Understanding Sexual Orientation Ambiguity
Perceptions of Transitional Impacts in the Context of a Relationship Dissolution
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19215523 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Grace A O’Toole (0009-0000-5582-155X, Kansas State University), Peyton Woods (Kansas State University), Kristin M Anders (0000-0001-7512-2318, Kansas State University, corresponding author), Jared Durtschi (Kansas State University), Anthony J Ferraro (0000-0002-8732-5662, Kansas State University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-9 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Sex Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-4499 • E-ISSN: 1559-8519 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00224499.2026.2662945 |
| PMID | 42090595 |
| OpenAlex | W7160402012 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 50 |
Elements of a person's sexual orientation develop and change across the lifespan, particularly as an individual experiences life transitions that may act as a catalyst for identity exploration. One major life transition may be the dissolution of a relationship (e.g. breaking up, divorce); however, less is known about how experiencing a relationship dissolution may relate to an individual's sexual identity, including their sexual orientation. This study explored ambiguity and uncertainty in an individual's sexual orientation identity after they experienced an impactful relationship dissolution. A sample of 493 participants who had experienced a relationship dissolution within the past two years completed measures of sexual orientation ambiguity, sexual orientation uncertainty, and perceived transitional impact of the relationship dissolution. Results from a structural equation model highlighted that a more impactful transition was significantly related to more sexual ambiguity around the participants' perceived sexual orientation but was not significantly associated with sexual orientation uncertainty. These findings highlight the connection between perceived transitional impact of relationship dissolutions and sexual orientation development across the lifespan, and the importance of identifying various areas of support for sexual changes, especially after an impactful relationship transition
Context (archaeology) · Orientation (vector space) · Perception · Perspective (graphical) · Sexual orientation · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
Sexual Identity as a Universal Process
Data quality in online human-subjects research
Sexual Orientation Identity Development Milestones Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer People
Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis
Minority stressors, protective factors and mental health outcomes in lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the UK
Resolving relationship dissolution—What predicts emotional adjustment after breakup
Polyamory, monoamory, and sexual fluidity
The Threatened Identity
The Emergence and Development of Life Course Theory
Identity continuity and loss after death, divorce, and job loss
Interpersonal emotion regulation during relationship conflict
Defining and Measuring Self-Concept Change
Partners and prejudice
Identity resilience
Identity resilience, social support and internalised homonegativity in gay men
Identity Transformation During the Transition to Parenthood Among Same‐Sex Couples
Constructions of Sexual Identities in the Ageing Body
Identity as Resistance
Questioning Gender and Sexual Identity
Identity Change
Reassessing Chronic Strain
Explaining Diversityin the Development of Same‐Sex Sexuality Among Young Women
A New Paradigm for Understanding Women's Sexuality and Sexual Orientation
"Mostly straight" young women
Female bisexuality from adolescence to adulthood
Development, reliability, and validity of the Measure of Sexual Identity Exploration and Commitment (Mosiec)
Minority Stress and Drinking
Female Same-Sex Sexuality from a Dynamical Systems Perspective
Prevalence and Stability of Self-Reported Sexual Orientation Identity During Young Adulthood
Gender and Binegativity
Stability and Change in Sexual Orientation Identity Over a 10-Year Period in Adulthood
Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures
Negotiating social identity when contexts change
Development and validation of ego-identity status
The Life Course as Developmental Theory
Romantic involvement and mental health in sexual and gender minority emerging adults assigned female at birth
Working With Missing Values
The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children
Re-considering Re-partnering
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |