Elizabeth M. Morgan Copyright (c) 2012 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan Recent documents in Elizabeth M. Morgan en-us Sat, 24 Nov 2012 00:05:54 PST 3600 Changes in Sexual Values and Their Sources Over the 1st Year of College http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/13 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/13 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:34:57 PDT The present study identified emerging adults’ self-generated sexual values and sources of sexual values upon entering college and a year later to assess how these values and sources may have changed. Participants included 148 college students (86 women and 62 men) who were 17 to 19 years old at Time 1 (M = 18.1). Generative coding revealed seven thematic sexual values: casual versus relational criteria for sexual intercourse, respect, giving or obtaining consent, pleasure for self and partner, intimacy, trust, and physical safety. Regarding sources of values, participants reported interpersonal, intrapersonal, and societal sources. Analyses revealed few gender differences in sexual values. Valuing casual criteria for sexual intercourse increased in frequency from Time 1 to Time 2 and valuing relational criteria decreased. Peers and dating partners increased in frequency and parents decreased in frequency as sources of sexual values.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan et al. Heterosexual College Women’s Sexual Identity Exploration and Commitment: Associations with Same-Sex Attraction, Fantasy, and Behavior http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/12 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/12 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:31:05 PST Elizabeth M. Morgan et al. A Typology of Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adult College Students http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/11 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/11 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:21:59 PST Elizabeth M. Morgan Not Always a Straight Path: College Students’ Narratives of Heterosexual Identity Development http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/10 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/10 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:03:57 PST Research has recently begun to examine heterosexual identity development, providing preliminary evidence of variation within a sexual identity category that has frequently been conceptualized as uniform and unremarkable. The current study sought to classify and describe young adult participants’ narratives on their heterosexual identity development using Worthington et al. (2002) heterosexual identity status model. Participants included 1,051 heterosexually-identified undergraduates (632 women; 419 men) from two public universities in the western United States who provided written narratives about their sexual identity development. Responses were analyzed for levels of identity exploration and commitment, which were used to create five identity status categories. The majority of participants described identity commitment with passive exploration, with more men in this category than women. A significant subset of participants described identity commitment with active exploration, with more women in this category than men. Smaller numbers of participants described active exploration without commitment, unexplored commitment, and identity diffusion. More women were in the active exploration without commitment status than men; no gender differences emerged in the other two statuses. Participants classified into statuses with active exploration and higher commitment also evidenced higher scores on quantitative measures of sexual identity exploration and commitment, respectively. Men evidenced higher quantitative scores than women on identity commitment; there were no gender differences in the quantitative assessment of identity exploration. Findings support the existence of variations and systematic gender-based differences in young adults’ heterosexual identity development.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan Processes of Sexual Orientation Questioning among Heterosexual Men http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/9 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/9 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:03:53 PST

Male heterosexual identity development has received little empirical attention. The current study examines sexual orientation questioning processes of heterosexual-identified men and offers a comparison of these processes with those employed by their sexual-minority counterparts. Participants included 184 male college students (ages 18 to 23, M = 19.6), 149 primarily identified as “exclusively straight or heterosexual” and 35 as sexual minorities. Of exclusively straight respondents, 53 percent (n = 79) and all of the sexual-minority respondents indicated having questioned their sexual orientation. Heterosexual men’s questioning processes included five categories: unelaborated questioning, other-sex exploration, the social context as informants or sites of knowledge, hypothetical thinking and perspective taking, and attraction comparisons between men and women. Several unifying and differentiating themes emerged between sexual orientation groups. Results suggest that conventional notions of a “standardized” heterosexual identity appear simplistic and reveal ways in which men’s identification with a majority heterosexual sexual identity can be purposeful.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan et al. "Mostly Straight" Young Women: Variations in Sexual Behavior and Identity Development http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/8 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/8 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:03:49 PST Researchers have begun to explore and identify various gradations in sexual orientation identity, paying attention to alternative sexual identity categories and attempting to clarify potential subtypes of same-sex sexuality, particularly among women. This study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data to explore the behavioral experiences and identity development processes among women of a particular sexual identity subtype, "mostly straight." Participants were 349 female college students whose primary sexual identities included exclusively straight, mostly straight, bisexual, and lesbian. Results indicated that, on most behavioral variables, mostly straight women fell directly between and were significantly different from exclusively straight and bisexual/lesbian women. Mostly straight women were also distinct from exclusively straight women but were similar to bisexual women and lesbians on several quantitative measures of identity. Narratives about sexual identity development for mostly straight women revealed the complexities of sexual identity exploration, uncertainty, and commitment within this population. As a whole, this study encourages researchers to begin to recognize and examine mostly straight as a distinct sexual identity subtype in young women.

