Understanding emerging adult women's development of sexual self-efficacy : an in-depth qualitative approach

Abstract

Sexual self-efficacy includes confidence in sexual identity and agency (Deutsch et al., 2014; Stephanou & Dias, 2021) and is critical for relational health (Ogallar-Blanco et al., 2023). Drawing on social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986), symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1969), and life course theory (Elder et al., 2003), sexual self-efficacy is shaped through interpersonal interactions, sociocultural messages, and interpretations of learned experiences overtime. Given the unique sexual socialization of emerging adult women (Lindberg & Kantor, 2022), development may be especially salient for women's relational health and sexual satisfaction. This dissertation sought to clarify how college women defined sexual self-efficacy and understand how it develops overtime, including influential sources, salient events, and participant appraisals of their development. Using a qualitative exploratory design (Jain, 2021), I investigated how sexual self-efficacy developed through interviews, social network analysis, and process graphing. Participant definitions of sexual self-efficacy emphasize the importance of confidence, comfort, communication, and understanding. Results demonstrated the most salient influences were romantic partners, friends, mothers, media, and education. Significant events were most often attributed to interpersonal relationships and developmental events. In synthesizing the salient codes for participants' appraisals of their development, I identified a process model which represents how sexual self-efficacy continuously develops overtime among the study sample. Findings highlight how emerging adult college women articulate their understanding of sexual self-efficacy and its development through introspective reflection, contributing a more nuanced understanding of this construct for this population. Practical implications emphasize the importance of healthy ongoing sexual communication in personal relationships and the importance of developmentally appropriate comprehensive sex education.