SEXUAL REGRET IN EMERGING ADULTHOOD: FAMILIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICTORS AMONG NIGERIAN TERTIARY STUDENTS

##article.authors##

  • Adebunmi O. Oyekola Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Toro Adeniyi-Adeyinka Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

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https://doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v9i2.2253

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sexual regret##common.commaListSeparator## emerging adulthood##common.commaListSeparator## adverse childhood experience##common.commaListSeparator## impulsivity##common.commaListSeparator## Nigeria

##article.abstract##

Sexual regret has emerged as a meaningful indicator of psychosocial adjustment during emerging adulthood because it reflects how past sexual experiences are evaluated in relation to personal values, identity development, and relationship expectations. Despite growing international interest in the construct, little is known about its developmental and psychological correlates in sub-Saharan Africa. Guided by Emerging Adulthood Theory, this study examined the relationships among parent–adolescent relationship quality, religiosity, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), impulsivity, depression, life values, and sexual regret among emerging adults in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Using a cross-sectional survey design, 360 sexually experienced emerging adults (192 males, 168 females; M = 21.09 years, SD = 3.57) completed standardized measures of the study variables. Pearson correlations, hierarchical multiple regression, and hierarchical moderated regression analyses were conducted. Sexual regret was positively associated with impulsivity and negatively associated with ACEs. Hierarchical regression showed that proximal psychological characteristics explained significant additional variance in sexual regret beyond distal developmental and familial influences (ΔR² = .042, p = .001). In the final model, impulsivity positively predicted sexual regret, whereas ACEs negatively predicted sexual regret. Parent–adolescent relationship quality, religiosity, depression, and life values were not significant independent predictors, and gender did not moderate the relationships between ACEs, impulsivity, and sexual regret. The findings suggest that sexual regret is shaped by both distal developmental and familial influences and proximal psychological characteristics during emerging adulthood. The inverse association between ACEs and sexual regret is consistent with theoretical accounts proposing altered emotional processing following childhood adversity, although this mechanism requires direct empirical investigation. The findings highlight the potential value of trauma-informed sexual health education and self-regulation-focused interventions within university counselling and campus health services.

##submission.authorBiographies##

  • ##submission.authorWithAffiliation##

    Adebunmi Oyekola, PhD, is a developmental psychologist and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Her research focuses on child and adolescent development, with particular interests in early adversity, resilience, self-regulation, family and peer relationships, and psychosocial well-being in African contexts. Her work seeks to advance culturally informed developmental science and translate research evidence into interventions, educational practice, and policy for improving child and adolescent outcomes. Her handles are:

    https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=hNKNcDgAAAAJ

    https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0449-7037

    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Adebunmi-Oyekola

  • ##submission.authorWithAffiliation##

    Toro Adeniyi-Adeyinka, MEd, holds a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology with a specialization in Adolescent Psychology and Youth Counselling. Her research interests focus on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. She is passionate about promoting positive youth development through research and evidence-informed psychological interventions.

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##submissions.published##

2023-10-25

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##issue.vol## 9 ##issue.no## 2 (2023)

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