Parent communication and college students' sexual attitudes
Date
2009Author
Thompson, Taylor
Johnson, Diona.
Advisor(s)
Wolfram, Susan M.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The high teenage sexual activity and pregnancy rates in America are generally attributed to
ineffective communication of sexual information (Mueller & Powers, 1990). Contemporary
adolescents are faced with potentially severe consequences for engaging in risky sexual
behaviors; research suggests that parents are a primary source of influence on adolescent sexual
attitudes and behavior (Fitzharris & WernerWilson,
2004). The central research question in this study was, "Is there a relationship between parent communication styles about sex and college
students' attitudes about sexually responsible behavior" This nonrandom pilot study was done
at a small Midwestern university, where N = 141 undergraduate male and females were surveyed. Data were statistically analyzed using frequencies, mean comparisons, and a reliability analysis. Observed results supported our hypothesis that participants who reported open
communication styles with parents demonstrated higher levels of knowledge and comfort about
sexual topics than participants who reported avoidant communication styles. Practitioners can
utilize this information by educating and encouraging the use of open communication by parents.
For future research, the authors recommend a randomized and more diverse sample be used.
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/53194Type
Article