Deck 11: Sexuality

Question 1

Which of the following adolescents is more likely to move toward intercourse at an earlier age without as many intervening steps?

A) Sotoko, an Asian American adolescent
B) Miranda, a Latina adolescent
C) Richard, a Black adolescent
D) Torrie, a White adolescent

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is not considered an aspect of positive sexual development that the majority of adolescents face?

A) becoming comfortable with one's maturing body
B) reconciling feelings of sexual arousal with one's religious beliefs
C) feeling comfortable in choosing to engage or not to engage in sexual activity
D) understanding and practicing safe sex

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What type of behaviors does the term noncoital activity refer to?

A) kissing
B) touching parts of each other's body through clothes
C) touching or kissing each other's naked body
D) All of these behaviors are considered noncoital.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

How does the average age of first intercourse vary by geographical region?

A) It doesn't-the average age of first intercourse is fairly similar around the world.
B) The average age of first intercourse varies considerably around the world.
C) The average of first intercourse is roughly the same in industrialized countries, giving support for the idea that sexual activity is driven primarily by biological development, not socialization practices.
D) Because societies differ in their use of "sex" terminology, the average age of first intercourse is extremely difficult to compare across different geographical, temporal, and cultural contexts.

Question 5

The textbook lists all of the following as reasons why sexuality in adolescence is a particularly important period during the life cycle, except:

A) adolescence is the time when erotic feelings first emerge.
B) puberty brings on physical changes that allow for sexual reproduction.
C) cognitive changes in adolescence have a major impact on sexuality.
D) it is not until adolescence that sexual activity begins to take on the social meaning it will continue to have throughout adulthood.

Question 6

Until recently, what aspect of teenage sexuality did social scientists focus on?

A) Until the late 1990s, it was taboo to study teenage sex.
B) Just like identity, autonomy, and intimacy, researchers have always studied the normative aspects of adolescent sexuality.
C) Until fairly recently, researchers only focused on the problematic aspects of adolescent sexuality (precocious sex, promiscuous sex, unsafe sex, etc.).
D) Until fairly recently, most researchers were preoccupied with understanding adolescent sexuality and, as a result, important topics, such as promiscuous sex and unsafe sex, were neglected.

Question 7

Beginning on Isaac's 13th birthday, his father wants to start a series of conversations with him about sex and the "birds and the bees." This process is called:

A) sociosexual preparation.
B) sexual socialization.
C) permissive communication.
D) human ecology.

Question 8

"Sexual socialization" refers to:

A) a person's sexual orientation.
B) a person's social skills in sexual relationships.
C) the way in which an individual is exposed to and educated about sexuality.
D) the degree to which an individual is comfortable with his or her sexuality.

Question 9

Sexual activity in adolescence is motivated by:

A) desire to enhance status with peers.
B) love and the desire for a serious emotional relationship.
C) hormones.
D) All of these are true.

Question 10

Sex play that is innocuous during childhood is no longer innocuous during adolescence because:

A) children report erotic feelings before puberty.
B) the hormonal changes of puberty result in an increased sex drive in adolescence.
C) children are not capable of kissing, petting, masturbating, or sexual intercourse before puberty.
D) with puberty, pregnancy becomes a serious possibility.

Question 11

When Ken is alone, he fantasizes about supermodels and masturbates. This type of behavior is called:

A) nocturnal stimulation.
B) autoerotic.
C) sociosexual.
D) sensual stimulation.

Question 12

Members of which of the following racial groups are most likely to become sexually experienced at earlier ages?

A) White adolescents
B) Hispanic adolescents
C) Asian American adolescents
D) Black adolescents

Question 13

A particular concern regarding the faster progression of sexual activity is an increased:

A) push for autonomy from parents.
B) risk of pregnancy.
C) rate of adolescent marriages.
D) risk for experimenting with alcohol and other drugs.

Question 14

Estimates of the prevalence of sexual intercourse among adolescents:

A) are consistent across time.
B) are consistent across samples.
C) depend on the wording of the questions.
D) are dependent on the sex of the researcher.

Question 15

Which of the following illustrates the typical sequence of sexual behavior among adolescents?

A) masturbation; kissing; sexual intercourse; oral intercourse
B) kissing; masturbation; touching genitals through clothes; sexual intercourse
C) masturbation; feeling breasts through clothes; feeling a penis under clothes; sexual intercourse
D) kissing body parts; making out; sexual intercourse; oral intercourse

Question 16

Most research with respect to oral sex between adolescents has indicated that:

A) in general, most teenagers are more likely to engage in vaginal intercourse than oral sex.
B) many teenagers give and receive oral sex promiscuously.
C) there is a large proportion of adolescents who exclusively engage in oral sex.
D) the vast majority of teenagers who engage in oral sex also engage in sexual (vaginal) intercourse and promiscuity is not the norm for either activity.

