The research on relationships between parent-child communication about sexuality and sexual communication between adult partners is currently lacking. The current study aims to examine the influence of parent-child sexual communication on adult sexual communication when those children reach adulthood and engage in romantic relationships. Parent-child sexual communication, attachment styles, sexual attitudes, and partner sexual communication were examined for influence on the physical and emotional relationship satisfaction of emerging adults. Study 1 included a quantitative analysis with 553 emerging adults participating in an online survey, and study 2 incorporated a qualitative analysis with an additional 7 emerging adults participating in online focus groups. Attachment styles were not found to influence parent-child communication or relationship satisfaction. Permissive sexual attitudes demonstrated a positive influence on relationship satisfaction, as did increased sexual communication between partners. Increased partner sexual communication was associated with sexual relationships that included less emotional attachments. Both studies revealed a general lack of parent-child communication about sex, with the majority of participants reporting minimal or no conversations about sexuality with their parents. Results from study 2 demonstrated a weak connection between parent-child sexual communication and partner sexual communication. Implications for parent-child communication about sexuality are discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>The research on relationships between parent-child communication about sexuality and sexual communication between adult partners is currently lacking. The current study aims to examine the influence of parent-child sexual communication on adult sexual communication when those children reach adulthood and engage in romantic relationships. Parent-child sexual communication, attachment styles, sexual attitudes, and partner sexual communication were examined for influence on the physical and emotional relationship satisfaction of emerging adults. Study 1 included a quantitative analysis with 553 emerging adults participating in an online survey, and study 2 incorporated a qualitative analysis with an additional 7 emerging adults participating in online focus groups. Attachment styles were not found to influence parent-child communication or relationship satisfaction. Permissive sexual attitudes demonstrated a positive influence on relationship satisfaction, as did increased sexual communication between partners. Increased partner sexual communication was associated with sexual relationships that included less emotional attachments. Both studies revealed a general lack of parent-child communication about sex, with the majority of participants reporting minimal or no conversations about sexuality with their parents. Results from study 2 demonstrated a weak connection between parent-child sexual communication and partner sexual communication. Implications for parent-child communication about sexuality are discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Powers, Jaclyn Denise"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":"Child and Family Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Claire Kimberly","Amanda L. Williams","Angel Herring"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:41Z","subjects":["parent-child communication","relationship satisfaction","partner sexual communication","emerging adulthood","sexual attitudes","attachment styles","Gender and Sexuality","Health Communication","Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/296","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Claire Kimberly","Amanda L. Williams","Angel Herring"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Powers, Jaclyn Denise"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-06-14T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Child and Family Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["parent-child communication","relationship satisfaction","partner sexual communication","emerging adulthood","sexual attitudes","attachment styles","Gender and Sexuality","Health Communication","Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/296"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The research on relationships between parent-child communication about sexuality and sexual communication between adult partners is currently lacking. The current study aims to examine the influence of parent-child sexual communication on adult sexual communication when those children reach adulthood and engage in romantic relationships. Parent-child sexual communication, attachment styles, sexual attitudes, and partner sexual communication were examined for influence on the physical and emotional relationship satisfaction of emerging adults. Study 1 included a quantitative analysis with 553 emerging adults participating in an online survey, and study 2 incorporated a qualitative analysis with an additional 7 emerging adults participating in online focus groups. Attachment styles were not found to influence parent-child communication or relationship satisfaction. Permissive sexual attitudes demonstrated a positive influence on relationship satisfaction, as did increased sexual communication between partners. Increased partner sexual communication was associated with sexual relationships that included less emotional attachments. Both studies revealed a general lack of parent-child communication about sex, with the majority of participants reporting minimal or no conversations about sexuality with their parents. Results from study 2 demonstrated a weak connection between parent-child sexual communication and partner sexual communication. Implications for parent-child communication about sexuality are discussed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Influence of Parental Communication About Sexual Health on Quality of Emerging Adult Romantic Relationships"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Claire Kimberly","Amanda L. Williams","Angel Herring"],"dc:creator":["Powers, Jaclyn Denise"],"dc:date.available":["2017-06-14T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The research on relationships between parent-child communication about sexuality and sexual communication between adult partners is currently lacking. The current study aims to examine the influence of parent-child sexual communication on adult sexual communication when those children reach adulthood and engage in romantic relationships. Parent-child sexual communication, attachment styles, sexual attitudes, and partner sexual communication were examined for influence on the physical and emotional relationship satisfaction of emerging adults. Study 1 included a quantitative analysis with 553 emerging adults participating in an online survey, and study 2 incorporated a qualitative analysis with an additional 7 emerging adults participating in online focus groups. Attachment styles were not found to influence parent-child communication or relationship satisfaction. Permissive sexual attitudes demonstrated a positive influence on relationship satisfaction, as did increased sexual communication between partners. Increased partner sexual communication was associated with sexual relationships that included less emotional attachments. Both studies revealed a general lack of parent-child communication about sex, with the majority of participants reporting minimal or no conversations about sexuality with their parents. Results from study 2 demonstrated a weak connection between parent-child sexual communication and partner sexual communication. Implications for parent-child communication about sexuality are discussed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/296"],"dc:subject":["parent-child communication","relationship satisfaction","partner sexual communication","emerging adulthood","sexual attitudes","attachment styles","Gender and Sexuality","Health Communication","Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling"],"dc:title":["The Influence of Parental Communication About Sexual Health on Quality of Emerging Adult Romantic Relationships"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Child and Family Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:41Z"}