Graduate Program
Clinical Psychology
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
2011
Thesis Director
Keith Wilson
Thesis Committee Member
Anu Sharma
Thesis Committee Member
Ronan Bernas
Abstract
The study investigated the effect of timing of sexual abuse on sexual cognitions of submission and dominance. Female college students completed questionnaires containing reports of history of sexual abuse, sex guilt, social desirability, and sexual cognitions. The results show that the childhood and the adulthood abused group have more frequent positive sexual cognitions, more frequent arousal to sexual cognitions, and higher intensity of sexual arousal to these sexual cognitions. The frequency of overall cognitions was the most significant predictor in predicting all submission and dominance sexual cognitions variables. This study while replicating previous findings that survivors of sexual abuse tend to report more frequent sexual cognitions, failed to replicate previous findings demonstrating a timing effect on sexual submission cognitions. However, previous finding failing to find a timing effect on sexual cognitions of dominance were replicated. The findings from this study could assist both survivors of childhood and/or adulthood sexual abuse and therapists who work with them by providing empirically supported information about sexual cognitions.
Recommended Citation
Park, Jisun Kelly, "Submissive and dominant sexual cognitions of college women with a history of sexual abuse" (2011). Masters Theses. 901.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/901
