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. 2014 Aug 1;26(3):1102-1113.
doi: 10.1007/s10826-013-9769-3.

Why Virginity Pledges Succeed or Fail: The Moderating Effect of Religious Commitment Versus Religious Participation

Antoinette M Landor  1 , Leslie Gordon Simons  2
Affiliations

Why Virginity Pledges Succeed or Fail: The Moderating Effect of Religious Commitment Versus Religious Participation

Antoinette M Landor et al. J Child Fam Stud. .

Abstract

Over the past two decades, virginity pledges have proliferated in the US, despite mixed results regarding their effectiveness. Few studies have examined possible mechanisms that may shed light on why pledges work for some individuals but not others. Using a sample of emerging-adults aged 18-24 years old (n = 1,380),we examine the influence of religiosity on pledge signing and adherence, specifically whether the effectiveness of pledges is moderated by religiosity. Findings show that while religious participation is positively associated with signing a pledge, there is amoderating effect of religious commitment. That is, when religious commitment is high, adherence to the pledge is greater. However, for pledge signers with low religious commitment, there are unintended negative consequences with regard to increased participation in risky sexual behaviors, whether compared to other people who signed the pledge who are equally committed to their religion or to individuals who have never taken such a pledge. Implications for research and policy are discussed.

Keywords: Emerging adults; Health behavior; Religiosity; Sexual behavior; Virginity pledges.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Religious commitment as a moderator between pledge signing and log odds of having had intercourse. Graph represents the Johnson–Neyman (J-N) technique for testing interactions. Shaded area identifies regions of significance (p ≤ 05) where the regression lines are significantly different from one another
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Religious commitment as a moderator between pledge signing and number of intercourse partners. Graph represents the Johnson–Neyman (J-N) technique for testing interactions. Shaded area identifies regions of significance (p ≤ 05) where the regression lines are significantly different from one another
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Religious commitment as a moderator between pledge signing and number of oral sex partners. Graph represents the Johnson–Neyman (J-N) technique for testing interactions. Shaded area identifies regions of significance (p ≤ 05) where the regression lines are significantly different from one another
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