Question 17

Researchers have found that with respect to reporting their sexual activity:

A) if they are assured of confidentiality, it is unlikely that adolescents will give misinformation.
B) males tend to overstate their level of activity.
C) females tend to overstate their level of activity.
D) males and females both tend to understate their level of activity.

Question 18

What is the best way to conceptualize adolescent sexual development?

A) as gradual stages of increasing intimacy
B) with the first event being intercourse
C) as an isolated behavior
D) there are no systematic patterns to adolescent sexual development

Question 19

Why should data that is obtained by asking adolescents to self-report whether they are still virgins be interpreted with caution?

A) Adolescents are likely to lie about whether they are still virgins.
B) Adolescents are likely to give the response that they think the researcher wants to hear.
C) It is dependent on how adolescents interpret what it means to be a "virgin."
D) There is a selection bias, with substantial between-person differences between those who choose to answer this question and those who typically leave this question blank.

Question 20

Which of the following is not typically considered to be autoerotic behavior during adolescence?

A) sexual activity experienced alone
B) sexual fantasies
C) masturbation
D) sexual intercourse

Question 21

The most common reasons that adolescents give for abstaining from sex are:

A) fear of disease and fear of pregnancy.
B) parental and religious restrictions.
C) concerns about their reputation and parental disapproval.
D) negative attitudes about the physical aspects of sexual intercourse.

Question 22

Jeannette, a 17-year-old, has decided to engage in sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. Tammy, also 17, has decided to abstain from sex until she is older. Which adolescent is more likely to experience psychological disturbances?

A) Jeannette
B) Tammy
C) Neither Tammy nor Jeannette, because they have made mature decisions.
D) Normative sexual activity during late adolescence is not associated with psychological disturbance.

Question 23

Which of the following is not associated with risky sex behavior?

A) having parents who engage in low parental monitoring
B) having delinquent peers who are sexually active
C) having a stronger orientation toward independence
D) being exposed to pornography

Question 24

The greatest increase in the prevalence of premarital intercourse has been among which group?

A) males
B) females
C) minority males
D) females from higher socioeconomic backgrounds

Question 25

In addition to parental supervision, what else might help decrease the probability of adolescent sexual activity?

A) insisting that adolescents come home right after school
B) having adolescents participate in after-school programs
C) having their fathers talk to them about the dangers of sexual involvement
D) providing them with books on the risks of sexual involvement

Question 26

Current research suggests that sexual intercourse during the high school years:

A) has been slowly but steadily decreasing over the past decade.
B) is part of the normative experience of adolescence in America.
C) is higher among adolescents in the United States than in other industrialized countries.
D) is more likely among girls than for boys.

Question 27

Which adolescent is most likely to engage in sexual intercourse at the youngest age?

A) Laurence, a Black adolescent
B) Michael, an Asian American adolescent
C) Danny, a European American adolescent
D) Jesse, a Hispanic adolescent

Question 28

As compared with females whose first intercourse occurs after age 18, those who engage in sexual intercourse at a younger age are likely to report that:

A) they were sexually curious.
B) they were in love with their partner.
C) their first sexual experience was involuntary.
D) their sex partner was approximately the same age.

Question 29

______ is the peak month for adolescents in a serious relationship to have their first intercourse.

A) January
B) March
C) September
D) December

Question 30

Boys' initial interest in sex is motivated by ________ hormones, whereas girls' initial interest in sex is motivated by _______.

A) testosterone; estrogen
B) androgen; estrogen
C) androgen; androgens and estrogen
D) estrogen; testosterone

Question 31

Tim and Carol are upset because they recently discovered that their 13-year-old daughter has already engaged in sexual intercourse. What other types of problems is their daughter likely to have?

A) drug and alcohol problems
B) low interest in academics
C) tolerance of deviant behavior
D) All of these are correct.

Question 32

People who wait to have sex until they are in their twenties tend to:

A) have a strong religious commitment.
B) not cohabit.
C) have greater marital satisfaction.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 33

Boys' and girls' initial interest in sex is influenced primarily by the surge in levels of:

A) progesterone.
B) estrogen.
C) ACTH.
D) testosterone.

Question 34

Which of the following is the most likely scenario for adolescent sexual activity?

A) It takes place in the boy's home on a weekday after school.
B) It takes place in the back of the boy's car on a weekend evening.
C) It takes place in the girl's home on a weekend evening.
D) It takes place at a friend's home on a weekday after school.

