The Contribution of Different Socializing Agents to Emerging Adults' Sexuality: The Role of Parents, Best Friends, Romantic Partners, and Television Personalities.

To explore the role different socializing agents play in emerging adults' sexual socialization, 298 participants (ages 18 to 24) completed self-report questionnaires assessing their perceptions of four socializing agents' (a close friend, a romantic partner, a parent, and a favorite television character) sexual attitudes and behaviors as well as their communication with each of these agents about sex. These perceptions were assessed in relation to participants' own sexual attitudes, behaviors, and perceived risks associated with sex to understand the role of each socializing agent in individuals' sexual socialization. The results suggest that friends' and romantic partners' sexual attitudes and behaviors were the strongest predictors of participants' own sexual socialization, particularly regarding sexual behaviors. However, parents' attitudes about sex were also significantly and positively related to participants' attitudes and behaviors even after accounting for the other socializing agents. In addition, perceptions of television characters' sexual behaviors played the largest role in participants' perceived risks associated with sex. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]