Undergraduate Students Give Opinions on Sexting Motivations. The Search for Cultural Contingencies

Abstract

Analyzing college students’ opinions regarding the motivations for sexting, this research investigated the occurrence of interlocking behavioral contingencies and their effects on the sharing of personal erotic contents. A total of 100 individuals (65 females, 33 males and 02 non-binary) participated in this study and responded to a semi-open questionnaire about the motivations for sexting. The responses were subjected to content analysis to identify the main themes contained in them. Subsequently, the antecedents and consequences of sexting were identified within these responses. The content analysis revealed two frequently motivational factors: sexual stimulation and interpersonal relationship. Eight participants’ responses contained nine descriptions of complete contingencies, which were analyzed and presented with elements characterizing them as macrocontingencies. The contingencies observed within the contexts of sexual stimulation and interpersonal relationship highlight the need for sexual education to ensure that the experience of sexuality in the age of technologically mediated communication occurs with a greater awareness of the possibilities and risks involved. The importance of intervention based on an understanding of the contingencies that define the cultural practice of sexting was also discussed.