Question 35

According to national surveys, sexual activity among adolescents is occurring ______ it has in past decades.

A) later than
B) earlier than
C) at the same time as
D) earlier for boys but later for girls than

Question 36

Ann, a 17-year-old, is still a virgin. If you had to guess, what race/ethnicity is Ann likely to be?

A) Black
B) Asian American
C) Native American
D) White

Question 37

Approximately what percentage of American adolescents have had sexual intercourse by the time they reach their freshman year of high school?

A) 30%
B) 60%
C) 10%
D) 75%

Question 38

Compared with studies conducted in the mid-1990s:

A) the adolescents who choose to engage in sexual intercourse are doing so at an earlier age.
B) fewer adolescents today are engaging in sexual intercourse.
C) regional and ethnic variations make it difficult to generalize about an average age for sexual intercourse for American adolescents.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 39

For adolescent boys, which of the following is the most important factor in determining the onset of sexual intercourse?

A) increased levels of androgens
B) availability of birth control
C) the attitudes of friends toward sexual activity
D) receiving sex education in school

Question 40

Experts who accept that sex is part of life for the average American teenager believe that all of the following create difficulties for our society, except:

A) providing inadequate sex education.
B) beginning sex education too early.
C) limiting access to effective contraception.
D) not dealing with the issue directly.

Question 41

Which aspect of parent-adolescent communication about sex is likely to have a meaningful effect on the adolescent's behavior?

A) parent-child communication specifically focused on the topic of contraception lowers the rate of risky sex
B) parent-child discussion about whether the adolescent should have sex at all
C) parent-child communication that involves an authoritarian approach with specific, rigid rules with respect to sexual activity
D) parent-child communication that directly cautions their teenager against sex but avoids implying that sex is a moral or
Religious issue

Question 42

Which of the following is least likely to explain why growing up in a single-parent home affects girls' sexual behavior more than boys' sexual behavior?

A) Social influences on sexual behavior are weaker for girls than for boys, thereby leading to fewer restraints on girls' sexual activities.
B) Single mothers may be dating, thereby inadvertently acting as role models of sexual activity for their adolescent daughters.
C) Girls are more likely than boys to look outside the family for warmth and support.
D) There may be a genetic link inherited from the girls' fathers that increases daughters' sexual behavior.

Question 43

What do researchers believe explains why some individuals who engage in precocious, promiscuous, or unprotected sex are also highly likely to engage in other types of delinquent behavior?

A) It is likely that risky sexual behavior causes other types of risky and delinquent behaviors.
B) It is likely that risky and delinquent behaviors cause risky sexual activity.
C) It is likely that risky sexual behavior and other types of risky behavior are both symptoms of a certain personality profile that makes individuals more likely to behave risky in general.
D) These two behaviors are likely spuriously related by a third, unrelated (and unmeasured) variable.

Question 44

In contrast to delinquent individuals who engage in sex in a romantic relationship, at least one research study found that delinquent adolescents who engage in casual sex:

A) are more depressed and have more psychological issues.
B) tend to have very similar genetic and psychological profiles to individuals who abstain from sex.
C) may have genes that influence both the propensity to engage in delinquency and the tendency to seek opportunities to have sex "just for fun," which is consistent with other research on the genetic basis of traits like sensation seeking and impulsivity.
D) tend to have parents that have very conservative attitudes toward sexuality.

Question 45

Early sexuality for males is tinged with elements of ________, whereas for females it is more linked to feelings of _______________.

A) intimacy; recreation
B) recreation; intimacy
C) enjoyment; guilt
D) guilt; enjoyment

Question 46

Amy, a 15-year-old, lost her virginity to her boyfriend last night. Which of the following is Amy least likely to say?

A) "I'm in love!"
B) "I'm so worried-what if I'm pregnant!"
C) "I'm so glad I'm no longer a virgin!"
D) "I'm so excited!"

Question 47

Research on risk factors for adolescent sexual activity has found all of the following, except:

A) lack of parental support is a risk factor for boys but not for girls.
B) as the number of risk factors increases, the likelihood of engaging in sexual intercourse increases.
C) the same risk factors that predict sexual activity for White adolescents also predict sexual activity among ethnic minority adolescents.
D) efforts aimed at predicting adolescent sexual activity must focus on more than one risk factor.

Question 48

Which of the following statements about boys' first sexual experience is false?

A) A boy's first sexual experience is usually through masturbation.
B) Boys typically view sex as recreation.
C) A boy's first sexual partner is likely to be someone he's in love with.
D) Boys are more likely than girls to keep sex and intimacy separate.

