Monica A. Longmore

Hooking Up: The Relationship Contexts of "Nonrelationship" Sex.

More than one half of sexually active teens have had sexual partners they are not dating. However, remarkably little is known about the nature of these sexual relationships. Using survey and qualitative data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study the authors contrast the qualities of dating sexual relationships and sexual relationships that occur out-side the dating context. They find that adolescents having sex outside of the dating context are choosing partners who are friends or ex-girlfriends and/or boyfriends. Moreover, one third of these nondating sexual partnerships are associated with hopes or expectations that the relationship will lead to more conventional dating relationships. Boys and girls who experience sex outside of conventional dating relationships often share similar orientations toward their relationship. Results suggest that a more nuanced view is key to understanding adolescent sexual behavior.

Self-Esteem, Depressive Symptoms, and Adolescents' Sexual Onset

We examine whether self-esteem and depressive symptoms influence sexual onset when important controls such as age, dating, race, and income are examined. Analyses are based on the first two waves of the restricted-use sample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. We examine adolescents who reported at wave 1 that they had not had sexual intercourse. Using logistic regression models run separately for males and for females, we find that depressive symptoms, when entered simultaneously, exert a greater effect than self-esteem on sexual onset. Depressive symptoms have less effect on sexual onset for African-American girls than for white girls. Higher self-esteem is associated with greater likelihood of sexual debut at older ages for boys. Our findings suggest that although many positive benefits of self-esteem have been suggested, the conceptual and empirical link between depressive symptoms and adolescent sexual onset may be more crucial.

Symbolic interactionism and the study of sexuality

In this article I examine the symbolic interactionist approach to the study of sexuality. The philosophical roots of symbolic interactionism are examined beginning with a review of the themes emphasized by the social philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment as well as American pragmatism. The situational, structural, and biographical‐historical approaches to contemporary symbolic interactionism are compared in terms of methodological orientations, assumptions, and concepts. Key symbolic interactionist concepts, including the definition of the situation, scripting, identities, self, self‐concept, and socialization, are examined within the context of sex research. I conclude with a critique and an evaluation of the use of symbolic interactionism in the study of sexuality.

Relationship Churning in Emerging Adulthood On/Off Relationships and Sex With an Ex

We build on the emerging adulthood literature to examine two forms of relationship instability, reconciliations and sex with an ex; we term these forms of relationship churning. Analyzing recent data on emerging adult daters and cohabitors (n = 792), we find that nearly half report a reconciliation (a breakup followed by reunion) and over half of those who break up continue a sexual relationship (sex with an ex). We analyze individual demographic, social psychological, and relationship factors associated with reconciliations and sex with an ex. These findings showcase that emerging adult relationships are characterized by considerable uncertainty and add to our theoretical and empirical understanding of stability in romantic relationships in emerging adulthood.

Contraceptive self-efficacy: does it influence adolescents contraceptive use?

This research investigates the relationship between contraceptive self-efficacy and contraceptive use, measured one year later, among adolescent boys and girls. Data are obtained from the two waves of the restricted use sample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 3,577). Employing multiple regression and logistic regression strategies, we examine whether demographic and background characteristics influence contraceptive self-efficacy, and whether contraceptive self-efficacy increases the likelihood of contraceptive use. We find that adolescents who are female, older, live with step-parents, and whose mothers approve of contraceptive use report higher contraceptive self-efficacy, while adolescents whose mothers did not complete high school report lower contraceptive self-efficacy. Results partially support the expectation that adolescents with higher contraceptive self-efficacy act accordingly by using contraceptives.

Learning by doing: group projects in research methods classes

In this paper we describe an approach to teaching research methods that involves student group projects.1 Many authors acknowledge the merits of group or collaborative learning at the college level (Bouton and Garth 1983; Bruffee 1984; Helmericks 1993; Hilligoss 1992; Hylton and Allen 1993; Ingalsbee 1992; Katz and Henry 1988; King 1990; McKinney and Graham-Buxton 1992; NIE 1983; Rau and Heyl 1990; Taub 1991; Whipple 1987). The literature suggests that group learning requires careful planning and implementation; yet strategies to support this form of learning have not received sufficient attention (Atwater 1991; Hayes 1989). Our purpose is to describe the rewards of using group research projects and to discuss some ways of coordinating, organizing, and evaluating the projects.

Intimate Partner Violence and Depressive Symptoms during Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Using longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study, we examine the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and depressive symptoms during adolescence and young adulthood (N = 1,273) while controlling for time-stable and time-varying correlates. Results show temporal changes in depressive symptoms, such that increases in depressive symptoms correspond to IPV exposure. While prior work has theorized that certain populations may be at increased psychological vulnerability from IPV, results indicate that both perpetration and victimization are associated with increases in depressive symptoms for both men and women, and irrespective of whether IPV exposure occurred in adolescence or young adulthood. Cumulative exposure to IPV does not appear to increase depressive symptoms beyond the effect observed for the most recent IPV exposure, but physical maltreatment by a parent does appear to diminish the association between IPV perpetration and depressive symptoms for a small subset of the sample.

Adolescent Identities and Sexual Behavior: An Examination of Anderson's Player Hypothesis

We investigate the social and behavioral characteristics of male adolescents who self-identify as players, focusing particularly on Anderson’s claim that this social role is inextricably linked with poverty and minority status. Results indicate that black respondents, those affiliated with liberal peers and young men who initially report a relatively high number of sexual partners are more likely to resonate with this identity label. Nevertheless, analyses reveal that a number of players within the sample are not disadvantaged black youth, and there is considerable variability in their attitude and behavior profiles. Findings based on longitudinal analyses indicate that the player identity is a significant predictor of later variations in self-reported sexual behavior, net of traditional predictors, including prior behavior. Yet results of in-depth interviews conducted with a subset of the respondents complicate these quantitative findings, highlighting that young men’s perceptions of this identity are not as uniformly positive as Anderson’s depiction might lead us to expect.

Young Adult Casual Sexual Behavior Life-Course-Specific Motivations and Consequences

Most young adults have had some casual sex experience. However, it is important to understand the motivations for such behavior. We investigate the motivations for and consequences of casual sex using a life-course lens. We use the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study to examine a diverse sample of young adults with recent casual sexual experiences (N = 239). We draw on a subset of in-depth relationship narratives (N = 44) to provide a more nuanced understanding of the motivations for and consequences of casual sex. We find that sexual pleasure and substance use remain the most common reasons for participating in casual sex. However, young adults report motives that are associated with the young adult stage in the life course including too busy for commitment, geographic mobility, and feeling too young to be tied down. These findings can inform service providers who work with the young adult population.

Developmental Shifts in the Character of Romantic and Sexual Relationships from Adolescence to Young Adulthood

This chapter examines ways in which the qualities and dynamics of respondents’ romantic relationships change from adolescence into adulthood and also explores the ways in which gender influences the character of romantic experiences during this period. We present findings from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), a longitudinal study of 1,321 respondents who were interviewed four times, first in adolescence and subsequently as they have navigated the transition to adulthood. A review of other recent TARS findings are included, providing a more comprehensive portrait of the fluidity and range of romantic and sexual relationship experiences that characterize this phase of the life course. For example, we examine the phenomena of breaking up and getting back together and having sex with ex-boyfriends/girlfriends – dynamics that are quite common, but that highlight some of the difficulties of establishing the boundaries of what constitutes a dating relationship. In addition, while young adulthood is generally understood as a time when romantic attachments take on greater weight/significance, this period is associated with increased likelihood of casual sex experiences. Thus, we also include a review of findings about the trajectories of casual sex and factors associated with variability in casual sexual experiences.