Interpersonal Influence Strategies Applied to Sexual Decision-Making of Adolescents

• Main Authors: Falbo, Toni, Eisen, Marvin
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 01.08.1984
• Subjects: Adolescents; Age Differences; Change Strategies; Contraception; Decision Making; Individual Power; Interpersonal Relationship; Locus of Control; Power Strategies; Racial Differences; Sex Differences; Sexuality

Little is known about the power strategies adolescents view as effective in influencing an intimate partner to have or avoid having sexual intercourse. These strategies were examined in a pretest survey of 203 adolescents who reported their agreement or disagreement with strategies used to have protected sex or to avoid having sex with a girl/boyfriend. The results indicated that in avoiding sex, adolescents preferred a direct and unilateral strategy; in seeking protected sex, they preferred a direct and bilateral strategy. The unilateral, indirect approach was the least preferred strategy regardless of sexual goal. The findings also showed that gender, age, and ethnicity were significantly related to agreement with power strategy use; minority, female, and younger adolescents agreed more, in general, to all strategies to avoid and to have sex. A posttest survey was completed by 146 adolescents who had completed a Health Belief Model training project designed to train adolescents to use effective strategies in intimate relationships. Posttest results indicated that the project had little influence on the overall preference rankings of strategies. Participants gained in terms of desirable strategies to have protected sex, but were not generally affected in terms of strategies to avoid sexual intercourse. (Data tables describing the strategies assessed, with results, are appended.) (NRB)