Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1996

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Human Ecology

Major Professor

Michael Lane Morris

Committee Members

Priscilla Blanton, Jan Allen

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem, belief in a sexual double standard (SDS), and beliefs about how far sexual behaviors should progress in various levels of opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. The sample of this study included male (n=123) and female (n=198) college students. Demographic data indicated the mean age of the sample was 22.2 years. Participants were predominately European Americans (83%) in their Junior and Senior (74.7%) years of college. T-tests indicated that males and females were significantly different in their reported levels of self-esteem, belief in a SDS, and belief about how far sexual behaviors should progress for the majority of opposite-sex and same-sex relationship levels. Correlational analyses indicated that, for females, self-esteem was negatively related to a belief in a SDS. Additionally, for males, belief in a SDS was shown to be related to how far they believed sexual behaviors should progress for several levels of opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. For females, belief in a SDS was shown to be negatively related to how far they believed sexual behaviors should progress for all but the first same-sex relationship levels.

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