A relationship study between emotional behavior and sex information shown by students of the University of Houston

Date

1966

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Abstract

Purpose of the Study. This study was concerned with the relationship of the level of sex information and the behavioral variables, anxiety, repression and aggression from frustration. Previous studies have demonstrated a significant relationship between certain forms of emotional reactions and sexual behavior; the present study was a preliminary investigation of the degree of association between forms of unconsciously motivated behavior and sexual education. Testing Procedures and Subjects. Sex information was quantitated by McGary's Sex Information Test and patterns of emotional behavior were measured by Welsh's Anxiety-Repression Scale. Eleven-hundred and fifty students in a Marriage and Family Course at the University of Houston served as subjects. Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients were obtained to determine the degree of relationship between anxiety, repression, and sex information for the total class. The scores of the high and low 6% from the total group's Sex Information Test were further compared and tested. Rosenzweig's Picture Frustration Study for measuring aggressive reaction to frustration was administered and evaluated following the standard Rosenzweig procedure of seven categories expressing the direction and type of aggression. Chi- square mean of analysis for qualitative data was used to determine the significance of relationship between the Picture Frustration factors and anxiety, repression and sex information. Results. Data from 722 students were usable for computing Pearson product-moment correlations between anxiety, repression and sex information. Significant negative relationships at the .05 level of confidence were demonstrated between anxiety and repression and anxiety and sex information. The relationship between repression and sex information was not significant. The chi-square analysis of the upper and lower 6% for probable relationships between aggressive reactive factors and other variables revealed all trends in the predicted direction. There were no significant results in comparing the direction of aggression with the other emotional factors or with sex information. As for types of aggression, repression showed a high trend association with obstacle-dominance. Anxiety was significantly related to the obstacle-dominance type. High sex information showed a marked trend relationship with ego-defensive aggressive reaction and with group conformity rating for aggressive behavior. Conclusion. The form of anxiety representing an unpleasant emotional experience or psychic warning to the individual that all is not well was interpreted to be the fundamental phenomenon of emotional disturbances. On the basis of empirical research findings it was concluded that this form of anxiety was positively associated with sexual threats and indicative of defensive reactions. It was further concluded that stress or conflict resulting from such anxiety could be handled either by defeating uncon- scous defense mechanisms as repression and hostile aggression or by more conscious resolving methods as acquiring sexual knowledge and understanding. It was also observed that the more complex and acceptable form of unconscious defensive behavior corresponded similarly with an increased amount of sex knowledge.

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Keywords

Sex, College students, Sexual behavior, Emotions

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