Date of Award

2015

Degree Name

School Psychology

College

Graduate School of Education and Professional Development

Type of Degree

Ed.S.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Sandra S. Stroebel

Second Advisor

R. Vernon Haning

Third Advisor

R. Lanai Jennings

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine possible events or risk factors that occur during the critical period of learning, before age 18, that influence an individual to engage in exhibitionism or have urges to expose themselves. Anonymous data from 2,201 female participants were obtained using a computer-assisted self-administered questionnaire. Early experiences were examined to determine risk factors for ever having exposed themselves in a public place or ever having had urges to expose themselves in public places using logistic regression analysis. Many of the events that were identified as significant predictors for exhibitionism, such as seeing the mother nude before puberty, demonstrated the mother’s approval for engaging in such behaviors through her direct modeling of that behavior. Additional factors, such as looking at genitals and touching breasts, appeared to indicate that conditioning experiences increased the participants’ arousal and reinforced the behavior.

Subject(s)

Exhibitionism -- Research.

Indecent exposure -- Research.

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