Faculty Publications

A Longitudinal Study Of The Effects Of A University Human Sexuality Course On Sexual Attitudes

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

The Journal of Sex Research

Volume

15

Issue

3

First Page

184

Last Page

204

Abstract

This study tested the hypotheses that students taking a university human sexuality course will have different attitudes over a 2-year period than students not taking such a course, and more accepting attitudes toward the sexual behaviors of others, over a 2-year period, than toward their own sexual behavior. Sexual attitudes of 127 human sexuality class students and 114 control class students at the University of Northern Iowa were measured at the beginning of class (pretest), the end of class (posttest), and 2 years after the end of class (follow-up). There were no pretest differences between the treatment and control groups in university classification, marital status, political affiliation, religious affiliation, sex, age, grade point average, or sexual attitudes. Both hypotheses were supported. Human sexuality students developed more accepting attitudes and became more accepting of behaviors for others compared to behaviors for self. Control group students developed less accepting attitudes and became less accepting of behaviors for others compared to behaviors for self. The sex of the students and the session they attended class were also found to influence sexual attitudes. © 1979, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Department

Department of Home Economics

Original Publication Date

1-1-1979

DOI of published version

10.1080/00224497909551040

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