Culture and Sexuality: Cognitive-Emotional Determinants of Sexual Dissatisfaction Among Iranian and New Zealand Women.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that culture plays a fundamental role in individuals' beliefs, attitudes, and values toward sexuality, and influences their ability to enjoy sex. It follows that culture may influence sexual satisfaction or dissatisfaction. AIM: To examine and compare cognitive-emotional variables related to women's sexual dissatisfaction in Iran and New Zealand. METHODS: In total, 196 Iranian women and 207 New Zealand women participated in the study, answering questionnaires evaluating dysfunctional sexual beliefs, automatic thoughts, emotional and sexual response during sexual activity, as well as sexual satisfaction. OUTCOMES: Sexual beliefs were measured by the Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, thoughts and emotional responses were measured by the Sexual Modes Questionnaire, and sexual satisfaction was measured by the Sexual Satisfaction Index. RESULTS: Findings indicated that in both Iranian and New Zealand women, failure and disengagement thoughts, lack of erotic thoughts, and emotions of fear during sexual activity were significant predictors of sexual dissatisfaction. Besides these common predictors, results also indicated that sexual conservatism and women's sexual passivity beliefs, sexual abuse thoughts, and fear during sexual activity were significant predictors of sexual dissatisfaction in Iranian women. Beliefs of sexual desire and pleasure as a sin; age-related beliefs; and emotions such as sadness, disillusion, and hurt were significant predictors of sexual dissatisfaction in New Zealand women. CLINICAL TRANSLATION: The present findings could facilitate a better understanding of cultural differences in the roles played by dysfunctional sexual beliefs, negative automatic thoughts, and negative emotions during sexual activity, and the value of these beliefs, thoughts, and emotions in predicting sexual dissatisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The strength of this study is in providing an examination of the role of culturally bound beliefs in predicting sexual dissatisfaction in women from different cultural backgrounds. Limitations include the lack of evaluation of psychological and interpersonal variables that may impact on women's sexual dissatisfaction. These findings suggest that there may be a role of culture in shaping beliefs, attitudes, and values toward sexuality; and provide evidence for the effect of cognitive-emotional variables in predicting women's sexual dissatisfaction. Abdolmanafi A, Nobre P, Winter S, et al. Culture and Sexuality: Cognitive-Emotional Determinants of Sexual Dissatisfaction Among Iranian and New Zealand Women. J Sex Med 2018;15:687-697.

Determinants of Women's Sexual Dissatisfaction: Assessing a Cognitive-Emotional Model.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have demonstrated the role of sexual dysfunctional beliefs, negative automatic thoughts, and emotional responses in relation to sexual functioning. Nevertheless, no studies seem to have evaluated the role of these cognitive-emotional factors in determining sexual dissatisfaction. AIM: To test a cognitive-emotional model of sexual dissatisfaction in women. METHODS: In total, 207 women answered questionnaires assessing sexual dissatisfaction and cognitive and emotional variables that might affect sexual dissatisfaction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sexual dissatisfaction was measured by the Index of Sexual Satisfaction, sexual beliefs were measured by the Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, and thoughts and emotional responses were measured by the Sexual Modes Questionnaire. RESULTS: A path analysis was conducted to assess the conceptual model proposed. Results indicated that dysfunctional sexual beliefs work as predisposing factors by eliciting negative automatic thoughts and emotions, which impair the processing of erotic stimuli and interfere negatively with sexual satisfaction. CONCLUSION: This finding suggests a role for cognitive and emotional factors in predisposing and maintaining sexual dissatisfaction in women, suggesting relevant implications for intervention.

Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire (SDBQ): Translation and Psychometric Properties of the Iranian Version.

INTRODUCTION: The sexual dysfunctional beliefs questionnaire (SDBQ) is a validated measure for assessing dysfunctional sexual beliefs. AIMS: The aim of this study was to translate and validate the SDBQ to Iranian context. METHODS: In order to translate the questionnaire from English into Persian, a forward-backward procedure was applied. After linguistic validation, the psychometric properties of the Iranian version were assessed for both men and women. A total of 387 participants (226 women and 161 men) completed the SDBQ. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A principle component analysis with varimax rotation was performed for both the male and female samples. Reliability was evaluated by calculating Cronbach's alpha (internal consistency) and test-retest coefficients (intraclass correlation coefficient). RESULTS: The results from the principle component analysis identified six factors in the female version: sexual conservatism and female sexual passivity, beliefs about masturbation, body image beliefs, sexual desire and pleasure as a sin, age-related beliefs, and denying affection primacy. In the male version six factors were also identified: sex as an abuse of men's power, beliefs related to women's satisfaction, sexual conservatism, female sexual power, "macho" beliefs, and restrictive attitudes toward sex. Findings support the original six-factor solution for the male sample. For the female sample, although a six-factor solution was found, original motherhood-related beliefs were included in the sexual conservatism and female sexual passivity factor, and a new dimension has emerged, related to masturbation beliefs. Additionally, results indicated that the SDBQ had good internal consistency and test-retest reliability in both male and female versions. CONCLUSION: Current findings support the reliability and validity of the SDBQ in an Iranian sample and suggest its applicability to assess sexual beliefs in both clinical samples and the general population in Iran.

Risk factors associated with depressive symptoms among undergraduate students.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship of several cognitive and emotional variables including perfectionism, rumination, and attachment quality with depressive symptoms in a sample of Iranian undergraduate students. Two hundred and ninety nine undergraduate students (144 males, 156 females) from Urmia University of Technology, Urmia University, and Urmia University of Medical Sciences participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete Tehran Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (TMPS), Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The results demonstrated that insecurity of attachment, socially prescribed perfectionism, and rumination could significantly predict the depressive symptoms in undergraduate students. Confirming predictive risk factors of depressive symptoms, results of the present study can produce an empirical basis for designing educational and health programs for people at risk. Accordingly, proper assessment of the risk factors of depressive symptoms in health care settings may provide invaluable information for prevention and management programs.