Stability versus Fluidity of Adolescent Romantic and Sexual Attraction and the Role of Religiosity: A Longitudinal Assessment in Two Independent Samples of Croatian Adolescents

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Nicole Cohen
• Author: Inga Becker
• Author: Aleksandar Štulhofer https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5138-3644
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Sociology)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Sociology; Specific Sociologies

Abstract (english)

The manner in which individuals report their sexual attraction, self-label their sexual identity, or behave in sexual situations can vary over time, and particularly, adolescents may change their reported sexual attraction or sexual orientation identity over the course of their development. It is important to better understand the social factors that may influence these changes, such as one’s religiosity. The present study thus aimed to assess the fluidity of adolescent romantic and sexual attraction over time and to explore the role of religiosity in this dynamic using two independent panel samples of Croatian high school students (N = 849 and N = 995). Response items for sexual and romantic attraction were categorized based on the Kinsey scale, and religiosity was assessed with a standard one-item indicator. Results demonstrated that changes in attraction were substantially more prevalent among non-exclusively heterosexual participants compared to exclusively heterosexual participants in both panels. Although more female than male adolescents reported non-heterosexual attraction, gender differences in attraction fluidity were inconsistent. Religiosity was associated with initial sexual attraction (more religious individuals were more likely to report exclusively heterosexual attraction), but not with changes in romantic and sexual attraction over time. Given that the understanding of adolescent sexual development can play an important role in reducing their vulnerability to sexual risk taking, stigmatization, and abuse, this study’s findings have relevance for teachers, parents, and counselors working with adolescents, and in particular for sexual minority youth.

• Keywords (english): Adolescents; sexual fluidity; religiosity; sexual attraction; sexual orientation
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Accepted version
• Journal title: Archives of Sexual Behavior
• Numbering: vol. -, 10.1007/s10508-020-01713-y
• p-ISSN: 0004-0002
• e-ISSN: 1573-2800
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01713-y
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:991548
• Online first: 2020-05-07
• Project: Number: IP-2013-11-9221; Title (croatian): Prospektivno biopsihosocijalno istraživanje utjecaja seksualno eksplicitnih materijala na socijalizaciju i zdravlje mladih; Acronym: PROBIOPS SEM STUDY; Leader: Aleksandar Štulhofer; Jurisdiction: Croatia; Funding stream: IP
• Document URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10508-020-01713-y
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access; Embargo expiration date: 2021-05-07
• Public note: This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Archives of Sexual Behavior. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01713-y
• Created on: 2020-05-22 11:05:15