]]> Elisabeth Morgan Thompson et al. Interpersonal Identity Formation in Conversations with Close Friends About Dating Relationships http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/7 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/7 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:02:44 PDT The present study explores how close same-sex friendship groups participate in the co-construction of identities in the interpersonal domain during young adulthood. Participants included 24 same-sex college student friendship triads (12 male and 12 female; 72 total participants) who took part in semi-structured group interviews that elicited stories about conversations with their friends about dating relationship problems. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed five common responses to dating problems evidencing identity work in the context of friends' conversations. These responses included relating the issue to one's own experiences, providing validation and encouragement, joking about the problem, offering advice, and providing concrete instrumental support. Results are interpreted with regard to gender differences and similarities as well as the social context of college and developmental context of emerging adulthood. The findings identify ways in which young adults are actively co-constructing and re-evaluating their interpersonal identities within conversations with close same-sex friends.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan et al. Associations Between Young Adults' Use of Sexually Explicit Materials and Their Sexual Preferences, Behaviors, and Satisfaction http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/6 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/6 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:52:36 PDT The present study examined how levels of sexually explicit material (SEM) use during adolescence and young adulthood were associated with sexual preferences, sexual behaviors, and sexual and relationship satisfaction. Participants included 782 heterosexual college students (326 men and 456 women; Mage = 19.9) who completed a questionnaire online. Results revealed high frequencies and multiple types and contexts of SEM use, with men’s usage rates systematically higher than women’s. Regression analyses revealed that both the frequency of SEM use and number of SEM types viewed were uniquely associated with more sexual experience (a higher number of overall and casual sexual intercourse partners as well as a lower age at first intercourse). Higher frequencies of SEM use were associated with less sexual and relationship satisfaction. The frequency of SEM use and number of SEM types viewed were both associated with higher sexual preferences for the types of sexual practices typically presented in SEM. These findings suggest that SEM use can play a significant role in a variety of aspects of young adults’ sexual development processes.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan Processes of Sexual Orientation Questioning Among Heterosexual Women http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/5 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/5 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:11:33 PST Because very little is known about heterosexual identity development, this study assesses and describes sexual orientation questioning processes of heterosexual-identified women, and offers a comparison of these processes with those employed by their sexual-minority counterparts. Participants included 333 female college students (ages 18-23; M = 19.2). Two-hundred and twenty-eight participants primarily identified as “exclusively straight/heterosexual”; 105 participants indicated a sexual-minority identity. Sixty-seven percent of exclusively heterosexual respondents (n = 154) indicated having thought about and/or questioned their sexual orientation. The processes by which heterosexual participants described questioning their sexual orientation were coded for the presence of five emergent categories using an inductive thematic coding methodology. These five categories included: unelaborated questioning (19%), other-sex experiences (16%), exposure to sexual minorities (26%), assessment of same-sex attraction (48%), and evaluations of same-sex behavior (26%). Several unifying and differentiating themes emerged between sexual orientation groups. Results from this study suggest that contemporary young women’s heterosexuality is not necessarily an unexamined identity; indeed, the large majority of young women in this sample were deliberately identifying as heterosexual after contemplating alternative possibilities.