Abstract
Theories and empirical studies of adolescent sexual behavior have identified the contributions of personal attributes and social experiences; however, it is rare that models have clarified developmental pathways to adolescent sexual behavior that include (1) factors assessed prior to and early in adolescence and (2) dyadic experiences in adolescence that provide the opportunity for sexual behavior (i.e., dating). Using data from a prospective study, structural equation modeling was used to test a model predicting adolescent sexual behavior at age 19, denoted by the number of lifetime sexual partners. Predictors examined were sociability and impulsivity assessed at 30 months of age, physical characteristics and experiences with peers measured at age 12–13, the age of first romantic relationship, and frequency of alcohol use at age 16. The pathway to greater sexual involvement was marked by some desired personal attributes (e.g., sociability) and peer experiences (e.g., higher quality friendships). These associations were mediated, however, by earlier initiation of romantic relationships and more frequent use of alcohol in middle adolescence. Earlier initiation of romantic relationships and more frequent alcohol use were predicted by greater sociability and less impulsivity in childhood, higher quality friendships and greater peer acceptance in early adolescence, and a more mature appearance and physical attractiveness (among females) at age 13. The findings imply a complex pathway that leads to a greater accumulation of sexual partners by age 19. This pathway begins in childhood and includes individual qualities, peer acceptance, romantic relationships, and alcohol use.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Aboud, F. E., & Mendelson, M. J. (1998). Determinants of friendship selection and quality: Developmental perspectives. In W. M. Bukowski, A. F. Newcomb, & W. W. Hartup (Eds.), The company they keep: Friendship in childhood and adolescence (pp. 87-112). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1986). Manual for the Teacher's Report Form and Teacher version of the Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.
Andersson, T., & Magnusson, D. (1990). Biological maturation in adolescence and the development of drinking habits and alcohol abuse among young males: A prospective longitudinal study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 19, 33-41.
Barrett, E. S., & Patton, J. H. (1983). Impulsivity: Cognitive, behavioral, and psychophysiological correlates. In M. Zuckerman (Ed.), Biological bases of sensation seeking, impulsivity, and anxiety (pp. 77-116). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Bates, M. E., & Labouvie, E. W. (1995). Personality-environment constellations and alcohol use: A process-oriented study of intraindividual change during adolescence. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 9, 25-35.
Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness-of-fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88, 588-606.
Bingham, C. R., & Crockett, L. J. (1996). Longitudinal adjustment patterns of boys and girls experiencing early, middle, and late sexual intercourse. Developmental Psychology, 32, 647-658.
Blum, R. W., Resnick, M. D., & Bergeisen, L. G. (1989). The state of adolescent health in Minnesota. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Adolescent Health Program.
Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural equations with latent variables. New York: Wiley.
Brown, B. B. (1999). “You're going out with who?”: Peer group influences on adolescent romantic relationships. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 291-329). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136-162). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Buss, A. H., & Plomin, R. (1984). Temperament: Early developing personality traits. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Buss, A. H., & Plomin, R. A. (1975). A temperament theory of personality development. New York: Wiley.
Capaldi, D. M., Crosby, L., & Stoolmiller, M. (1996). Predicting the timing of first sexual intercourse for at-risk adolescent males. Child Development, 67, 344-359.
Caspi, A., & Silva, P. A. (1995). Temperamental qualities at age three predict personality traits in young adulthood: Longitudinal evidence from a birth cohort. Child Development, 66, 486-498.
Centers for Disease Control. (2001). 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey results. Available from http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/ YRBSS
Cloninger, C. R. (1987). Neurogenic adaptive mechanisms in alcoholism. Science, 236, 410-416.
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Colder, C. R., & Chassin, L. (1997). Affectivity and impulsivity: Temperament risk for adolescent alcohol involvement. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 11, 83-97.
Collins, W. A. (2003). More than myth: The developmental significance of romantic relationships during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 13, 1-24.
Collins, W. A., & Repinski, D. J. (1995). Relationships during adolescence: Continuity and change in interpersonal perspective. In R. Montemayor, G. R. Adams, & T. P. Gullotta, (Eds.), Personal relationships during adolescence (pp. 7-36). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Collins, W. A., & Sroufe, L. A. (1999). Capacity for intimate relationships: A developmental construction. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 125-147). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Connolly J., & Goldberg, A. (1999). Romantic relationships in adolescence: The role of friends and peers in their emergence and development. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 266-290). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Cooper, M. L., & Orcutt, H. K. (1997). Drinking and sexual experience on first dates among adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 191-202.
Costa, F. M., Jessor, R., Donovan, J. E., & Fortenberry, J. D. (1995). Early initiation of sexual intercourse: The influences of psychosocial unconventionality. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 5, 93-121.
