Selection of Reference Group, Perceived Reference Group Permissiveness, and Personal Permissiveness Attitudes and Behavior: A Study of Two Consecutive Panels (1967-1971; 1970-1974)

Employing two sequential, and partially overlapping panels of white, single students, covering the years 1967-1971 and 1970-1974, measurement was made (both longitudinally and cross-sectionally) of reference group selection with regard to sexual standards, perceived reference group norms with respec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marriage and family 1976-08, Vol.38 (3), p.495-507
Main Authors: Walsh, Robert H., Ferrell, Mary Z., Tolone, William L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude/Attitudes/Attitudinal
Behavior/Behavioral
Children
Coitus
College students
Group/Groups/Grouping/Groupism
Human sexual behavior
Mating behavior
Parents
Perception/Perceptions/Perceptual/ Perceptivity/ Perceive/ Perceived
Permissiveness
Personal/Personalization
Reference/References/Referent/ Referents
Select/Selective/Selectivity/ Selection/ Selecting
Sexual relations
Single status
United States/US
Universities
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Summary:Employing two sequential, and partially overlapping panels of white, single students, covering the years 1967-1971 and 1970-1974, measurement was made (both longitudinally and cross-sectionally) of reference group selection with regard to sexual standards, perceived reference group norms with respect to premarital sexual permissiveness and the relationship of these variables to premarital sexual attitudes and behavior. Findings included: (a) selection of reference groups predominantly followed peer to peer and/or parent to peer patterns from T1 to T2 for both panels; (b) permissiveness increased from T1 to T2 for both panels, with significant changes in the same people—these changes were greater for females than for males; (c) selection of peers at T1 and T2 and movement from selection of parents at T1 to selection of peers at T2 were related to significant shifts of respondents in premarital sexual attitudes and behavior, in the direction of greater permissiveness; (d) perception of reference group permissiveness at T2 which exceeded that perceived at T1 was related to significant shifts of respondents in premarital sexual attitudes and behavior, in the direction of greater permissiveness.
ISSN:0022-2445
1741-3737
DOI:10.2307/350418