Human Sexuality

This qualitative phenomenological study examines the impact of sexual human trafficking on the body image and sexuality of female survivors using objectification theory and a trauma lens. Four in-depth interviews of licensed mental health providers, experienced in working with female survivors of sexual human trafficking, were conducted. Author: Elsa Perez, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

The author argues that the process of organizing sexualities is far more complex than simply understanding where one fits in the heterosexual/other binary. Rather, the act of locating and identifying sexuality should be understood as a process: a system of communicatively positioning the self and others around an socially constructed ideal sexuality that can 1) never be reached and 2) is always in flux. This process is a fundamental part of the human experience; a core part of understanding the self and others. Author: Cristin A.Compton, University of Missouri.

The purpose of this study was to create a new measure that collected retrospective changes in female sexuality across multiple dimensions of sexuality. Although current literature provides support for differences among heterosexual and sexual minority women, available sexuality measures fail to collect information in a structured, quantitative manner over the entire lifecourse. Therefore, the Lifetime Sexuality History served fill this gap in the literature. Author: Brooke Harris-Olenak, Palo Alto University.

This two-by-two factorial quantitative study investigated the current understanding, attitudes, and beliefs of what it means to provide sexual consent before engaging in sexual activity among the female undergraduate population. A sample of 14 participants enrolled in a human sexuality course and a sample of 12 participants who were not enrolled in a human sexuality course participated in this quantitative study in the spring 2017 semester. Author: Roxanne B. Silva, Capella University.

This dissertation provides critical contributions in the field of sexual health across the life course by examining the role of various contextual factors on risky sexual behavior, physical health, and mental health. Two studies were conducted. First, the longitudinal impact of hooking up at sexual debut in adolescence on risky sexual behavior among low-income, urban emerging adults was assessed. econd, the associations between family support, community connectedness, and patient perceived comfort of medical practitioner and physical and psychological health were assessed among gender and sexual minorities (GSMs). Author: Greta L. Stuhlsatz, Iowa State University.

Models about others are formed through psychological adaptations designed to acquire information from the environment. These adaptations may begin with prior probabilities. Pornography provides information about mating strategies and men’s and women’s sexual behaviors. Information updating allows the individual to adjust according to cues gathered from their environment combined with their previous cue-based beliefs. Given that cue-updating is occurring continuously, in the present study, cognitive and evolutionary psychology approaches were used to understand how pornography consumption affects perceptions of women’s promiscuity and engagement in atypical sexual practices. Author: Hilary R. Keil, California State University.

Older adults have often been overlooked when it comes to sexuality and are often thought of as asexual. This purpose of this phenomenological research study was to address how older adults experience their sexuality. The four research questions were: (1) What do older adults ages 65-85 describe as their experience of sexuality as they age? (2) What are the contexts and situations that affect this experience as they age? (3) To whom do they talk to about sexuality, including helping professionals? (4) What are the experiences of adults ages 65-85 with their helping professionals? Author: Ashley L. Mader, Widener University.

The aim of this study was to capture universal and common themes among the sample population and inquire into perceptions of sexuality in later womanhood. Several universal themes were found across all four individual interviews, including: partnered sexual activity, role of physical health, and conditions for sex. In addition, several common themes were found in at least half of all interviews, including: conditions for satisfaction, partnership, individual identity, social response, conditions for discussing sex, and individual sexual activity. Author: Samantha J. Tippy, Adler School of Professional Psychology.

The author conducted a baseline study on the sexual attitudes of sexuality professionals along five dimensions of human sexuality: (a) lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender identities, (b) sexual infidelity, (c) sexuality education, (d) pornography, and (e) sexual double standards. The population consisted of members from three human sexuality professional organizations. Author: Janice Hong, Widener University.

Among the most predominant concerns for students seeking counseling center services are relationship issues, which often include issues related to sexuality, a topic difficult to discuss with clients even for experienced psychotherapy practitioners. Trainee psychologists’ experiences having conversations about sexuality concerns in the context of a college counseling center will inform how psychology trainees may be better prepared to address these issues in practice, as well as how trainee therapists find these conversations helpful during a very critical period in their development as practitioners. Author: Bonnie K. Andrews, University of Massachusetts Boston.

Guided by a social-ecological approach to health, this study explored a new approach to sex education–sex-positive sexuality education (SPSE). A collective case study was completed on three organizations that utilize a sex-positive approach to sexuality education–Good Vibrations, Scarleteen.com, and The National Sexuality Resource Center's Summer Institute. Good Vibrations is an adult sex toy retailer, Scarleteen.com is an adolescent sexual health website, and the Summer Institute is an academic institute for scholars and practitioners of sexuality studies. Using qualitative methods of observations, interviews, and textual analysis, this study explains how sex-positive sexuality education is constructed, communicated, and defined. Author: Jessica Ann Nodulman, The University of New Mexico

Research into trans people's sexuality is growing, yet research into the sexuality of cisgender partners, in the context of their partners' transition, is sparse. This project presents an in-depth narrative analysis of six cisgender women who have been partnered with trans identified individuals. Author: Jos Twist, University of Hertfordshire.

This study explored the lexical semantics of common same-sex sexuality labels (i.e., homosexual, gay, gay man, lesbian, and no label) by presenting 395 participants with a short story about a fictitious person. The goal was to determine what effects these labels (as well as their social status) would have on participants’ willingness to interact socially with and participants’ support for their civil rights. Author: Sharae R. Vicknair, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.