Stages of Progression in Noncoital Sexual Interactions among Young Adolescents: An Application of the Mokken Scale Analysis

Abstract

This study attempted to test empirically the tenability of the assumption of a sequential pattern of involvement in noncoital sexual interactions among white Western adolescents, by following a cohort between the ages of 13 and 16 years. The results documented that even among 13-year-old adolescents, one can already examine variations in noncoital sexual interaction, and that the various items of noncoital sexual interactions can be reliably measured. The Mokken scale analysis yielded empirical evidence of a sequential pattern of involvement in such behaviour among adolescents. Furthermore, it suggested that in early adolescence, the development of intimate sexual relationships is a slow, experimental, and cumulative process. For most adolescents, this process involves experimentation and the passage of time. The five items of noncoital sexual interactions form a strong Mokken scale, and were significant predictors of the onset of sexual intercourse.