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan et al. Comparing Narratives of Personal and Preferred Partner Characteristics in Online Dating Advertisements http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/4 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/4 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:45:53 PST This study explored online personal ads of 294 heterosexual and homosexual men and women in the United States through a qualitative analysis and comparison of participant-generated “personal” and “preferred partner” narratives. Nine characteristics were identified and combined into three overarching categories: physical, lifestyle, and personality characteristics. These three personal and preferred partner characteristics were examined for difference by gender, sexual orientation, age and desired relationship type of the advertisers. Main effects emerged for all four predictors, most notably for age and desired relationship type. Additionally, this study explored the possibility that personal and preferred partner narratives contained similar constellations of characteristics, finding significant correlations on all three variables, lending support for the matching hypothesis in dating partner characteristics.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan et al. Image and Video Disclosure of Substance Use on Social Media Websites http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/3 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/3 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:45:52 PST The present study examines young adults’ use of social media websites, such as MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, to post public images and videos of themselves depicting alcohol consumption, inebriated behavior, or recreational marijuana use. A content analysis revealed that the majority of image and video representations of alcohol consumption depicted females in social gatherings while images and videos depicting marijuana use depicted solitary males. Videos typically were viewed frequently and gained positive ratings. Among a sample of college students, one-third of participants reported having posted a picture depicting substance use on a social networking site, with 97 percent aware that others engage in this phenomenon. Students’ perceptions of alcohol-related postings were generally positive or seen as a matter of individual choice while marijuana-related postings were generally viewed more negatively.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan et al. A Longitudinal Study of Conversations with Parents about Sex and Dating During College http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/2 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/2 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:22:18 PST Emerging adulthood is a time of sexual and romantic relationship development as well as change in the parent– child relationship. This study provides a longitudinal analysis of 30 young adults’ (17 women, 13 men) sexual experiences, attitudes about sexuality and dating, and reported conversations with parents about sexuality and dating from the 1st and 4th years of college. Self-report questionnaires revealed increases in general closeness with parents, increases in sexual and dating experiences, and more sexually permissive as well as more gender stereotyped attitudes. Qualitative analyses of individual interviews indicated a movement from unilateral and restrictive sex-based topics to more reciprocal and relationship-focused conversations over time. Gender analyses revealed that young women reported more restrictive sex messages and young men more positive sex messages. Participants also described increased openness and comfort in talking about sexual topics with both mothers and fathers from the 1st to 4th year of college. Overall, the results suggest that prior findings of increased mutuality with parents during the college years extend to the traditionally taboo topic of sexuality.

]]> Elizabeth M. Morgan et al. Comparing Sexual-Minority and Heterosexual Young Women’s Friends and Parents as Sources of Support for Sexual Issues http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/1 http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_morgan/1 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:34:51 PDT The present study provides a comparative analysis of sexual-minority and heterosexual emerging adult women’s experiences seeking support for sexual issues from parents and friends. Participants included 229 college women (88 sexual-minority women; 141 heterosexual women), ranging in age from 18 to 25 years of age, who provided written responses to an inquiry about a time they went to friends and parents for support for a issue related to their sexuality. Responses indicated that the majority of participants had sought support from either a parent or a friend and that mothers and female friends were more likely involved that fathers or male friends, respectively. Sexual issues that participants reported discussing with parents and friends were inductively grouped into five categories: dating and romantic relationships, sexual behavior, sexual health, identity negotiation, and discrimination and violence. Issues that were discussed differed based on sexual orientation identity and the source of support (parent or friend); they did not differ by age. Participants generally perceived parents and friends responses as helpful, though sexual-minority participants perceived both parents and friends responses as less helpful than heterosexual participants. Overall, results suggest both similarities and differences between sexual-minority and heterosexual young women’s experiences seeking support for sexual issues from parents and friends.

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