It is argued in this article that the need to find something certain to which to devote oneself is strongest among youth who are in a state of identity diffusion, and that the search for certainty in such a state is frequently for the genuine, the pure, and the enduring. (Author)

Analyzed adolescents' (N=500) evaluations of factors which would influence their sexual decisions. Results idetified six factors (family establishment competence, external morality, consequences of childbearing, self-enhancement through sexual intercourse, intimacy considerations regarding sexual intercourse, consequence of marriage) which were…