Dolcini, M. M., & Adler, N. E. (1994). Perceived competencies, peer group affiliation, and risk behavior among early adolescents. Health Psychology, 13, 496-506.
Donovan, J. E., & Jessor, R. (1985). Structure of problem behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 890-904.
Dunphy, D. C. (1963). The social structure of urban adolescent peer groups. Sociometry, 26, 230-246.
Eder, D. (1985). The cycle of popularity: Interpersonal relations among female adolescents. Sociology of Education, 58, 154-165.
Egeland, B., & Brunnquell, D. (1979). An at-risk approach to the study of child abuse: Some preliminary findings. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 18, 219-235.
Feingold, A. (1990). Gender differences in effects of physical attractiveness on romantic attraction: A comparison across five research paradigms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 981-993.
Feldman, S. S., Rosenthal, D. R., Brown, N. L., & Canning, R. D. (1995). Predicting sexual experience in adolescent boys from peer rejection and acceptance during childhood. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 5, 387-411.
Franzoi, S. L., Davis, M. H., & Vasquez-Suson, K. A. (1994). Two social worlds: Social correlates and stability of adolescent status groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 462-473.
Furman,W., Brown, B. B., & Feiring, C. (Eds.). (1999). The development of romantic relationships in adolescence. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Furman, W., & Wehner, E. A. (1994). Romantic views: Toward a theory of adolescent romantic relationships. In R. Montemayor, G. R. Adams, & T. P. Gullotta (Eds.), Personal relationships during adolescence (pp. 168-195). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Graber, J. A., Britto, P. R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1999). What's love got to do with it? Adolescents' and young adults' beliefs about sexual and romantic relationships. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 364-398). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Halpern, C. T., Udry, J. R., Campbell, B., & Suchindran, C. (1993). Testosterone and pubertal development as predictors of sexual activity: A panel analysis of adolescent males. Psychosomatic Medicine, 55, 436-447.
Halpern, C. T., Udry, J. R., Campbell, B., Suchindran, C., & Mason, G. A. (1994). Testosterone and religiosity as predictors of sexual attitudes and activity among adolescent males: A biosocial model. Journal of Biosocial Science, 26, 217-234.
Halpern, C. T., Udry, J. R., & Suchindran, C. (1997). Testosterone predicts initiation of coitus in adolescent females. Psychosomatic Medicine, 59, 161-171.
Hyde, J. S., & Oliver, M. B. (2000). Gender differences in sexuality: Results from meta-analysis. In C. B. Travis & J. W. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society, and feminism (pp. 57-77). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Jessor, R., Costa, F., Jessor, L., & Donovan, J. E. (1983). Time of first intercourse: A prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 608-626.
Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (1993). LISREL 8.14. Chicago: Scientific Software International.
Kagan, J., & Moss, H. A. (1962). Birth to maturity: A study in psychological development. New York: Wiley.
Kandel, D. B., Kessler, R. C., & Margulies, R. Z. (1978). Antecedents of adolescent initiation into stages of drug use: A developmental analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 7, 13-40.
Kandel, D., Davies, M., & Baydar, N. (1990). The creation of interpersonal contexts: Homophily in dyadic relationships in adolescence and young adulthood. In L. N. Robins & M. Rutter (Eds.), Straight and devious pathways from childhood to adulthood (pp. 221-241). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Kann, L., Kinchen, S. A., Williams, B. I., Ross, J. G., Lowry, R., Hill, C.V., et al. (1998). Youth risk behavior surveillance-United States, 1997. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly, 47, 1-89.
Kaplan, D. (2000). Structural equation modeling: Foundations and extensions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Katchadourian, H. (1990). Sexuality. In S. S. Feldman & G. R. Elliott (Eds.), At the threshold: The developing adolescent (pp. 330-351). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Koch, P. B. (1993). Promoting healthy sexual development during early adolescence. In R. M. Lerner (Ed.), Early adolescence:Perspectives on research, policy, and intervention (pp. 293-307). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kotchick, B. A., Shaffer, A., Forehand, R., & Miller, K. S. (2001). Adolescent sexual risk behavior: A multi-system perspective. Clinical Psychology Review, 21, 493-519.
MacDonald, K. (1996). What do children want? A conceptualization of evolutionary influences on children's motivation in the peer group. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 19, 53-73.
McGraw, K. O., & Wong, S. P. (1996). Forming inferences about some intraclass correlation coefficients. Psychological Methods, 1, 30-46.
Miller, B. C., & Benson, B. (1999). Romantic and sexual relationship development during adolescence. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 99-124). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Miller, B. C., Benson, B., & Galbraith, K. A. (2001). Family relationships and adolescent pregnancy risk: A research synthesis. Developmental Review, 21, 1-38.
