ERIC Number: EJ1467645
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-4316
EISSN: EISSN-1552-5449
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Adolescents' Beliefs about Sex: The Moderating Effects of Peer Attitudes
Kimiko Ching1; Shantanu Tilak2; Yvonne Allsop3; Eric M. Anderman1
Journal of Early Adolescence, v45 n3 p281-308 2025
Peer beliefs and attitudes play a prominent role in adolescent behaviors. Various curricula have been developed to teach students about sexual health from a skills-based perspective with successful, lasting effects. This study examined how adolescents' expectancies for success in and values held for a sexual health curriculum are related to their attitudes toward waiting to have sex, attitudes toward using a condom, self-efficacy in negotiating condom use, self-efficacy in refusal skills, and self-efficacy in navigating tricky situations, depending on their perceptions of their peers' attitudes. Results indicate that perceived peer attitudes toward waiting to have sex were a significant moderator, more so than peer attitudes about condom use. Additionally, results suggest that sex plays a role in students' sexual health beliefs and self-efficacies. Future work should examine further explanatory paths and influences such as caregivers.
Descriptors: Adolescents, Beliefs, Sexuality, Sex, Peer Influence, Sex Education, Contraception, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Self Efficacy, Attitudes, Expectation, Decision Making, Health Behavior, Grade 9, High School Students, Value Judgment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 9; High Schools; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: R01NR0837901
Author Affiliations: 1The Ohio State University, USA; 2Chesapeake Bay Academy, USA; 3Eastern Michigan University, USA