Early Social Pressures as Predictors of Sexual Romantic

Early Social Pressures as Predictors of Sexual & Romantic Experiences Natalie Q. Poole & David E. Szwedo James Madison University Relationship Conflict (age 21) Assessed using 70 item self- report relationship conflict scale about emotional, sexual, & physical abuse. Relationship Satisfaction (age 21) Assessed using a 7 item Relationship Assessment Scale, measured teen & romantic partner relationship satisfaction. Many youth have found that external influences during adolescence & young Relationship Aggression/ Victimization (age 21) Assessed using 56 item selfadulthood can be more powerful than individual decision making, especially report measure of aggression & victimization using responses on a 7 point regarding romantic relationships (Macleod & Jearey-Graham, 2016) Likert scale. The current study is unique as it aims to examine the long term effects of social Relationship Qualities (age 21) Assessed using The Network of Relationships pressures in early adolescence on romantic & sexual outcomes in young Inventory to investigate teen relationship type & qualities. adulthood. Introduction • • • Individuals who were found to have a stronger likelihood of having sexual intercourse in the next year reported stronger pressure from friends to engage in this type of interaction (Pitts & Mitchell, 2016) Communication between children & parents is an important factor in regards to sexual risk taking (Alexoulos & Cho, 2018). Parental influence can also effect the quality & frequency of adolescent sex behavior. (Padilla-Walker, 2018) Both peer & parental influence have an important effect on adolescent selfefficacy to limit sexual behavior (Sneed, Tan, & Meyer, 2015) Popularity increases the influence of peer pressure on adolescents, & consequently amplifies the pressure to engage in sex (Choukas-Bradley, Giletta, Widman, Cohen, & Prinstein, 2014). Hypotheses • Greater pressure from peers not to limit sexual experiences will predict a greater number of sexual experiences, but also greater romantic relationship conflict & lower relationship satisfaction. • Parental & peer pressure to limit sexual experiences will predict less risky sexual behaviors & better quality romantic relationships. • Teens who have the most sexual experiences, most romantic relationship conflict, & lowest relationship satisfaction will be those who experience both pressure from peers not to limit sexual experiences & parents who do not pressure their teens to limit their experiences. • Peer pressure will be moderated by popularity such that greater popularity will increase the influence of peer pressure on the above outcomes. Method Participants N = 184 Gender 86 males 98 females Measures Race/ethnicity 107 Caucasian 53 African American 24 Mixed/Other Income Median = $40, 000 - $59, 000 Teens about Peer/Parent Pressure (age 15) Self report scale used to asses the extent to which teens felt parental & peer social pressures in various domains Like & Dislike by Peer Group (age 15) Assessed using a Sociometrics measure, in which classmates rated each other on levels of like & dislike. Sexual Experiences (age 21) Assessed using the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire, a 33 item-self report measure that asked teens about their sexual & relational behaviors. Results Table 1. Univariate statistics & inter-correlations between primary constructs Parental Pressure to Limit Teen Sexual Experiences Peer Pressure to Limit Sexual Experiences Peer Pressure to go Further with Sexual Experiences Likeablity (# of Like Ratings from Peers) Par. Pressure to Limit SE Peer Pressure to Limit SE. Peer Pressure to go Further SE Likeability - -. 40*** -. 14 . 03 -. 40*** - . 24** -. 01 -. 14 . 24** - . 18* . 03 -. 01 . 18* - Parental Pressure to Limit Teen Sexual Experiences Peer Pressure to Limit Sexual Experiences Peer Pressure to go Further with Sexual Experiences Likeablity (# of Like Ratings from Peers) Casual Sex Condom Use w/ Causal Sex Total # of partners Non. Consensual Sex . 12 . 01 . 23** -. 16 -. 21* . 18 -. 22* . 01 . 04 . 41*** . 00 . 08 -. 01 . 10 -. 12 . 02 TN rpt of TN Neg. to RP TN rpt of TN Pos. to RP RP rpt. of TN Neg. to RP RP rpt of TN Pos. to RP TN rpt Antagonism RP rpt Criticism TN rpt Satisfaction RP rpt Satisfaction Parental Pressure to Limit Teen Sexual Experiences Peer Pressure to Limit Teen Sexual Experiences -. 08 -. 10 . 14 . 17 . 04 . 19 . 06 . 15 . 06 . 09 -. 19 . 06 -. 07 . 00 -. 09 -. 06 . 01 . 03 . 06 Peer Pressure to Go Further with Teen Sexual Experiences Likeablity (# of Like Ratings from Peers) . 05 -. 23 * . 08 -. 15 -. 03 . 05 . 07 . 10 -. 06 . 24* -. 10 . 05 -. 08 -. 06 -. 04 -. 00 -. 04 . 05 Note. *p≤. 05, **p≤. 01, ***p ≤. 001 The illustration below is a heuristic depiction of individual regression models showing significant associations between social pressure & outcome variables, controlling for gender & income. Figures 1 -6 show results of significant interactions between social pressure variables & popularity, as well as between peer & parental social pressures for predicting relevant outcomes. Parental Pressure to Limit Sexual Experiences & Likeability Peer Pressure to Limit Sexual Experiences & Likeability Figure 1. Those who experience high parental pressure to limit sexual experiences & are highly liked are more positive to their romantic partner. Figure 2. Those who experience high peer pressure to limit sexual experiences & are highly liked are more positive to their romantic partner. Figure 3. Those who experience high peer pressure to limit sexual experiences & are highly liked have high relationship satisfaction. Figure 4. Those who experience high peer pressure to limit sexual experiences & are highly liked have low relationship satisfaction Parental Pressure & Peer Pressure Figure 5. Those who experience low peer pressure to go further with sexual experiences & high parental pressure to limit sexual experiences had a greater number of total partners. Figure 6. Those who experience high peer pressure to go further with sexual experiences & high parental pressure from parents to limit sexual experiences had lower relationship criticism. Discussion • Parental pressure to limit sexual experiences has an undesired effect on risky sexual behaviors which may be due to adolescent internal or external conflict about the decision to have sex. This pressure also predicts more positivity within the relationship possibly due to parental modeling & teaching. • Peer pressure to limit sexual experiences has an opposite effect, possibly due to less fear of social stigma from peers. Although, this pressure predicts less relational positivity possibly due to apprehension about the decision to have sex. • Peer pressure to go further with sexual experiences also predicted less relational positivity. Reduced positivity may be because teens do not feel ready to have sex. • Teens may have a harder time when they feel peer pressure and are more likable because they may want to engage in sex but can’t because this decision to have sex is a source of conflict.