Abstract

Tiefer, Hall, and Tavris (2002) described factors comprising four categories of female sexual dysfunction. They suggested that unique factors need to be examined to understand sexual dysfunction in women. Socio-cultural, political, or economic factors, partner and relationship factors, psychological factors, and medical factors described as aspects of women’s lives that can be the source of sexual dysfunction. The current study examined indicators of the above factors-body shame, relationship satisfaction, sexual self-schema, positive and negative affect, and overall health-as predictors of female sexual dysfunction. The hypotheses were: Body shame and negative affect will be negatively associated with sexual function; and relationship satisfaction, positive sexual self-schema, positive affect, and overall health will be positively associated with women’s sexual function. Eighty-seven women participated completing the Approval Motive scale to control for social desirability (Crowne & Marlowe, 1964), Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996), Intimacy Scale (Walker & Thompson, 1983), items from the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Inventory (Schaefer & Olson, 1981), the Positive and Negative Affect were Schedule (PANAS: Watson, Clark, &Tellegan, 1988), Sexual Self-Schema Scale (Anderson & Cyranowski, 1994), Short Form 6-item General Health Survey (Ware, et al., 1992), Female Sexual Function Index (Rosen et aL, 2000), and demographic items. Data attained from these scales were analyzed using correlations and multiple regression. As predicted within each of the four factors of sexual functioning described by Tiefer et al. (2002), at least one variable chosen in this study was an independent and significant predictor of female sexual function. Sexual intimacy was the strongest predictor of female sexual function supporting the idea that female sexuality is socially constructed, in that women are socialized to value intimacy in their relationships. These findings confirm the importance of studying female sexual function utilizing Tiefer et al.’s (2002) four factor model of sexual functioning; examining psychological as well as physical components of sex; and moving away from a universalized view of sexuality in which and women are expected to respond men identically to sexual experience (Tiefer et al., 2002).

LLU Discipline

Experimental Psychology

Department

Psychology

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Gloria Cowan

Second Advisor

Ivanna Guthrie Heater

Third Advisor

Janet L. Sonne

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Level

M.A.

Year Degree Awarded

2007

Date (Title Page)

8-2007

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological; Female -- psychology; Women's Health; Sexual Behavior -- psychology; Personal Satisfaction

Type

Thesis

Page Count

xii; 97

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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