Sexual Identity and Sexual Well-Being in Female Heterosexual University Students

Abstract

Sexual identity has generally been studied with a focus on sexual orientation and has not incorporated a general identity framework. Low levels of identity exploration and commitment have been shown to predict poor well-being in adolescents, but the relationship between sexual identity and sexual well-being has not been examined. The current cross-sectional survey was administered to 293 heterosexual female undergraduate students from a mid-sized university in Ontario, Canada. Participants completed the Measure of Sexual Identity Exploration and Commitment (Worthington, Navarro, Savoy, & Hampton, 2008), as well as several measures to assess sexual well-being. These included the Sexuality Scale (Snell & Papini, 1989), the Sexual Awareness Questionnaire (Snell, Fisher, & Miller, 1991), the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (Mendelson, Mendelson, & White, 2001; Mendelson, White, & Mendelson, 1997), and four individual items assessing sexual satisfaction (Laumann et al., 2006). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the measurement models of sexual identity and sexual well-being, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between sexual identity and sexual well-being. Results indicated that higher levels of sexual identity exploration and commitment predicted sexual well-being. However, other aspects of sexual identity, such as synthesis and sexual orientation identity, were not predictive of sexual well-being. The implications of using an identity framework for measuring sexual identity are discussed.

Not Always a Straight Path: College Students’ Narratives of Heterosexual Identity Development

“…Furthermore, because all participants were college students, it is possible that the context of college in the United States provides a space where active exploration is condoned or even encouraged through new relationships and experiences (Lefkowitz and Gillen 2006). Self-reported sexual identity exploration and commitment has been previously associated with sexual well-being, including sexual and body self-esteem, sexual satisfaction, and sexual awareness (Muise et al 2010), suggesting that individuals in this status may experience higher levels of sexual well-being than those who have not actively explored.…”

A Rapid Review of Sexual Wellbeing Definitions and Measures: Should We Now Include Sexual Wellbeing Freedom?

“…Only 10 papers, from our included 162, offered a definition of sexual wellbeing (Contreras, Lillo, & Vera-Villarroel, 2016;Crump & Byers, 2017;Foster & Byers, 2013Frost, McClelland, & Maitland, & Milhausen, 2010;Pearlman-Avnion, Cohen, & Eldan, 2017;Stephenson & Meston, 2015), although some of these were not explicitly stated, in that the authors did not necessarily use specific language such as "our definition" or "we operationalised sexual wellbeing as..". Five of these definitions referred to the individual cognitive-affect domain only (sexual satisfaction, sexual anxiety, sexual self-esteem) (Crump & Byers, 2017;Foster & Byers, 2013Kaestle & Evans, 2017;Muise et al, 2010). For example, one definition was given as "subjective sexual well-being was defined as the cognitive and affective evaluation of oneself as a sexual being" (Muise et al, 2010, p. 917).…”

Different Patterns of Sexual Identity Development over Time: Implications for the Psychological Adjustment of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youths

“…This research also failed to identify any differences between LGB youths who progressed through identity development and those who stagnated in their development (Floyd & Stein, 2002). Despite the lack of research identifying an association between identity formation and adjustment, the broader literature on identity development of other groups (e.g., adolescent identity, ethnic identity, general sexual identity) has demonstrated that a stagnated identity development is associated with poorer adjustment (Adams et al, 2001; Archer & Grey, 2009; Kiang, Yip, & Fuligni, 2008; Marcia, 1966; Muise, Preyde, Maitland, & Milhausen, in press). Given the limited amount of research examining identity formation and adjustment among LGB youths, further research is needed.…”