Ascolta
Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 15, Palermo, 90128, Italy.
e-Mail: matilda.famiglini@unipa.it
Education
- MSc in Psychology, Graduate School of Behavioural and Social Sciences. University of Groningen 2023
Current Positions
PhD Student in Health Promotion and Cognitive Sciences - FSE+ Regione Siciliana Scholarship
PhD project title and a short abstract
PhD project title
Gender Socialisation in Sexuality Development: The Role of Peers in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
Abstract
Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical periods for sexual development, during which young people construct beliefs, norms, and expectations about desire, relationships, and acceptable behaviour. These processes unfold within peer contexts, where shared meanings shape what is considered normal or appropriate for boys and girls. Grounded in Sexual Script Theory, this project focuses on the gender double standard, a gendered moral framework that evaluates similar sexual behaviours differently for boys and girls. The study examines how peer norms surrounding these gendered expectations relate to sexual agency, understood as a core life skill involving confidence in expressing desire, setting boundaries, making autonomous decisions, and feeling entitled to pleasure.
The project begins with a systematic review synthesising recent quantitative research on peer norms in relation to adolescent sexual outcomes. Subsequently, a mixed-method design will be implemented in the UK and Italy. In the UK, a qualitative vignette study with adolescent best-friend pairs will explore how gendered peer norms are constructed and enforced. Findings will inform a quantitative dyadic study using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to test how endorsement of heterosexual scripts relates to sexual agency within friendships. Italy, a complementary survey with university students will examine similar associations, extending the investigation into emerging adulthood and broader peer contexts.
Supervisor: Prof. Cristiano Inguglia
Curriculum Vitae
Main research areas of interest
Developmental Psychology and Social Development; Adolescent and Emerging Adult Sexuality Development ; Gender Double Standard and Sexual Script Theory; Peer Norms and Gender Socialisation ; Sexual Agency and Sexual Subjectivity; Interpersonal and Dyadic Processes;Mixed-Methods Design
Researcher ID
0828968
