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An Examination of the Relationship Between Authenticity and Female Sexual Dysfunction Ellen Kaye Smith Walden University

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An Examination of the Relationship Between Authenticity and Female Sexual Dysfunction Ellen Kaye Smith Walden University Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2016 An Examination of the Relationship between Authenticity and Female Sexual Dysfunction Ellen Kaye Smith Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, and the Social Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Kaye Smith has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Gordon Forbes, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Jane Lyons, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Martha Giles, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2016 Abstract An Examination of the Relationship between Authenticity and Female Sexual Dysfunction by Kaye Smith Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University February 2016 Abstract Since the late 1990s, researchers have reported a high degree of sexual dysfunction among American women that is associated with significant negative consequences (e.g., reduced quality of life and sexual satisfaction). In addition, sexual satisfaction is a primary factor in marital stability. Because of the widespread impact on both individual well-being and marital relationships, female sexual dysfunction is a significant public health problem. Most research has supported the predominance of psychocultural factors in women’s sexual issues. Authenticity, defined by Kernis and Goldman as acting in accord with one's natural inclinations, is associated with increased well-being, but researchers have often overlooked it in the literature on female sexual dysfunction. This study, guided by Kernis and Goldman's authenticity theory, argued that gender culture impairs the ability of women to be authentic in the sexual realm, and, thereby, increases the risk of sexual problems. The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship between authenticity, as measured by The Authenticity Inventory, Version 3, and female sexual dysfunction, as measured by The Female Sexual Function Index and The Female Sexual Distress Scale, Revised, in a group of 55 women attending an online university. The hypothesis was that women with higher rates of dysfunction and/or distress would score lower on authenticity. The results from a regression analysis did not reach significance and failed to confirm the hypothesis; however, there was an association between distress and dysfunction. This study contributes to social change by examining an association between authenticity and female sexual dysfunction that is of help to researchers and therapists working with women in the area of sexual health. An Examination of the Relationship between Authenticity and Female Sexual Dysfunction by Kaye Smith Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University February 2016 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my beloved mother, Anne Royston Smith, without whose belief in me and unceasing love I would never have attempted something of this magnitude. Thank you Mama, rest in peace. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Gordon Forbes, and my committee member, Dr. Jane Lyons, for their help on this project, Drs. Brian Goldman and Leonard Derogatis for the use of their measures, and Walden University’s research and writing staff for answering so many of my questions in a prompt and professional way. I would also like to thank my family and friends for putting up with me during this rather trying time. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Preface............................................................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................2 Problem Statement and Purpose of Study ......................................................................3 Definitions and Theoretical Constructs .........................................................................4 Definitions......................................................................................................................5 Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................7 Research Questions and Hypothesis ..............................................................................7 Significance, Limitations, and Assumptions .................................................................8 Summary ......................................................................................................................10 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................12 Preview of Literature Review and Research Strategies Used ......................................12 Research Strategies ......................................................................................................13 Introduction ..................................................................................................................14 Viagra Nation ........................................................................................................ 14 The Dysfunction Du Jour .............................................................................................18 Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder ...................................................................... 18 Sexual Aversion Disorder ..................................................................................... 18 Sexual Arousal Disorder ....................................................................................... 19 Orgasmic Disorder ................................................................................................ 19 i Dyspareunia .......................................................................................................... 19 Vaginismus ........................................................................................................... 19 Female Orgasmic Disorder ................................................................................... 20 Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder ............................................................. 20 Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder .............................................................. 21 An Androcentric Sexual Model ...................................................................................22 Impediments to Female Sexual Expression .................................................................29 Authenticity as a Theoretical Tradition .......................................................................34 Sexual Authenticity ......................................................................................................36 Kernis and Goldman’s Authenticity Theory and Female Sexuality ............................37 Historical View of Female Sexuality ...........................................................................38 Hysteria ................................................................................................................. 39 Nymphomania ....................................................................................................... 41 Frigidity................................................................................................................. 44 FSD ................................................................................................................... 46 Component 1: Women and Sexual Awareness ............................................................53 The Closeted Clitoris ............................................................................................ 53 Body Image and Diminished Self-Awareness ...................................................... 57 Body Image and Sexual Satisfaction .................................................................... 58 Component 2: Unbiased Processing ............................................................................62 Objectification Theory .......................................................................................... 62 The Orgasmic Female Brain and Sexual Absorption ........................................... 65 ii A Woman Divided: The Mind-Body Split............................................................ 68 Component 3: Authenticity and Behavior ...................................................................70 Sexual Scripts.......................................................................................................
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