Sexual narcissism and hypersexuality are associated with sexually coercive behavior in dating situations, according to a new study published in . Sexual behavior archives. The results of this study provide valuable insight into the dynamics of college students’ sexual behavior and provide a foundation for future research.
Previous research has shown that sexual narcissism and hypersexuality are independently associated with sexual violence. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the factors that contribute to sexual coercion, especially in the context of casual sex, which is a prevalent social phenomenon among college students.
Given the prevalence of sexual coercion and its negative consequences, there is an urgent need to investigate the risk factors associated with sexually coercive behavior. Furthermore, gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors of sexual coercion remain a relatively unexplored area of research.
“I am interested in examining the factors that predict intimate partner violence in its myriad forms and situations (e.g. coerced sex, etc.),” said study author Evan Basting, Ph.D. in clinical psychology. There is,” he said.University of Tennessee students working in Greg Stewart’s home Relationship Aggression and Dependent Disorders (RAAD) Lab.
“Sexual coercion is commonplace and highly prevalent, especially in young adult sexual relationships, yet few have investigated risk factors specifically in the context of sex. Therefore, we We were interested in extending this to these settings and identifying whether there are gender differences in risk factors for sexual coercion.”
The researchers recruited 793 undergraduate students over a three-year period from a large public university in the Southeast. To be eligible, participants must be enrolled in college, between 18 and 25 years of age, and have engaged in some type of sexual activity within the past 6 months, including kissing, fondling, petting, and various levels of penetration. There needs to be. They also had to have experienced a hookup, defined as a sexual encounter with someone with no mutual expectations of a romantic relationship.
Demographic information, including age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and average monthly sexual activity, was collected via questionnaire.
In this study, we assessed sexual narcissism using the Sexual Narcissism Scale, which measures cognitive aspects of sexual narcissism in a sexual context. It includes four subscales: sexual exploitation, sexual entitlement, low sexual empathy, and grandiose sense of sexual skill. Hypersexuality explores various aspects of hypersexuality, including the use of sex to cope with stress, difficulty controlling sexual thoughts and behaviors, and the negative consequences that arise from sexual behavior 19 It was measured using the item assessment Hypersexual Behavior Inventory.
To assess the perpetration of sexual coercion, researchers used the Forced Sex Scale, which includes 22 items that measure the frequency of coercive tactics used after a sex partner expresses disinterest in sexual activity. Did. Tactics were categorized as agitation tactics, emotional manipulation, intoxication tactics, and threats or use of physical force.
Although a significant proportion of participants (64.3%) admitted to engaging in sexual coercion during a relationship at least once in the past year, there was no statistically significant difference between men and women. There was no. “The prevalence of sexual coercion in the past year was significantly higher in this sample,” Beysting said.
Additionally, researchers found a strong positive correlation between sexual narcissism, hypersexuality, and sexually coercive behavior, with higher levels of sexual narcissism and hypersexuality associated with greater sexual showed that they were more likely to commit sexual coercion within the context of
These characteristics appear to influence how individuals respond when faced with rejection after initiating sexual contact. People with heightened levels of sexual narcissism may be more likely to respond to rejection by forcing the other person’s advances rather than stopping them. They may do so to protect their self-esteem and maintain their self-perception of their sexual abilities. Additionally, people with sexual narcissism may believe that their sexual skills can still benefit their partner, even if that partner initially rejects their advances.
“The average person should know that sexual coercion during sex is a common concern,” Basting told SciPost. “Furthermore, certain dispositional factors in people (i.e., sexual narcissism, hypersexuality) may increase the likelihood of engaging in sexual coercion, regardless of gender.”
Men, on average, had higher scores on the “exploitation” subscale of sexual narcissism and all hypersexuality subscales compared to women. However, this study found that the effects of sexual narcissism and hypersexuality on perpetrators of sexual coercion were consistent for both male and female college students.
“We were surprised that gender did not moderate these associations, and that sexual coercion and hypersexuality are risk factors for sexual coercion for both men and women,” Basting said.
Although this study provides valuable insights, it is essential to recognize its limitations. The sample consisted primarily of white, heterosexual, cisgender women, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Future studies may aim to further increase the diversity of participant demographics, including gender, sexual orientation, and racial/ethnic identity. Future research could also investigate the specific psychological mechanisms linking sexual coercion with sexual narcissism or hypersexuality.
“Further investigation is needed into the facilitators and mediators of these groups,” Beysting said.
the study, “Sexual narcissism and hypersexuality are associated with sexual coercion in sex among U.S. college students” is written by Evan J. Basting, Maya E. Barrett, Alisa R. Garner, Autumn Rae Florinbio, Jacqueline A. Sullivan, Alyssa M. Medenbrick, and Gregory L. Stewart.
