2026-10-14T08:35:17Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33788230 2026-09-15T11:08:03Z category_30367 category_30358 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

DataBase_ImplicitTheories Carlos Barrera (24928597) Clinical and health psychology not elsewhere classified Clinical psychology Implicit theories about sexuality <p dir="ltr">Implicit theories about sexuality have recently emerged as a relevant cognitive framework for understanding sexual well-being. However, their contribution to sexual functioning difficulties remains underexplored, particularly beyond established psychological correlates. This study aimed (a) to examine the associations between implicit theories about sexuality (sexual growth and sexual destiny beliefs) and sexual functioning difficulties in young adult women, and (b) to examine whether implicit theories about sexuality would show significant associations with sexual functioning difficulties after accounting for well-established psychological factors, such as dysfunctional sexual beliefs, sexual performance anxiety, and sexual assertiveness. Participants were 207 women aged 18–29 years who completed self-report measures assessing implicit theories about sexuality, dysfunctional sexual beliefs, sexual performance anxiety, sexual assertiveness, and sexual functioning difficulties. Correlational analyses showed that higher sexual growth beliefs were associated with fewer sexual functioning difficulties, whereas sexual destiny beliefs were not significantly associated with overall sexual functioning. Hierarchical regression analyses further indicated that sexual growth beliefs remained significantly associated with fewer sexual functioning difficulties after controlling for dysfunctional sexual beliefs, sexual performance anxiety, and sexual assertiveness. These findings suggest the relevance of sexual growth beliefs in understanding sexual functioning difficulties among young adult women and that they represent a distinct cognitive dimension beyond established psychological correlates. Considering implicit theories about sexuality may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of sexual functioning and a new avenue for the intervention of sexual difficulties.</p> 2026-09-15T11:08:03Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.33788230.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/DataBase_ImplicitTheories/33788230 CC BY 4.0