| dc.description.abstract | An understanding of both sexual activity and sexual abstinence among young
people is crucial in preventing the negative consequences of early sex initiation. The
study of motivation is essential for health educators to be effective in persuading
individuals to adopt healthy behaviors and avoid health-compromising ones. A
discussion of the multi-dimensional construct of motivation for sexual abstinence is
absent from the adolescent sexual behavior literature. Within this study, in-depth
brainstorming sessions among college students and the construction of concept maps
were used to identify and visually represent potentially relevant dimensions of
motivation for sexual abstinence. Based upon these results, the Sexual Abstinence
Motivation Scale (SAMS) was developed and psychometrically tested with a pilot
group, as well as a statistically representative final group from two major universities in
central Texas. Based on the results from this exploratory analysis, the final version of
the SAMS included eight scales and 41 items. The eight factors were: Commitment to
Self-Schema, Risk of Disappointing Authority Figures, Fear/Apprehension of the Sexual
Experience, Fear of Physical Consequences, Value of Virginity, Reputation Regret, No
Opportunity/Not Important, and Manipulation. The analyses of the psychometric properties of the SAMS lend support to the validity and reliability of scores it generated.
The examination of convergent validity of the SAMS showed significant negative
correlations with the Sexual Ideology Instrument -- an indication that the instrument
appeared to be measuring motivation for sexual abstinence. Adequate reliability
computed through Cronbach alpha demonstrated the items in the SAMS were measuring
the same construct ? motivation for sexual abstinence. Prior to this study, assumptions
about factors of motivation for sexual abstinence and their possible structure were
unknown. Based on results of this examination, preliminary elements now exist that can
be tested for the development of these assumptions. The dimensions uncovered in this
analysis contribute to the development and refinement of a theory of motivation for
sexual abstinence. Further examination, specifically confirmatory factor analysis using
the SAMS, is needed. | en |