Miller, B. C., McCoy, J. K., & Olson, T. D. (1986). Dating age and stage as correlates of adolescent sexual attitudes and behavior. Journal of Adolescent Research, 1, 361-371.
Moore, K. A., Miller, B. C., Glei, D., & Morrison, D. R. (1995). Adolescent sex, contraception, and childbearing: A review of research. Washington, DC: Child Trends.
Morison, P., & Masten, A. S. (1991). Peer reputation in middle childhood as a predictor of adaptation in adolescence: A seven-year follow-up. Child Development, 62, 991-1007.
National Center for Health Statistics. (1997). Fertility, family planning, and women's health: New data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth (DHHS Publication No. PHS 97-1995). Hyattsville, MD: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Newcomb, M. D., & Bentler, P. M. (1988). Impact of adolescent drug use and social support on problems of young adults: A longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97, 64-75.
Newman, D. L., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., & Silva, P. A. (1997). Antecedents of adult interpersonal functioning: Effects of individual differences in age 3 temperament. Developmental Psychology, 33, 206-217.
Phinney, V. G., Jenson, L. C., Olsen, J. A., & Cundick, B. (1990). The relationship between early development and psychosexual behaviors in adolescent females. Adolescence, 25, 321-332.
Richards, M. H., Crowe, P. A., Larson, R., & Swarr, A. (1998). Developmental patterns and gender differences in the experience of peer companionship during adolescence. Child Development, 69, 154-163.
Roscoe, B., Diana, M. S., & Brooks, R. H. (1987). Early, middle, and late adolescents' views on dating and factors influencing partner selection. Adolescence, 22, 59-68.
Rosenthal, D. A., Smith, A. M. A., & de Visser, R. (1999). Personal and social factors influencing age at first sexual intercourse. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 28, 319-333.
Shrout, P. E., & Fleiss, J. L. (1979). Intraclass correlations: Uses in assessing rater reliability. Psychological Bulletin, 86, 420-428.
Siebenbruner, J., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., & Egeland, B. (2004). Sexual partners and contraceptive use: A 16-year prospective study predicting abstinence and risk behavior. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Small, S. A., & Luster, T. (1994). Adolescent sexuality activity: An ecological risk-factor approach. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56, 181-192.
Smith, E. A., Udry, J. R., & Morris, N. M. (1985). Pubertal development and friends: A biosocial explanation of adolescent sexual behavior. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 26, 183-192.
Stattin, H., Gustafson, S. B., & Magnusson, D. (1989). Peer influences on adolescent drinking: A social transition perspective. Journal of Early Adolescence, 9, 227-246.
Stattin, H., & Magnusson, D. (1990). Pubertal maturation in female development. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Sullivan, H. S. (1953). The interpersonal theory of psychiatry. New York: Norton.
Thornton, A. (1990). The courtship process and adolescent sexuality. Journal of Family Issues, 11, 239-273.
Tubman, J. G., Windle, M., & Windle, R. C. (1996). The onset and cross-temporal patterning of sexual intercourse in middle adolescence: Prospective relations with behavioral and emotional problems. Child Development, 67, 327-343.
Udry, J. R. (1988). Biological predispositions and social control in adolescent sexual behavior. American Sociological Review, 53, 709-722.
Udry, J. R., & Billy, J. (1987). Initiation of coitus in early adolescence. American Sociological Review, 52, 841-855.
Udry, J. R., & Campbell, B. C. (1994). Getting started on sexual behavior. In A. S. Rossi (Ed.), Sexuality across the life course (pp. 187-207). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Udry, J. R., Kovenock, J., Morris, N. M., & van den Berg, B. J. (1995). Childhood precursors of age at first intercourse for females. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 24, 329-337.
Udry, J. R., & Talbert, L. M. (1988). Sex hormones effects on personality at puberty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 291-295.
Zani, B. (1993). Dating and interpersonal relationships in adolescence. In S. Jackson & H. Rodriguez-Tome (Eds.), Adolescence and its social worlds (pp. 95-120). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J. (1999). Stability, change, and individual differences in involvement with friends and romantic partners among adolescent females. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 28, 419-438.
Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Siebenbruner, J., & Collins, W. A. (2001). Diverse aspects of dating: Associations with psychosocial functioning from early to middle adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 24, 313-336.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zimmer-Gembeck, M.J., Siebenbruner, J. & Collins, W.A. A Prospective Study of Intraindividual and Peer Influences on Adolescents' Heterosexual Romantic and Sexual Behavior. Arch Sex Behav 33, 381–394 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ASEB.0000028891.16654.2c
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ASEB.0000028891.16654.2c