Sexual Experiences among College Women: The Differential Effects of General versus Contextual Body Images on Sexuality
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-2006
Keywords
Body image, Sexual experiences, Women
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9096-x
Abstract
Women’s bodies are often objectified and evaluated, which may result in body dissatisfaction associated with sexual difficulties. This study of 384 college women confirmed that contextual body image during sex was more associated with a lower self-confidence to refuse sex, poorer sexual functioning, and reduced sexual assertiveness than general body dissatisfaction, and the level of contextual body image mediated the effect of body dissatisfaction. Moreover, greater contextual body image was associated with lower sexual self-efficacy, more ambivalence in sexual decision-making, and more emotional disengagement during sex with a partner, implying that contextual body image is a better predictor of women’s sexuality than general body image. Findings are discussed in relation to needed research and their implications for clinical interventions.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Sex Roles, v. 55, issues 5-6, p. 421-427
Scholar Commons Citation
Yamamiya, Yuko; Cash, Thomas F.; and Thompson, Joel Kevin, "Sexual Experiences among College Women: The Differential Effects of General versus Contextual Body Images on Sexuality" (2006). Psychology Faculty Publications. 2199.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/psy_facpub/2199
