Meanings for Sex and Commitment Among First Semester College Men and Women: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend research on the meanings for sex and commitment using a sample of first semester college students (N = 268). We examined responses to a series of open-ended questions about participants' meanings for sex and how they described these meanings as connected with relationship commitment. Our qualitative analyses replicated those of Olmstead, Billen, Conrad, Pasley, and Fincham (2013). Our largest group was the Committers (sex is indicative of love and trust and occurs after commitment is developed in a relationship), followed by Flexibles (sex can hold deep personal meaning, but can also be purely for pleasure and isn't always connected with commitment), and then Recreationers (sex is a basic need or purely for pleasure and is not associated with commitment). Groups were then examined based on demographic characteristics and pre-college hookup experience. Groups were found to differ by gender, relationship status and type, religiosity, and pre-college hookup experience. For example, a greater proportion of women than men were in the Committers group, whereas a greater proportion of men than women were in the Flexibles and Recreationers groups. Those in the Committers group had fewer pre-college hookup partners than Flexibles and Recreationers; however, Flexibles and Recreationers did not differ in number of pre-college hookup partners. We then followed up (at the end of the semester) with a subsample (n = 73) of participants to examine whether meanings for sex and commitment remained stable or changed over a brief period of time. The majority (82.2 %) of participants' meanings remained stable. For those whose meanings shifted, meanings became more consistent with those of the Committers group than the other two groups. Implications for research and sexual and relationship education are discussed.

A Decade Review of Sex and Partnering in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

“…In addition, studies frequently used open‐ended questions embedded within surveys (typically online surveys) to content analyze responses to identify prominent themes and subthemes. For example, open‐ended responses were analyzed in studies about hookups (Kenney, Thadani, Ghaidarov, & LaBrie, ), meanings for sex (Olmstead, Anders, & Conrad, ) and willingness to engage in CNM relationships (Sizemore & Olmstead, ). Qualitative methods continue to enhance how we understand relationship formation and sexual experience.…”

“…For example, open-ended responses were analyzed in studies about hookups (Kenney, Thadani, Ghaidarov, & LaBrie, 2013), meanings for sex (Olmstead, Anders, & Conrad, 2017) and willingness to engage in CNM relationships (Sizemore & Olmstead, 2018). Qualitative methods continue to enhance how we understand relationship formation and sexual experience.…”

“…In moving from the period of adolescence to emerging adulthood, studies tend to shift focus to understanding more fully how commitment is associated with relationship experiences. Although casual sex relationship experiences are common among those in emerging adulthood (Owen et al, ), the majority of young adults were found to expect sexual activity to occur within the context of committed romantic relationships (Olmstead et al, ; Olmstead, Billen, Conrad, Pasley, & Fincham, ). Young adult romantic relationships tend to be more stable than those in adolescence and serial monogamy is the prominent sexual script followed among those in this developmental period (Arnett, ).…”

“…For example, those who identified as lesbian were far more inclusive of a variety of genital stimulation behaviors when defining “having sex” in comparison to both heterosexual men and women (Horowitz & Spicer, ). In addition to identifying behaviors considered as having sex, researchers have begun to examine how meanings are ascribed to sexual behavior and how these meanings are connected to particular expectations about commitment (Olmstead et al, ; Olmstead, Billen, et al, ).…”

“Thanks for Telling Me”: The Impact of Disclosing Sex Secrets on Romantic Relationships

“…In fact, hookups are often seen as a way for young adults to meet their sexual needs or desires without committing to a monogamous romantic relationship (Shulman and Connolly 2013). It should be noted, however, that emerging adult scholars suggest that a large number of young adults' prefer and expect their sexual experiences to occur in committed romantic partnerships (Olmstead et al 2013(Olmstead et al , 2017, though often not planning for deeper commitments, such as marriage (Shulman and Connolly 2013). Recent literature identifies relationship readiness as an important factor among emerging adults who may not be ready to give up their newfound social freedoms and be committed to one person (LeFebvre and Carmack 2020).…”