving general daydreaming tendencies, fantasies, and other ideation during coitus; sexual patterns; marital adjustment; and measures of intelligence, personality, and personal adjustment. 56 Ss were interviewed intensively to elaborate and check on questionnaire responses. 65% of the Ss reported moderate to high levels of erotic fantasy during intercourse, with "imaginary lover" and "submission" the commonest themes. Factor analysis suggests support primarily for "personality cognitive" and "adaptive" models of coital fantasy rather than for drive-reduction models. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial characteristics of adolescents who refuse cancer treatment.

Examined psychosocial variables by comparing 10 13–17 yr old adolescents (and their mothers) who had refused cancer treatment with a group of 10 consenting adolescents who were matched on age and demographic and illness variables. Adolescents completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and measures of family characteristics, locus of control, religion, hopelessness, impact of event, and satisfaction with physician. Mothers completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and measures of coping and religion. Adolescent refusers scored lower on state anxiety and subjective distress but scored higher on trait anxiety, religiosity, and external locus of control. Their mothers also scored higher than did the consenting-group mothers on religiosity and trait anxiety. It is suggested that refusers are prone to anxiety and cope with their present distress by maintaining the belief that their lives are determined by fate or religious convictions. An intervention approach that fosters mastery over the cancer experience is advocated. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial predictors of natural killer cell mobilization during marital conflict.

This study examined how specific emotions relate to autonomic nervous and immune system parameters and whether cynical hostility moderates this relationship. Forty-one married couples participated in a 15-min discussion about a marital problem. Observers recorded spouses' emotional expressions during the discussion, and cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immunologic parameters were assessed throughout the laboratory session. Among men high in cynical hostility, anger displayed during the conflict was associated with greater elevations in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cortisol, and increases in natural killer cell numbers and cytotoxicity. Among men low in cynical hostility, anger was associated with smaller increases in heart rate and natural killer cell cytotoxicity. These findings suggest that models describing the impact of stress on physiology should be refined to reflect the joint contribution of situational and dispositional variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personal and organizational predictors of workplace sexual harassment of women by men.

The authors investigated the predictors of workplace sexual harassment in 278 male university faculty and staff (M age?=?45 years). Workplace variables (perceptions of organizational sanctions against harassment and perceptions of a sexualized workplace) and personal variables (adversarial sexual beliefs, sexual harassment beliefs, perspective taking, and self-esteem) were studied as predictors of sexualized and gender harassment. Social desirability was controlled. Both organizational variables and beliefs about sexual harassment predicted gender harassment and sexualized harassment. Perspective taking, adversarial sexual beliefs, and sexual harassment beliefs moderated the effects of perceived organizational sanctions against harassment on sexualized harassment. Findings are discussed as they relate to organizational efforts to reduce or prevent sexual harassment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of sexual arousal and sexual partner characteristics in HIV+ MSM's intentions to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of sexual arousal and sexual partner characteristics as determinants of HIV+ men who have sex with men's (MSM) intentions to engage in unprotected sex. Design: In a computer-based controlled experiment, 67 HIV+ MSM underwent a sexual arousal manipulation and indicated their intentions to engage in unprotected sex with hypothetical partners who differed in terms of HIV serostatus, physical attractiveness, relationship type, and preference for condom use. Main Outcome Measures: Computer-delivered questions assessed HIV+ MSM's intentions to engage in various sexual acts with each hypothetical partner. Results: As predicted, sexually aroused HIV+ MSM indicated stronger intentions to engage in unprotected sex than nonaroused HIV+ MSM; and having a partner who was attractive, HIV+, long term, or who preferred not to use condoms, also led to riskier intentions. Several significant interactions among these factors were found, which were generally consistent with predictions and with theory and research on cognitive processing and decision making. Conclusions: These findings have implications for understanding risky sexual behavior among HIV+ individuals and for the development of interventions to reduce this risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial issues of adolescents with cancer

Although researchers agree that cancer during adolescence does not lead to serious psychopathology, the adolescent patient is confronted with a number of biopsychosocial problems. This article reviews the literature on nine psychosocial issues: (1) Health concerns, (2) Family relationships, (3) Sexual and reproductive issues, (4) Peer relationships, (5) Body image, (6) School disruption, (7) Interaction with treatment team, (8) Future goals and career development, and (9) Positive life changes. Practice implications and support group interventions for this population are presented.     

Adolescents' exposure to sexy media does not hasten the initiation of sexual intercourse.

It is widely believed that exposure to sexy content in the mass media leads teenagers to become sexually active. Although most research linking sexy media exposure to adolescents' sexual behavior is cross-sectional, several recent, well-publicized longitudinal studies purport to find a causal connection, which has alarmed the public and prompted criticism of the entertainment industry for its corrupting influence on youth. One problem in research on media effects on sexual activity, however, is that outcomes that are presumed to result from media exposure may actually be due to factors that differentially predispose adolescents to have different degrees of media exposure and are themselves related to sexual activity. We reanalyzed data from one of these longitudinal studies (Brown et al., 2006) using propensity score matching to control for preexisting differences between adolescents with and without high exposure to sexy media. With such controls for differential selection in place, we found no evidence that the initiation of sexual intercourse is hastened by exposure to sexy media. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parent-adolescent communication about sexual intercourse: An analysis of maternal reluctance to communicate.

