Implications of treatment on sex knowledge, sex attitudes, and contraception of sexual liberal/conservative males
Date
1984-07
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Doctoral
Abstract
Numerous studies have investigated the contribution of various
aspects of female sexuality to unplanned pregnancy. Less attention has
been given to males and their role in pregnancy prevention. The present
study examined the differences between university males aged 17-22
years identified as extreme sexual liberals and extreme sexual conservatives
on measures of sex knowledge, sexual attitudes, sexual experience,
overall "general" conservatism, and views of personal contraceptive use.
Demographic and other characteristics of the samples were also compared.
Following pretesting, equal numbers of extreme sexual liberals/
sexual conservatives were randomly assigned to two treatment interventions,
(a) a three-hour human sexuality course/small group discussion, (b) a
written presentation of the material from (a), and a no-treatment control
condition. Treatment effects on the sex knowledge, sexual attitudes, and
attitudes toward personal contraceptive use were determined at posttesting
and follow-up testing (3 weeks later) by analyses of variance with·
repeated measures and analyses of covariance techniques. It was hypothesized
that the sexual conservatives who participated in the human
sexuality course intervention would (a) increase in sex knowledge, (b)
become more liberal in their sexual attitudes, and (c) acquire more
favourable attitudes toward the personal employment of contraceptives.
All sexual liberals and the sexual conservatives receiving the written
lecture only or assigned to the control condition were not expected to
change.
The results showed that the human sexuality course intervention
did not appear to have any significant effect on the sex knowledge scores
or sexual attitudes of the sexual conservatives across the assessment
periods. Nor did one treatment condition have any more impact than any
other on attitudes toward personal contraceptive use. As predicted,
other findings indicated a significant inverse relationship between sex
knowledge and conservative sexual attitudes, such that lower sex knowledge
was associated with more conservative sexual attitudes. As well, greater
sexual liberalism was significantly related to more favourable attitudes
toward the personal use of birth control methods. It was also shown that
religion played a more important role in the sexual value system of sexual
conservatives than sexual liberals. Of the sexually active (non-virgin)
subjects, 61% of sexual liberals "always" or "usually" employed contraceptives
compared to 55% of sexual conservatives. This difference was
not significant. Since there were 23 sexually active liberals and only
9 sexually active conservatives, it was not possible to compare these
groups appropriately.
It was concluded that future research should include younger male
subjects, men from both college and non-college backgrounds, longer
intervention times, and smaller groups. This expansion might provide a
more thorough evaluation of the potential of prevention/intervention
programmes.
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Citation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department
Psychology
Program
Psychology