Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Summer 1992

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Social Work

Advisor

Bill Daley

Abstract

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate the sexual attitudes of college students at a western Kansas university. The sample consisted of 201 females, 183 males; 122 freshmen, 72 sophomores, 77 juniors, and 113 seniors, a total of 384 students. The independent variables were gender, dating age, family structure, birth order, and perception of family. The dependent variables were the sub-scale scores of the Sexual Attitude Scale: Permissiveness, Sexual Practices, Communion, and Instrumentality. Six composite null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. Each of the composite null hypotheses were tested employing a three-way Analysis of Variance. A total of 80 comparisons (plus 88 recurring comparisons) were made. Twenty of the 80 comparisons were for main effects, 60 for interactions. Of the 20 main effects five were statistically significant at the .05 level. The five significant main effects were the following: 1) gender and the dependent variable Permissiveness, 2) dating age and the dependent variable Permissiveness, 3) birth order and the dependent variable Permissiveness, 4) gender and the dependent variable Instrumentality, and 5) perception of family and the dependent variable Permissiveness. Of the 60 interactions two were statistically significant at the .05 level. The following interactions were statistically significant at the .05 level: 1) gender and the perception of family for the dependent variable Permissiveness; and 2) among gender, fancily structure, and the perception of fancily for the dependent variable Permissiveness. The results of the present study appeared to support the following generalizations: 1) males have a more permissive attitude towards sex than females, 2) those who started dating before age 13 have a more permissive attitude toward sex than those who started dating at an older age, 3) youngest and oldest birth order subjects have a more permissive attitude toward sex than middle born, 4) males were more instrumental than females, 5) subjects who reported 1-4 negative words describing fancily had a more permissive attitude toward sex than those who reported no negative 6) an interaction between gender and the perception of fancily for Permissiveness, and 7) an interaction among gender, family structure, and the perception of family for the dependent variable Permissiveness.

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Rights

© 1992 Marianna K. Medina

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