Technology-Mediated and In-Person Sexual Self-Concept in Sexually Minoritized Women: Conceptualization, Measurement, and (In)Congruence

Abstract

Sexual self-concept (SSC) refers to how a person thinks, feels, and experiences themselves as a sexual being. A positive SSC has been linked to good psychosexual health. However, inconsistent conceptual and operational definitions in prior research have undermined SSC’s construct validity, leaving its applicability to lesbian women largely unexplored. Lesbian women’s unique navigation of intersecting systems of power and marginalization likely shapes how they experience and express their SSC. Thus, guided by intersectionality, social identity theories, and self-discrepancy theory, the overarching goal of this dissertation was to better understand how lesbian women’s SSC manifests across in-person and technology-mediated contexts. I produced four articles to address this goal. In Article 1, I conducted a methodological review of 67 SSC studies. I identified inconsistent conceptual definitions, diverse operationalizations, and limited representation of sexually minoritized populations in SSC research. These findings highlighted the need for inclusive SSC measures with stronger construct validity. In Article 2, I adapted Q Methodology to online platforms. Using tools like Zoom and Trello, I created a cost-effective and accessible approach to SSC research that includes hard-to-reach populations. This methodological innovation laid the groundwork for exploring SSC’s conceptual and operational definitions in Article 3. In Article 3, I conducted two studies. First, 35 sexuality researchers completed a card sort task to evaluate and categorize a comprehensive set of SSC items. This process enabled me to identify 60 relevant items representative of distinct SSC subdomains. In the second study, 20 women participated in a Q Methodology study, sorting these items into ranked categories and completing follow-up semi-structured interviews. Analyses revealed three distinct SSC definitions. These results illustrate how SSC varies by socio-demographic background and context. These findings informed the development of a measure of SSC with construct validity evidence for lesbian women, that is applicable to in-person and technology-mediated contexts. In Article 4, I used this measure to examine SSC (in)congruence among 290 lesbian women across in-person and technology-mediated contexts. Although multivariate analyses were not significant, descriptive findings highlighted potential complex relationships between SSC alignment, contextual factors, and psychosexual outcomes that challenge self-discrepancy theory. Together, these articles advance SSC research by addressing critical gaps in construct validity, innovating methodological approaches, and centering the experiences of lesbian women. This work provides a foundation for future research into lesbian women’s SSC and its implications for psychosexual health.