Introduction: Sexting refers to the exchange of sexually or provocative contents (messages, images, videos) via Smartphone and Social Network. It has received substantial public health attention because of its associations with moral disengagement, health risky behaviors, and autoregulatory self-efficacy. Nevertheless, little research has be done on sexting in LGB peoples. Hypotheses: This work aims to investigate whether self-efficacy and moral disengagement could influence sexting and potential differences in heterosexual vs. sexual minority people. Methods: 873 heterosexual young adults (Mage= 23.57; SD= 2.78) and 110 sexual minorities (Mage = 23.01; SD = 2.48) completed a questionnaire including the Sexting Behaviors Questionnaire; the Mechanism of Moral Disengagement Scale and the Relational, Social, Filial and Regulatory Self-Efficacy Scale. Results: Correlational analyses showed a significant positive correlation between sexting behavior and social efficacy in sexual minority, r=.208, p=.03, and in heterosexual, r=.163, p=<.001 participants. The results of the regression analysis on sexting behaviors were significant, F=10.050, p=<.001: sexual orientation (being LGB), β=.10, t(982)=3.33, p=.001, gender (being males), β=-.15, t(982)=-4.50, p=<.001, social efficacy β=.23,t(982)=6.37,p=<.001, autoregulatory efficacy, β=-.20,t(982)=-5.84,p=<.001, advantageous comparison, β=-.16,t(982)=-3.25,p=.001, and distorting consequences, β=.13, t(982)=2.75, p=.006, predicted higher levels of sexting behaviors (R2=0.20). Conclusion: As we expected, results showed that sexual minorities people do significantly more sexting than heterosexual people do. Data seems to suggest that people with high level of autoregulatory efficacy and higher level of moral disengagement people who make more use of advantageous comparison tend to do less sexting while people with more level of social efficacy and people who tend to distorting the consequences of their actions, instead, tend to do more sexting. Better understanding this behavior in sexual minority people could be important given its connection to risky behavior and negative outcomes. In such way it can be possible to start prevention and sensibilization project to moderate its outcomes.
Sexting in LGB People: self-efficacy and moral disengagement / Isolani, Stefano; Antoniucci, Chiara; Morelli, Mara; Bianchi, Dora; Rosati, Fau; Izzo, Flavia; Pistella, Jessica. - (2022). (Intervento presentato al convegno 3rd International Conference on LGBT+ Psychology and Related Fields tenutosi a Lisbona).
Sexting in LGB People: self-efficacy and moral disengagement
Isolani Stefano
;Antoniucci Chiara;Morelli Mara;Bianchi Dora;Rosati Fau;Izzo Flavia;Pistella Jessica
2022
Abstract
Introduction: Sexting refers to the exchange of sexually or provocative contents (messages, images, videos) via Smartphone and Social Network. It has received substantial public health attention because of its associations with moral disengagement, health risky behaviors, and autoregulatory self-efficacy. Nevertheless, little research has be done on sexting in LGB peoples. Hypotheses: This work aims to investigate whether self-efficacy and moral disengagement could influence sexting and potential differences in heterosexual vs. sexual minority people. Methods: 873 heterosexual young adults (Mage= 23.57; SD= 2.78) and 110 sexual minorities (Mage = 23.01; SD = 2.48) completed a questionnaire including the Sexting Behaviors Questionnaire; the Mechanism of Moral Disengagement Scale and the Relational, Social, Filial and Regulatory Self-Efficacy Scale. Results: Correlational analyses showed a significant positive correlation between sexting behavior and social efficacy in sexual minority, r=.208, p=.03, and in heterosexual, r=.163, p=<.001 participants. The results of the regression analysis on sexting behaviors were significant, F=10.050, p=<.001: sexual orientation (being LGB), β=.10, t(982)=3.33, p=.001, gender (being males), β=-.15, t(982)=-4.50, p=<.001, social efficacy β=.23,t(982)=6.37,p=<.001, autoregulatory efficacy, β=-.20,t(982)=-5.84,p=<.001, advantageous comparison, β=-.16,t(982)=-3.25,p=.001, and distorting consequences, β=.13, t(982)=2.75, p=.006, predicted higher levels of sexting behaviors (R2=0.20). Conclusion: As we expected, results showed that sexual minorities people do significantly more sexting than heterosexual people do. Data seems to suggest that people with high level of autoregulatory efficacy and higher level of moral disengagement people who make more use of advantageous comparison tend to do less sexting while people with more level of social efficacy and people who tend to distorting the consequences of their actions, instead, tend to do more sexting. Better understanding this behavior in sexual minority people could be important given its connection to risky behavior and negative outcomes. In such way it can be possible to start prevention and sensibilization project to moderate its outcomes.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
