The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived parental sexual communicator style and adolescent sexual behavior and information accuracy. Two hundred thirty-four college students provided data on their perceptions of parental sexual communicator style as well as self-reports of sexual behavior and knowledge across three time frames (junior high school, high school, and college). Significant relationships were found between perceived parental sexual communicator styles and sexual activity, contraceptive use, and sexual knowledge accuracy. In addition, significant differences were found between males and females on their sexual knowledge accuracy (females reported a higher level of sexual knowledge than did males). The findings are discussed, and recommendations for future research in the area of parent-adolescent sexual communication are offered.
PIP: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived parental sexual communicator style and adolescent sexual behavior and information accuracy. 234 US college students provided data on their perceptions of parental sexual communicator style as well as self-reports of sexual behavior and knowledge across 3 time frames (junior high school, high school, and college). 143 subjects appear in the actual data analyses. Responses on the questionnaire were confidential. Significant relationships were found between perceived parental sexual communicator styles and sexual activity, contraceptive use, and sexual knowledge accuracy. In addition, significant differences were found between males and females on their sexual knowledge accuracy (females reported a higher level of sexual knowledge than did males). This findings could be attributed to the consequences of premarital sex for females and to the fact that males tend to be less informed about sex and contraception. However, no significant differences were found between male and female participants relative to sexual activity or contraceptive use in junior high school, high school, or college. Furthermore, no significant differences were found between father or mother as the primary source of sexual information. The perception of friendly, attentive, and impression-leaving communication styles of the parent may be perceived by the adolescent as supportive; thus, contributing to less reported sexual activity. When parents were perceived as friendly, attentive and open, the participants reported more responsible contraceptive use. Communicator style appears to have a greater relationship to sexual activity and contraceptive use at the junior high school and college levels than at the high school level which could be related to the cognitive and moral development of the student. The period of unsettled identity may account for the low response to parental influence on sexual activity and contraceptive use. In regard to sexual knowledge, what is communicated may be more important than how it is communicated. Recommendations for future research in the are of parent-adolescent sexual communication include expanding the sample size and providing definition of the variables before reporting perceived parental communicator styles. Also, interview or observation techniques should be considered. Identifying the communicator styles that tend to discourage sexual activity and encourage contraceptive use at the different age levels could be helpful for parents and for sexual educators.