Question 49

What family factor appears to predict adolescent sexual involvement, especially among girls?

A) household composition
B) mother's employment
C) number of siblings
D) parenting styles

Question 50

Michael and Kayla are concerned because they noticed their 10-year-old son, Tom, engaging in sex play with a male friend. They ask a psychologist what she thinks. What did she probably say?

A) "Tom is probably homosexual."
B) "It is likely that Tom has been sexually abused."
C) "Same-sex play among young adolescents is more common than many would think and nothing to worry about."
D) "Tom needs to get counseling as this is a symptom of a larger psychological issue."

Question 51

Which of the following statements about parent-adolescent communication about sex is not true?

A) Adolescents are more receptive to having one "big talk" about sex than having multiple conversations over a period of time.
B) Sexually active adolescents underestimate their parents' disapproval of sexual activity.
C) Parents assume that if they disapprove of sexual activity, their adolescent is not likely to be sexually active.
D) There seems to be a gap between what parents say they have discussed with their adolescent child and what adolescents say they have discussed with their parents.

Question 52

Generalizing from the textbook, if Nicky's parents want to slow down her sexual involvement, which of her parents should talk to her about sex?

A) her mother
B) her father
C) Both of her parents should talk to her at the same time.
D) Neither of her parents should talk to her about sex.

Question 53

Which of the following is not a good predictor of whether adolescents will engage in sexual activity?

A) the adolescent's opportunity to have sex
B) parent-adolescent communication
C) having sexually active friends
D) use of alcohol and other drugs

Question 54

Generalizing from the textbook, Marge is most likely to have her first sexual encounter with a:

A) younger partner.
B) classmate.
C) casual acquaintance.
D) steady boyfriend.

Question 55

An analysis of "virginity pledges" that encourage adolescents to promise to abstain from premarital sex has found that:

A) pledging works equally well for adolescents of all ages.
B) pledging has a big effect in schools in which few students take the pledge.
C) pledging works well in schools in which nearly everyone takes the pledge.
D) about 82% of adolescents who take a virginity pledge will deny having done so five years later.

Question 56

Research assessing parent-adolescent communication about sex has found all of the following, except:

A) although parents may indicate that they talked to their adolescents about a topic, such as sexually transmitted diseases, their adolescents are likely to say they have not.
B) parents believe that if they express their disapproval of sexual activity, their adolescents will not be sexually active.
C) parent-adolescent communication about sex significantly lowers adolescents' likelihood of being sexually active.
D) parent-adolescent communication about contraception lowers the rate of risky sex.

Question 57

For adolescent girls, which of the following is the most important factor in determining the onset of sexual intercourse?

A) increased levels of androgens
B) availability of birth control
C) the attitudes of friends toward sexual activity
D) receiving sex education in school

Question 58

According to research by Small and Luster, which adolescent is most likely to engage in early sexual activity?

A) Chelsea, who lives in a low SES/disadvantaged neighborhood
B) Ryan, who has many antisocial peers
C) Frank, someone who has completely disengaged from school
D) The adolescent most likely to engage in early sexual activity is one that has a combination of the above risk factors.

Question 59

According to research presented in the textbook, who is more likely to be sexually active: Ingrid, who lives in a single-parent home, or Leanne, who lives in a two-parent home?

A) Ingrid
B) Leanne
C) Ingrid, but only immediately following her parents' divorce.
D) Both girls are equally likely to be sexually active.

Question 60

The sexual ______ of males and females may be similar, but the sexual _____ of males and females is quite different.

A) behavior; socialization
B) socialization; behavior
C) attitudes; experiences
D) experiences; attitudes

Question 61

Research has indicated that many young people do not use contraception regularly for all of the following reasons, except:

A) using contraception would indicate that they are planfully and willingly sexually active.
B) they unconsciously desire to become pregnant.
C) contraceptives may be difficult for them to obtain.
D) their egocentric thinking leads them to believe that they are immune from getting pregnant or contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Question 62

Bill is a very feminine man. Based on this sex-role behavior, one would predict that Bill is probably:

A) homosexual.
B) heterosexual.
C) bisexual.
D) There is no connection between sex-role behavior and sexual orientation.

Question 63

Date rape is when a young person is forced to have sex when he or she does not want to. Sexual coercion and date rape are more likely to occur when:

A) a girl plays hard to get with her boyfriend.
B) there is a large (3 or more years) age difference between a girl and her partner.
C) a stranger attacks and sexually assaults a teenager.
D) the teen's parents utilize an authoritarian style of parenting.

Question 64

Suzanne has just found out that her 13-year-old daughter had been sexually abused by her piano teacher. According to research presented in the textbook, what type of problems is Suzanne's daughter most likely to face?

A) dissociative disorders
B) psychopathic disorders
C) academic difficulties
D) infertility

Question 65

Sexual activity in the United States is _____ in other industrialized countries, and the rate of pregnancy is _____.

A) higher than; higher
B) lower than; the same
C) comparable; the same
D) comparable; higher

Question 66

Which of the following statements about sexual abuse during adolescence is false?

A) Histories of individuals who commit dating violence suggest the perpetrators are likely to have been exposed to physical punishment and abuse at home.
B) Younger children are more likely than adolescents to be abused and neglected.
C) Adolescent victims of sexual abuse are disproportionately female and poor.
D) Both perpetrators and victims of sexual assaults are often reluctant to admit the assault occurred.

Question 67

Fourteen-year-old Sarah began "acting out" behaviors that her teacher had never observed in her before, such as a decline in self-esteem, sexual promiscuity, and risky behavior. Sarah's teacher suspects that Sarah is:

A) pregnant.
B) fighting with her boyfriend.
C) a victim of sexual abuse.
D) questioning her sexual orientation.

Question 68

Which of the following statements about sexual orientation in adolescence is false?

A) Thirteen percent of girls, compared to 6% of boys, report having had same-sex attractions, a non-heterosexual orientation, or engaging in same-sex activity during adolescence.
B) Approximately 2 to 5% of adolescents identify themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
C) Researchers have been able to identify consistent predictors for adolescents who will later identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
D) The majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adults engaged in heterosexual activity during adolescence.

Question 69

Which of the following sexually transmitted diseases is caused by a parasite?

A) gonorrhea
B) herpes
C) chlamydia
D) trichomoniasis

Question 70

What is the most common method of birth control among sexually active adolescents?

A) condoms
B) birth control pills
C) withdrawal
D) the rhythm method

Question 71

Todd would rather date men than women. This refers to Todd's:

A) gender identity.
B) sexual orientation.
C) sex-role behavior.
D) homophobia.

Question 72

Professor Snapes is conducting research on sexual harassment of adolescents. He is likely to learn all of the following, except:

A) sexual harassment is widespread within American public schools.
B) a significant number of adolescents report having been sexually harassed by their teachers.
C) school-based programs aimed at reducing sexual harassment, such as a program called Safe Dates, have had long-term success.
D) the majority of adolescents who have been sexually harassed had themselves harassed others.

Question 73

Which of the following sexually transmitted diseases is caused by a virus?

A) gonorrhea
B) herpes
C) chlamydia
D) trichomoniasis

Question 74

Because Andrea is a lesbian, she is more likely to exhibit what types of behaviors?

A) feminine behaviors
B) masculine behaviors
C) androgynous behaviors
D) There is no connection between sex-role behavior and sexual preference.

Question 75

Amy is a "straight" 16-year-old adolescent. Kelly, also 16, has discovered that she has homosexual interests. Which girl is most confused about her gender identity because of her sexual orientation?

A) Amy
B) Kelly
C) Amy and Kelly are likely to be equally confused because gender identity is separate from sexual orientation.
D) Neither Amy nor Kelly will be confused about their gender, because they understand their sexual orientations.

Question 76

According to the textbook, which adults are most likely to describe their fathers as distant and rejecting?

A) bisexual males
B) homosexual males
C) bisexual and homosexual adolescents
D) transgender males

Question 77

Which adolescent is most likely to use contraception effectively while engaging in sex?

A) Vanessa, who feels guilty about having sex with her boyfriend
B) Lynn, who belongs to a conservative religious faith
C) Vesta, who had previously pledged to remain a virgin
D) Tasha, who is sexually active and relatively conventional

Question 78

Which is not a risk factor for sexual abuse?

A) living apart from one's parents
B) living in a major city, compared to living in a rural area
C) being raised in poverty
D) having parents who abuse alcohol or other drugs

Question 79

The textbook suggests all of the following as ways to increase use of contraceptives among adolescents, except:

A) ensure the availability of contraceptive devices to adolescents.
B) offer sex education that teaches the fundamentals of contraceptive use once adolescents become sexually active.
C) ensure open lines of communication so adolescents feel free to talk to adults about their sexual issues and concerns.
D) portray sex in the media more responsibly, showing contraception use along with sexual activity.

Question 80

Studies suggest which of the following are antecedents of homosexuality?

A) biological factors
B) social factors
C) the interaction between biological and social factors
D) All of these are correct.