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A Qualitative Examination of the Sexual Possible Selves and Strategies of First-Semester College Students: How Sexual Possible Selves are Developed During the Transition to College

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Abstract

According to the possible selves theory, individuals have possible selves that they hope to attain, or feared selves they hope to avoid, in the proximal future. In addition, individuals may have strategies they use to help them attain these possible selves or avoid their feared selves. Recent work has applied this theory to the realm of sexuality (i.e., sexual possible selves; SPS) in the developmental period of emerging adulthood, as this period is considered a time of increased sexual identity development. The purpose of this study was to extend this research by conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews with a sample of first-semester college-attending emerging adults (N = 35) at a 4-year university. We examined the developmental influences on expected and feared SPS to better understand why various internalized expectations develop. Interviews were conducted during the first four weeks of the Fall 2016 semester and were analyzed using applied thematic analysis. Prominent themes that emerged within the expected SPS included: sex and commitment, taking a passive approach, delaying sex and relationships, plans for hooking up, and abstinence. Feared SPS themes that emerged included: non-committed sexual avoidance, sexual assault/coercion, reputation, and sexual health. Prominent influences on participants’ SPS included: family, alcohol and parties, peers/friends, past experiences, changes in expectations, college culture, and religion. Implications for sexuality research, education, and intervention are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Kayley N. Davis for her work in transcribing interviews analyzed in this study.

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Correspondence to Kristin M. Anders.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Anders, K.M., Olmstead, S.B. A Qualitative Examination of the Sexual Possible Selves and Strategies of First-Semester College Students: How Sexual Possible Selves are Developed During the Transition to College. Arch Sex Behav 48, 1859–1876 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1332-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1332-2

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