Faculty Sponsor: Emmanuel Kaparakis
Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Sylvia Maxwell
Hi! I am a current Junior at Wesleyan, majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior and minoring in Religion. When I’m not in the fishbowl learning to code, I’m in the hibernaculum working with the squirrels or writing something quippy for the Ampersand.
Abstract: This project investigates the correlation between adolescent religiosity and adulthood anal sex experience, to examine whether religious beliefs influence sexual behavior throughout one’s life. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (ADDHEALTH), spanning participants from adolescence to adulthood, the study focuses on individuals’ religious affiliations, beliefs in religious scripture, and sexual experiences. The findings reveal that adolescents who believe in their religious scripture are less likely to engage in anal sex in adulthood compared to those without religious affiliation or who disagree with scripture. Logistic regression analysis furthers this relationship, even after controlling for biological sex. However, variables measuring religious importance and service attendance exhibit collinearity, impacting the significance of the belief in religious scripture and anal sex experience relationship. Despite limitations in sample representation and the sole focus on anal sex, this study highlights the potential influence of adolescent religiosity on adulthood sexual behavior, suggesting crucial implications for understanding the interplay between religion and sexuality. Future research may incorporate additional variables such as sexual orientation and adulthood religiosity to provide a comprehensive understanding of this complex relationship.
QACposter