Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ethnic Differences in Sexual Attitudes of U.S. College Students: Gender, Acculturation, and Religiosity Factors

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although it has been hypothesized that culture and religion play an important role in sexuality, the relative roles of acculturation and religiosity on ethnic differences in sexual attitudes have not been often empirically explored. The present study assessed differences in sexual attitudes in Euro-American, Asian, and Hispanic American populations using measures of acculturation to analyze the relative effects of heritage and mainstream cultures, as well as religiosity, within each ethnic group. A total of 1,415 college students (67% Euro-American, 16% Hispanic, 17% Asian; 32% men, 68% women) completed questionnaires which assessed attitudes towards homosexuality, gender role traditionality, casual sex, and extramarital sex. In concordance with previous studies, Asians reported more conservative sexual attitudes than did their Hispanic and Euro-American peers. Hispanics reported sexual attitudes similar to that of Euro-Americans. For both Hispanic and Asians, higher acculturation predicted sexual attitudes similar to that of Euro-Americans. For Asian, Hispanic, and Euro-American women, there was a significant interaction between intrinsic religiosity and spirituality such that the relationship between conservativism of sexual attitudes and intrinsic religiosity was stronger at higher levels of spirituality. In Euro-Americans and Asians, intrinsic religiosity and religious fundamentalism strongly predicted conservative sexual attitudes; while still significant, these relationships were not as pronounced in the Hispanic sample, implying an ethnic-by-religious effect. Novel to this study, acculturation did not mediate the relationship between religiosity and sexual attitudes, indicating that ethnic differences in religiosity effects were distinct from acculturation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. A complete list of items used is available from the corresponding author upon request.

References

  • Ahrold, T. K., Woo, J. S., Brotto, L. M., & Meston, C. M. (2007, August). Acculturation effects on sexual function: Does minority group visibility matter? Poster presented at the meeting of the International Academy of Sex Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

  • Allport, G. W. (1950). The individual and his religion: A psychological interpretation. New York: Macmillian.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altemeyer, B., & Hunsberger, B. (1992). Authoritarianism, religious fundamentalism, quest, and prejudice. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 2, 113–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amaro, H., Navarro, A., Conron, K., Raj, A., & On, C. (2002). Cultural influences on women’s sexual health. In R. J. DiClemente & G. M. Wingood (Eds.), Women’s sexual and reproductive health (pp. 71–92). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bassett, R. L. (1999). Intrinsic religious motivation scale. In P. C. Hill & R. W. Hood (Eds.), Measures of religiosity (pp. 135–137). Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bassett, R. L., Smith, H. L., Newell, R. L., & Richards, A. H. (1999). Thou shalt not like sex: Taking another look at religiousness and sexual attitudes. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 18, 205–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, K., & Bergman, C. (1993). Investigating Hispanic adolescent involvement with alcohol: A focus group interview approach. Health Education Research, 8, 151–158.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beckwith, H. D., & Morrow, J. A. (2005). Sexual attitudes of college students: The impact of religiosity and spirituality. College Student Journal, 39, 357–367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46, 5–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. W., Phinney, J. S., Sam, D. L., & Vedder, P. (2006). Immigrant youth: Acculturation, identity, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 55, 303–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonilla, L., & Porter, J. (1990). A comparison of Latino, Black, and non-Hispanic white attitudes toward homosexuality. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 12, 437–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brotto, L. A., Chik, H. M., Ryder, A. G., Gorzalka, B. B., & Seal, B. N. (2005). Acculturation and sexual function in Asian women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34, 613–626.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brotto, L. A., Woo, J. S., & Ryder, A. G. (2007). Acculturation and sexual function in Canadian East Asian men. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 4, 72–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bulbeck, C. (2005). “The mighty pillar of the family”: Young people’s vocabularies on household gender arrangements in the Asia-Pacific region. Gender, Work, and Organization, 12, 14–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, K., Catania, J., & Dolcini, M. (1994). Extramarital sex and HIV risk behavior among US adults: Results from the national AIDS behavioral survey. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 2003–2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran, J. K., & Beeghley, L. (1991). The influence of religion on attitudes toward nonmarital sexuality: A preliminary assessment of reference group theory. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 30, 45–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coreno, T. (2002). Fundamentalism as a class culture. Sociology of Religion, 63, 335–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costigan, C. L., & Su, T. F. (2004). Orthogonal versus linear models of acculturation among immigrant Chinese Canadians: A comparison of mothers, fathers, and children. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 28, 518–527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demerath, N. J. (2003). Crossing the Gods: World religions and worldly politics. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derogatis, L. R. (1978). Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory. Baltimore, MD: Clinical Psychometrics Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenman, R., & Dantzker, M. L. (2006). Gender and ethnic differences in sexual attitudes at a Hispanic-serving university. Journal of General Psychology, 133, 153–162.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, M., Trapnell, P. D., & Meston, C. M. (2008). The relation between sexual behavior and religiosity subtypes: A test of the secularization hypothesis. Archives of Sexual Behavior. doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9407-0.

