Journal List > Korean J Women Health Nurs > v.21(4) > 1089516

Kim: Female Adolescents' Sexual Assertiveness Types: Q Methodology

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify the type of sexual assertiveness of female adolescents.

Methods

A Q methodology which provided a method of analyzing the subjectivity of each type was used. Thirty-three female high school students classified 40 selected Q statements into 9 points standard. The collected data was analyzed by using the PC-QUNAL program.

Results

Four types of sexual assertiveness manifested by female adolescents were identified: Type 1: Self-normative line-drawing type, Type 2: Pleasure-seeking negotiation type, Type 3: Passive relationship maintenance type, Type 4: future-oriented satisfaction-delay type.

Conclusion

This study is meaningful because it provides empirical information necessary for the development of theories by verifying integrated attributes related to the female adolescents' sexual assertiveness. Results also induced the measuring tools and succeeding studies, and presented educational material for sex education that is tailored to the developmental level and characteristics of female adolescents.

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Demographic Characteristics and Factor Weight for P-sample

kjwhn-21-272-i001
Type No. Grade School Religion Type of residence with parents Monthly income (10,000 KRW) Experience of dating (person) Extent of skinship Extent of friend's skinship Factor weight
Type 1 (n=9) 7 2 Academic None Parents 400↓ 1 None None 1.238
9 2 Academic Christianity Parents 400↓ None None Hugging 0.806
14 2 Academic Christianity Parents 400↓ 2 None Hugging 0.539
15 3 Academic Christianity Separately 400↓ 5 more Hugging Hugging 1.421
17 3 vocational Catholic Father 400↓ 5 more Hugging Shoulders 1.191
21 2 Academic Christianity Parents 500↓ 5 more Hugging Hugging 1.129
23 1 Academic Christianity Parents 500↑ 5 more Hugging Intercourse 0.692
31 1 Vocational None Parents 400↓ 5 more Intercourse Intercourse 0.846
33 1 Vocational Buddhism Parents 200↓ 4 Hugging Hugging 1.067
Type 2 (n=8) 1 2 Academic None Parents 400↓ None None Hugging 1.542
12 2 Academic None Parents 500↑ 1 None Hugging 1.026
16 3 Academic Catholic Parents 400↓ 5 more Intercourse Intercourse 0.831
20 2 Vocational Christianity Parents 400↓ 5 more Hugging Hugging 0.498
22 2 Academic None Parents 200↓ 5 more Intercourse Intercourse 2.091
25 1 Academic Buddhism Parents 500↑ 5 more Hugging Hugging 0.815
26 1 Academic None Parents 500↓ 5 more Hugging Hugging 0.984
28 3 Vocational None Parents 400↓ 5 more Intercourse Intercourse 1.391
Type 3 (n=3) 3 2 Academic Christianity Mother 400↓ None None Hugging 1.576
18 2 Academic None Parents 400↓ 5 more Bosom Bosom 0.708
19 2 Academic Catholic Mother 100↓ 5 more Intercourse Intercourse 1.082
Type 4 (n=13) 2 2 Academic None Parents 200↓ None None hand 1.246
4 2 Academic Christianity Alternately 400↓ 3 Hugging Intercourse 1.514
5 2 Academic None Parents 400↓ None None None 1.450
6 2 Academic Christianity Parents 500↑ 1 Hand Shoulders 1.007
8 2 Academic Christianity Parents 500↑ 4 Hugging Shoulders 0.548
10 2 Academic None Parents 500↓ None None None 0.826
11 2 Academic Buddhism Parents 200↓ None None Hugging 0.811
13 2 Academic Christianity Parents 400↓ None None Hand 1.795
24 1 Academic None Father 500↑ 5 more Hugging Hugging 0.816
27 1 Academic Christianity Parents 500↓ 4 Hugging Hugging 0.784
29 3 Vocational Christianity Separately 200↓ 3 Hugging Hugging 0.683
30 3 Vocational Christianity Mother 400↓ 1 Hugging Hugging 0.958
32 1 Vocational Christianity Mother 400↓ 4 Hand Intercourse 0.980
Table 2

Relationships among 4 Types

kjwhn-21-272-i002
Variables Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4
Type 1 1.00
Type 2 .57 1.00
Type 3 .39 .34 1.00
Type 4 .80 .65 .32 1.00

Type 1=self-normative line-drawing type; Type 2=pleasure-seeking negotiation type; Type 3=passive relationship maintenance type; Type 4=future-oriented satisfaction-centric type.

Table 3

Q-statements of Higher or Lower Agreement than Others in Type 1

kjwhn-21-272-i003
Q-statements Z-score Average Difference
14. I tend to draw a line to physical touch because I do not like the idea of having sexual intercourse at some stage of physical touch with boyfriend. 1.462 0.192 1.270
31. I tend to prefer a boyfriend whom I can easily control, regardless of age, when I select boyfriend. -1.028 0.436 -1.464
28. When I listen to my friends talking about her sexual intercourse with boyfriend, I become curious and tend to try to have sexual intercourse. -2.327 -0.817 -1.510
37. I think that I can have sexual intercourse if I come to love my boyfriend and have trust in him. -1.476 0.187 -1.663
Table 4

Q-statements of Higher or Lower Agreement than Others in Type 2

kjwhn-21-272-i004
Q-statements Z-score Average Difference
37. I think that I can have sexual intercourse if I come to love my boyfriend and have trust in him. 1.311 -0.742 2.053
16. I do not think that I would have a serious problem with my life or school life even if I have sexual intercourse with boyfriend. 0.222 -1.251 1.474
8. I do not have anything that I am proud of, and therefore find it difficult to be confident in my relationship with boyfriend. -1.818 0.596 -2.414
Table 5

Q-statements of Higher or Lower Agreement than Others in Type 3

kjwhn-21-272-i005
Q-statements Z-score Average Difference
8. I do not have anything that I am proud of, and therefore find it difficult to be confident in my relationship with boyfriend. 2.076 -0.702 2.778
30. I tend to prefer boyfriend who can positively make expression before my friends to make me feel that I am loved and who kindly cares for me, so that I can be recognized as a popular person. 1.719 -0.132 1.851
31. I tend to prefer a boyfriend whom I can easily control, regardless of age, when I select boyfriend. 1.154 -0.291 1.445
35. I find it difficult to refuse my boyfriend's demand for physical touch when my boyfriend pays the dating expenses or when I am given the present from boyfriend on an anniversary day, etc. 0.249 -1.071 1.321
36. I tend to make physical touch to check whether my boyfriend likes me. 0.022 -1.011 1.033
14. I tend to draw a line to physical touch because I do not like the idea of having sexual intercourse at some stage of physical touch with boyfriend. -0.318 0.785 -1.103
26. I tend to argue with my boyfriend about what made me disappointed or sad, even if I become angry. -0.836 0.293 -1.129
3. I think that it is better to break up when my boyfriend often shows selfishness in his talk and action, even if I like my boyfriend much. -0.526 0.616 -1.142
12. I tend to go ahead with physical touch naturally over time, in the order of holding hands, holding arms, kissing, etc. -0.577 0.735 -1.312
29. Most of my friends say that the can have sexual intercourse if they and their boyfriends like it. However, I do not want to behave in the same way. -0.565 0.767 -1.332
17. I tend to avoid having sexual intercourse with boyfriend for fear of sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy. -1.489 -0.133 -1.356
25. It is me who makes decision on whether to start the physical touch or how to make the physical touch in my relationship with boyfriend. -1.788 -0.235 -1.552
24. It seems to me that talking about the viewpoint towards the sex or previous experience is helpful. -1.345 0.676 -2.021
Table 6

Q-statements of Higher or Lower Agreement than Others in Type 4

kjwhn-21-272-i006
Q-statements of higher agreement than others Z-score Average Difference
17. I tend to avoid having sexual intercourse with boyfriend for fear of sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy. 0.755 -0.881 1.636
29. Most of my friends say that the can have sexual intercourse if they and their boyfriends like it. However, I do not want to behave in the same way. 1.364 0.124 1.240
13. As I am a high school student, I think that it is better to postpone dating friends of opposite sex because I can meet someone better when I become an adult. 0.288 -0.909 1.197
3. I think that it is better to break up when my boyfriend often shows selfishness in his talk and action, even if I like my boyfriend much. 1.223 0.034 1.189
22. I find it difficult to become honest with my feeling or admit my feeling when I have the sexual desire. 0.114 -1.011 1.125
4. I do not want held my boyfriend responsible even if he needs to take responsibility in the relationship. -1.301 -0.253 -1.048
21. Sexual desire is a difficult instinct to suppress, and I find it difficult to control my sexual relationship with boyfriend. -2.066 -0.759 -1.306

Notes

This article is based on a part of the first author's doctoral thesis form Yonsei University.

Summary Statement

▪ What is already known about this topic?
Sexual assertiveness represents a strategy that can prevent dangerous sexual behavior of female adolescents. This concept can have ambiguous conceptual meaning and is consequently confined to rejectedoriented tactics in sex education.
▪ What this paper adds?
This paper presents classification of 4 types of sexual assertiveness of female adolescents by looking into integrated structures and patterns of attributes that can be observed in sexual assertiveness behavior.
▪ Implications for practice, education and/or policy
Results of this study may provide basis for tailored sex education for different developmental phases and individual characteristics of female adolescents that is based on approaches to each type of sexual assertiveness.

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