The Moderating Effects of Religious Coping and the Sbw Stereotypy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PARTNER PORNOGRAPHY USE AND EFFECTS ON FEMALE PARTNERS: THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF RELIGIOUS COPING AND THE SBW STEREOTYPY ON WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION by Aretha Raquel Guidry, LMSW Liberty University A Dissertation Proposal Submitted to the Faculty of Liberty University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling School of Behavioral Sciences Liberty University April 2019 2 PARTNER PORNOGRAPHY USE AND EFFECTS ON FEMALE PARTNERS: THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF RELIGIOUS COPING AND THE SBW STEREOTYPY ON WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION by Aretha Raquel Guidry, LMSW A Dissertation Proposal in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling School of Behavioral Sciences Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 2019 Dissertation Committee Approval: ______________________________________ Fred Volk, Ph.D., Committee Chair Date _______________________________________ William Bird, Ph.D., Committee Reader Date 3 ABSTRACT PARTNER PORNOGRAPHY USE AND EFFECTS ON FEMALE PARTNERS: THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF RELIGIOUS COPING AND THE SBW STEREOTYPY ON WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION Aretha Raquel Guidry, LMSW School of Behavioral Sciences Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling Pornography use is wide-spread, and its detrimental effects are clearly outlined in the literature. In contrast to the abundance of literature related to male use and its influence on the user, female partners, and relationships, there is a dearth of empirical findings addressing racial differences and various coping mechanisms potentially moderating the link between pornography use, mental health outcomes, and relationship satisfaction. To this end, the present study examined the mental health outcomes of female partners, as moderated by religious coping and the strong Black woman (SBW) stereotypy, and the subsequent effect on relationship satisfaction. Participants in the study completed assessments to evaluate the degree to which they embody characteristics consistent with the SBW stereotypy, levels of religious coping, presence and level of depression and anxiety, and overall relationship satisfaction. Two-hundred and seventy-five female participants, obtained via Qualtrics, were all in committed relationships with partners 4 who use pornography, and did not use pornography with their partner. The results of this quantitative study indicated partner pornography use is predictive of less relationship satisfaction for European American women, depression is predictive of less relationship satisfaction for European and African American women, and neither SBW stereotypy nor religious coping are statistically significant moderators for mental health or relationship satisfaction for female partners of pornography users. Keywords: pornography, religious coping, strong Black woman, relationship satisfaction 5 Dedication I dedicate this accomplishment to Gabrielle Grace, my “I know that I know that God is real child”, Alexandria Faith, my “but God 4th trimester child”, and Caleb Richard Paul “my Spirit filled giant child”. The three of you, unique and talented in your own ways, yet embodying the same gentle spirits that have made parenting so easy, motivate me to strive for excellence in all things. There has been no greater joy and no greater responsibility than being your mommy, and without you I would not be the woman that I am today. You enabled me to do what most single mothers cannot do . I appreciate your sacrifice, love, independence, and auto-pilot capabilities. I am blessed because of you, my quiver is full and together we will stand for Christ and see His glory manifested in the Earth! Love, Mommy And to my parents, who once said, “If you’re not able to provide all that she needs and most of what she wants, bring her back home.” Unbeknownst to you, this statement shaped my life tremendously. It provided me with a solid foundation of unquestionable unconditional love, security, and confidence to conquer anything that was before me. I now see it as the privilege of a blessed childhood, void of major conflict, filled with all that I needed, and all that I wanted. As this dissertation process unfolded and my life experiences came full circle in my research, I realized just how much that statement has given me strength over the past 20 years. Thank you for your sacrifice, stern upbringing, and love. And thank you for spoiling me too! 6 Acknowledgments To God, through whom all my blessings flow, You have never failed me, and it is only by Your grace and mercy that I am here today. I am blessed to call you Father and pray