SEXUALITY on STANDBI: CONSEQUENCES of BIERASURE in DIFFERENT-GENDERED RELATIONSHIPS by Sierra S
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SEXUALITY ON STANDBI: CONSEQUENCES OF BIERASURE IN DIFFERENT-GENDERED RELATIONSHIPS by Sierra S. Stein A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Purdue University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Behavioral Sciences Hammond, Indiana May 2020 THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE APPROVAL Dr. David P. Nalbone, Chair Department of Behavioral Sciences Dr. Christopher K. Belous Department of Behavioral Sciences Dr. Christabel L. Rogalin Department of Behavioral Sciences Approved by: Dr. Megan Murphy 2 Dedicated to the first-generation college students. You can do great things. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are so many people who impacted this thesis, I could never acknowledge them all. To keep it short, thank you to my committee for helping develop and shape this into something I am so proud of. Thank you to Joe, Megan, and Chris, the core faculty members who most shaped who I am as a therapist. Your advice, support, and conversations were irreplaceable, and I am so glad I got to be in your orbit for a while. Thank you to my cohort, especially Lexie, Briana, and Tina, who shared so many laughs and tears with me. I couldn’t have made it without you by my side. You’ve helped make me a better therapist and a better person. Thank you to Aaron, who was always there for me, who was always home to pick up my pieces when I had a bad day, who made me laugh when I couldn’t, and who listened to me groan in academic distress approximately one billion times. You’re all golden. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... 9 LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. 10 ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 12 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ..................................................................... 13 Significance of the Problem ................................................................................................... 13 Terms ................................................................................................................................ 13 History of Bisexuality ........................................................................................................ 14 Medical ........................................................................................................................... 14 Social .............................................................................................................................. 14 Identity Development ......................................................................................................... 16 Kinsey’s Model of Identity Development......................................................................... 16 Klein’s Model of Identity Development ........................................................................... 17 Cass’s Model of Identity Development ............................................................................ 18 Queer Theory ..................................................................................................................... 19 Stereotypes about Bisexuality ............................................................................................ 20 “Just a Phase” .................................................................................................................. 20 “On the Fence” .............................................................................................................. 20 Promiscuity and Selfishness ............................................................................................. 21 Changing Labels ................................................................................................................ 22 Minority Stress Theory ...................................................................................................... 23 Bisexual Invisibility ........................................................................................................... 23 Erasure ............................................................................................................................ 24 Self-Esteem and Social Efficacy ...................................................................................... 25 Other Consequences ........................................................................................................ 26 Therapeutic Implications .................................................................................................... 27 Assumptions of Working with Bisexual Individuals ......................................................... 27 Training to Work with Bisexual Individuals ..................................................................... 27 5 Relationship Satisfaction Among Bisexuals ..................................................................... 28 Sexual Satisfaction Among Bisexuals .............................................................................. 28 Differences in Outness ..................................................................................................... 29 The Present Study .................................................................................................................. 29 Hypotheses ............................................................................................................................ 30 Hypothesis 1 ...................................................................................................................... 30 Hypothesis 2 ...................................................................................................................... 30 Hypothesis 3 ...................................................................................................................... 30 Hypothesis 4 ...................................................................................................................... 31 Hypothesis 5 ...................................................................................................................... 31 Hypothesis 6 ...................................................................................................................... 31 Hypothesis 7 ...................................................................................................................... 31 Hypothesis 8 ...................................................................................................................... 31 Hypothesis 9 ...................................................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 33 Study 1: Development and Validation of the Experiences of Bisexual Erasure Scale .............. 33 Participants and Procedure ................................................................................................. 33 Measures............................................................................................................................ 34 Experiences of Bisexual Erasure Scale ............................................................................. 34 Testing Discriminant Validity .......................................................................................... 34 Testing Convergent Validity ............................................................................................ 35 Demographics.................................................................................................................. 35 Study 2: Testing EBES in Model............................................................................................ 36 Participants and Procedure ................................................................................................. 36 Measures............................................................................................................................ 38 Social Efficacy and Social Outcome Expectations ........................................................... 38 Relationship Satisfaction ................................................................................................. 38 Sexual Satisfaction .......................................................................................................... 38 Self-Esteem ..................................................................................................................... 39 Bisexual Erasure .............................................................................................................. 39 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS .......................................................................................................... 44 6 Study 1 .................................................................................................................................. 44 Data Screening ................................................................................................................... 44 Analysis ............................................................................................................................