Objective: A unified theory of behavior was applied to parent-adolescent communication about sexual intercourse to understand why some mothers speak less often with their children about not having sexual intercourse. According to the theory, parental decisions or intentions to engage in such conversations are a function of expectancies, social norms, self-concept, emotions, and self-efficacy. Design: Data were collected from a random sample of 668 mother-adolescent dyads recruited from middle schools located in the Bronx community of New York City. Data were collected via self-administered surveys. Main Outcome Measures: Mother and adolescent reports on the frequency of parent-adolescent communication about sexual intercourse were obtained. Adolescents and mothers reported how often the mother had discussed 21 topics related to sexual behavior. Results and Conclusion: Results supported the utility of the framework for understanding parent-adolescent communication about sexual intercourse. Significant maternal correlates included (a) expectancies about lacking knowledge, being embarrassed and encouraging children to think maturely and focus on school; (b) self-concept and perceiving that mothers who didn't talk with their children about sex were irresponsible; (c) emotions about feeling relaxed and comfortable; and (d) self-efficacy about the ease of talking with one's child. Implications for family based prevention programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Criminological predictors of recidivism in a sexual offender population.

In the present study, the utility of criminological variables as predictors of recidivism was investigated among 342 male sexual offenders. A multivariate regression analysis indicated that arrests for sexual offenses against adults were associated with arrests for sexual re-offenses against adults and with nonsexual violent re-arrests. Sexual-re-offense specialization was observed among sexual offenders with adult and with child victims. Although many of the relations were statistically significant, the magnitude of these relations does not warrant the sole use of criminological variables for decisions regarding individual sexual offenders. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

First sexual intercourse: anticipation and communication. Interviews with young people in England

This study investigated anticipation and communication around first sexual intercourse through semi-structured interviews with young people (aged 16 to 29) in England. Ranging from surprise to pre-planning, several different levels of anticipation are explored. The main findings are as follows: communication plays a central role, mediating between the degree of anticipation and the degree to which first intercourse is wanted, protected and enjoyed. First intercourse tends to be characterized by silence, especially during early, spontaneous encounters. Silence does not imply lack of communication-non-verbal communication plays an important role. Where young people are ambivalent, verbal and non-verbal communication may send contradictory messages. The implications of the results for future safer sex campaigns are discussed.     

Therapist-patient sexual intimacy involving children and adolescents.

A survey of 90 psychologists showed that 22 reported instances of sexual intimacy between therapists and minor patients. A total of 81 instances were reported, with 56% involving female patients (aged 3–27 yrs) and 44% involving male patients (aged 7–26 yrs). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing indicators of sexual sadism as predictors of recidivism among adult male sexual offenders.

Objective: In this longitudinal study, the predictive validity of a psychiatric diagnosis of sexual sadism was compared with three behavioral indicators of sadism: index sexual offense violence, sexual intrusiveness, and phallometrically assessed sexual arousal to depictions of sexual or nonsexual violence. Method: Five hundred and eighty six adult male sexual offenders were assessed between 1982 and 1992, and these offenders were followed for up to 20-years postrelease via official criminal records. Assessment information included the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) diagnosis, offense characteristics, phallometric assessment results, and an actuarial risk measure (the Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide). Results: Predictive validity was demonstrated in univariate analyses for the behavioral indicators of sexual sadism (area under the curve [AUCs] from .58 to .62) but not psychiatric diagnosis (AUC = .54). Cox regression analyses revealed that phallometrically assessed sexual arousal to violence was still significantly associated with violent (including sexual) recidivism after actuarially estimated risk to reoffend was controlled. A psychiatric diagnosis of sexual sadism, in contrast, was unrelated to recidivism. Conclusions: The results support the use of more behaviorally operationalized indicators of sexual sadism, especially phallometric assessment of sexual arousal, and suggest the DSM criteria for sexual sadism require further work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determinants of sexual and dating behaviors among adolescents.

Data on sexual behavior were obtained from 183 male and 193 female 12–18 yr olds, selected from 3 birth cohorts using a stratified random sample. Eight latent constructs—sexual and dating involvement, self-acceptance, feminist sex-role attitudes, deviant social network, importance of dating, lack of heterosexual competence, sexually active social network, and stressful change events—were hypothesized to explain the variance in 26 observed variables. Several causal models were tested that specified structural relationships among the latent constructs. A theoretically meaningful model was arrived at that linked the 8 error-free factors. This model indicates that dating and sexual involvement was a direct function only of the importance of dating, which in turn was positively related to self-acceptance and stressful changes and negatively related to lack of heterosexual competence. (52 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial predictors of supervisor-, peer-, subordinate-, and service-provider-targeted aggression.

The authors investigate whether known person predictors (trait anger, trait aggression) and situational predictors (perceived interpersonal mistreatment, perceived organizational sanctions against aggression) of supervisor-targeted aggression also predict employee's aggression toward other workplace targets, namely peers, subordinates, and customers' aggression toward service providers. The authors also investigate the moderating impact of situational factors on the relationship between person factors and aggression. Participants (N = 308) were asked whether they had a conflict with their supervisor, a subordinate, a work peer, and/or a service provider in the past 6 months. Different patterns of main and interaction effects emerged across the 4 targets, suggesting the importance of accounting for the target of aggression in workplace aggression research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)