that you are pleased. “As long as I got King Jesus, I don’t need nobody else!” To my chair, Dr. Volk, it is my firm belief that it is by divine intervention, God’s purpose and design, that I first learned of Liberty University (in marriage counseling), subsequently met you, and had the privilege of being mentored by such a gentle and nurturing soul. I verbalized this belief in the summer of 2016 and it has remained true. Your patience, constant encouragement, and commitment to the success of others is a testament of the Christ within you. I am eternally grateful for the time and energy that you have invested in me. Your wisdom, knowledge, and expertise in research and statistics are added bonuses that pale in comparison to your heart. One of my favorite scriptures is “He that has begun a great work in you, is faithful to complete it “(Philippians 1:6). When I was overwhelmed, tired, and wondering how I would make it through, it was your motivation and often stated belief in me that always brought this scripture to my mind. Thank you. To my reader Dr. Bird, and other Liberty University faculty, I appreciate the Christian fellowship and every minute of your time, dedication, and outpouring of scholarly advice. It has taken a village to get here and my success is rooted in each of you. To my family and friends who have prayed and supported me throughout this doctoral journey, it has truly been a blessing and sense of comfort to be undergirded by your love. I am a living testimony that all things happen in His timing, and I pray that I have made you proud. Blessings to all! Jeremiah 17:7-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………….3 Dedication ………………………………………………………………………………………...5 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………..…………6 List of Tables.………………………………………………………………….………………...11 List of Figures. ………………………………………………………………………………….12 List of Abbreviations ……………………………………………………….…………………...13 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………14 Background ..…………………………………………………………………………….17 Pornography .…………………………………………………………………………….17 Marital/Relationship Satisfaction .……………………………………………………….19 Mental Health Outcomes ….…………………………………………………………… 21 Potential Moderators ….…………………………………………………………………22 Religious Coping …….………………………………………………………….23 Strong Black Woman Stereotypy ……………………………………………….24 Purpose Statement ………………………………………………………………………26 Significance of Study …………………………………………………………………...26 Research Questions …………………………………………………………………….28 Definitions ………………………………………………………………………………29 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW …………….………………………………….31 Pornography Use ……………………………………………………………………….31 Statistics on Prevalence and Use ……………………………………………….31 Potential Benefits of Joint Use…………………………………………………...33 8 Marital and Relationship Satisfaction……………………………………………35 Adverse Effects of Pornography Use ……………………………………………35 Predictive Effects of Pornography Use .…………………………………………36 Pornography Use and Divorce .………………………………………………….38 Mental Health Outcomes …………….………………………………………………….39 Religious Coping as a Moderator ……….………………………………………………40 Types of Religious Coping ………..…………………………………………….42 Differences in Religious Coping ……..………………………………………….43 Religious Coping and Relationships …………………………………………...44 Strong Black Woman Stereotypy as a Moderator ……………………………………….46 Strong Black Woman, Girls to Women …………………………………………47 Describing the Strong Black Woman …………………………………………...48 Endorsing the Strong Black Woman Stereotypy..……………………………….50 Strong Black Woman and Agency…………………………………………….... 51 Strong Black Woman and Mental Health …….…………………………………52 Summary…………………………………………………………………………………53 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS . 56 Definition of Terms ……………………………………………………………………...56 Research Questions ……..……………………………………………………………….57 Research Model. ………………………………………………………………………...58 Hypotheses …………….………………………………………………………………...59 Participants and Setting ………………………………………………………………….61 Instruments and Measures ……………………………………………………………...61 9 Procedures ……….………………………………………………………………………67 Data Analyses ………………………………………………………………………….67 Ethical Concerns …………..…………………………………………………………….68 Summary ………..……………………………………………………………………….68 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS ………………………………………………………………70 Relationship Satisfaction ….…………………………………………………………….71 Depression ……………………………………………………………………………...72 Anxiety …….…………………………………………………………………………….73 Female Depression and Relationship Satisfaction …….………………………………...73 Mediation Hypotheses and Findings …….………………………………………………74 Moderated Mediation Hypotheses and Findings ….…………………………………….75 Summary …………………...……………………………………………………………82 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION …………………………………84 Discussion ………………… …………………………………………………………...84 Implications ………………………………………………..…………………………….88 Limitations ……………………………………………………...……………………….89