  • Francis, L. J., & Wilcox, C. (1998). Religiosity and femininity: Do women really hold a more positive attitude toward Christianity? Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 37, 462–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorsuch, R. L., & Venable, G. D. (1983). Development of an “age universal” IE scale. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 22, 181–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jemmott, L. S., Jemmott, J. B., & Villarruel, A. M. (2002). Predicting intentions and condom use among Latino college students. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 13, 59–69.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LaFromboise, T., Coleman, H. L., & Gerton, J. (1993). Psychological impact of biculturalism: Evidence and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 395–412.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laumann, E. O., Paik, A., & Rosen, R. C. (1999). Sexual dysfunction in the United States: Prevalence and predictors. Journal of the American Medical Association, 281, 537–544.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leiblum, S., Wiegel, M., & Brickle, F. (2003). Sexual attitudes of US and Canadian medical students: The role of ethnicity, gender, religion and acculturation. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 18, 473–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, R. A., Jaccard, J., & Beamer, L. (1995). Older adolescents’ engagement in casual sex: Impact of risk perception and psychosocial motivation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24, 349–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marin, B. V. O., Gomez, C. A., & Hearst, N. (1993). Multiple heterosexual partners and condom use among Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites. Family Planning Perspectives, 25, 170–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marin, B., & Marin, G. (1992). Predictors of condom accessibility among Hispanics in San Francisco. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 592–595.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B., Tschann, J., Gómez, C., & Kegeles, S. (1993). Acculturation and gender differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors: Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic White unmarried adults. American Journal of Public Health, 83, 1759–1761.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marler, P. L., & Hadaway, C. K. (1993). Toward a typology of protestant “marginal members”. Review of Religious Research, 35, 34–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massey, D. S. (1993). Latinos, poverty, and the underclass: A new agenda for research. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 15, 449–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCree, D. H., Wingood, G. M., DiClemente, R., Davies, S., & Harrington, K. F. (2003). Religiosity and risky sexual behavior in African-American adolescent females. Journal of Adolescent Health, 33, 2–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McKelvey, R., Webb, J., Baldassar, L., Robinson, S., & Riley, G. (1999). Sex knowledge and sexual attitudes among medical and nursing students. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 33, 260–266.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meston, C. M., Heiman, J. R., Trapnell, P. D., & Paulhus, D. L. (1998a). Socially desirable responding and sexuality self-reports. Journal of Sex Research, 35, 148–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meston, C. M., Trapnell, P. D., & Gorzalka, B. B. (1996). Ethnic and gender differences in sexuality: Variations in sexual behavior between Asian and non-Asian university students. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 25, 33–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meston, C. M., Trapnell, P. D., & Gorzalka, B. B. (1998b). Ethnic, gender, and length-of-residency influences on sexual knowledge and attitudes. Journal of Sex Research, 35, 176–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, A. S., & Hoffmann, J. P. (1995). Risk and religion: An explanation of gender differences in religiosity. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 34, 63–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, W. R., & Thoresen, C. E. (2003). Spirituality, religion, and health. American Psychologist, 58, 24–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, C. (2006). The religious content of ethnic identities. Sociology, 40, 1135–1152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musgrave, C. F., Allen, C. E., & Allen, G. J. (2002). Spirituality and health for women of color. American Journal of Public Health, 92, 557–560.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oropesa, R. S. (1996). Normative beliefs about marriage and cohabitation: A comparison of non-Latino Whites, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 49–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penn, C. D., Hernandez, S. L., & Bermúdez, J. M. (1997). Using a cross-cultural perspective to understand infidelity in couples therapy. American Journal of Family Therapy, 25, 169–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raffaelli, M., & Green, S. (2003). Parent-adolescent communication about sex: Retrospective reports by Latino college students. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65, 474–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramirez, M. I. (1984). Assessing and understanding biculturalism-multiculturalism in Mexican-American adults. In J. L. Martinez (Ed.), Chicano psychology (2nd ed., pp. 77–94). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roosens, E. (1989). Creating ethnicity: The process of ethnogenesis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rostosky, S. S., Wilcox, B. L., Wright, M. L. C., & Randall, B. A. (2004). The impact of religiosity on adolescent sexual behavior: A review of the evidence. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19, 677–697.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryder, A. G., Alden, L. E., & Paulhus, D. L. (2000). Is acculturation unidimensional or bidimensional? A head-to-head comparison in the prediction of personality, self-identity, and adjustment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 49–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salant, T., & Lauderdale, D. S. (2003). Measuring culture: A critical review of acculturation and health in Asian immigrant populations. Social Science and Medicine, 57, 71–79.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez, D. T., Crocker, J., & Boike, K. R. (2005). Doing gender in the bedroom: Inverting in gender norms and the sexual experience. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1445–1455.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tang, C. S., Lai, F. D., & Chung, T. K. H. (1997). Assessment of sexual functioning for Chinese college students. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 26, 79–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, A., & Camburn, D. (1989). Religious participation and adolescent sexual behavior and attitudes. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, 641–653.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United States Census Bureau Population Division. (2007). Retrieved January 15, 2007, from http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/006808.html.

  • Welwood, J. (2000). Toward a psychology of awakening: Buddhism, psychotherapy, and the path of personal and spiritual transformation. Boston: Shambhala Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitley, B. E. (1988). The relation of gender-role orientation to sexual experience among college students. Sex Roles, 19, 619–638.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitley, B. E. (2001). Gender-role variables and attitudes toward homosexuality. Sex Roles, 45, 691–721.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong-Rieger, D., & Quintana, D. (1987). Comparative acculturation of Southeast Asian and Hispanic immigrants and sojourners. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 18, 345–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, F. (1999). Chinese Christians in America: Conversion, assimilation, and adhesive identities. University Park, PA: Penn State Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, F., & Ebaugh, H. R. (2001). Religion and ethnicity among new immigrants: The impact of majority/minority status in home and host countries. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 40, 367–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge Ruth Andrew and Melissa Farmer for their help in the literature review and preparation of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Tierney K. Ahrold & Cindy M. Meston

Authors
  1. Tierney K. Ahrold
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cindy M. Meston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cindy M. Meston.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ahrold, T.K., Meston, C.M. Ethnic Differences in Sexual Attitudes of U.S. College Students: Gender, Acculturation, and Religiosity Factors. Arch Sex Behav 39, 190–202 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9406-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9406-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation