Graduate Program

Clinical Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

2012

Thesis Director

Daneen Deptula

Thesis Committee Member

John B. Best

Thesis Committee Member

Wesley D. Allan

Abstract

Adolescent sexual activity can involve risky behaviors, such as failure to use a condom and having multiple sexual partners, which leads to increased risk of sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnosis. Prior research has shown that maternal factors, including maternal report of sexual communication and adolescent perceived approval of sexual activity, are associated with the level of sexual activity engaged in by adolescents. The present study utilized data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health project (Add Health) to examine the relationship between maternal reports of sexual communication, adolescent perception of maternal approval, and adolescent gender on concurrent and later adolescent sexual activity, including later STD diagnosis. More adolescents reported concurrent sexual activity when there were higher levels of both perceived maternal approval and maternal reports of sexual communication. Mothers' reports of higher level sexual communication were associated with a greater percentage of females engaged in later sexual activity. The current study expanded the current literature by exploring how maternal and demographic factors work together and demonstrate the complexity of the maternal-adolescent interaction as a factor in adolescent sexual activity.

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