Personality trait preferences for best friends and romantic partners in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse

Date of Award

2011

Degree Name

M.A. in Clinical Psychology

Department

Department of Psychology

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Carolyn Roecker Phelps

Abstract

The objective of the present research was to provide a broader examination of the association between maladaptive interpersonal relationships and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) by examining women's personality preferences for best friends and romantic partners. This study used the Q-Method statistical procedure to examine the association between childhood sexual abuse and adult impersonal difficulties. Women college students at the University of Dayton (N = 75) rated forty personality traits on a scale from least to most desired in a best friend and again for a romantic partner. The results revealed that women with a history of CSA showed marginally greater error variance in ther preferences for romantic partners compared to women without a CSA history.

Keywords

Sexually abused girls Psychology, Interpersonal relations Psychological aspects, Man-woman relationships Psychological aspects, Female friendship, Abused children, Women Psychology

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2011, author

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