Sexual Communication with Parents and Peers [Research Assistant]

Professor: Katrina Pariera
Department: Organizational Sciences and Communication
Title: Sexual Communication with Parents and Peers
Description: I have two related research projects that require additional assistance. One study, “Critical Moments In Sexual Communication: Young Women’s Memories Of Mother-Daughter Sexual Communication” is a content analysis of the messages young women remember receiving from their mothers about sexuality. This project will assess dimensions of successful and unsuccessful sexual communication from parents. The data for this study has been collected, but because it is a content analysis I need a research assistant to help me develop and assess codes. The second project, “A Diary Study of Daily Sexual Communication Among Emerging Adults” is an evaluation of everyday discussions with friends, partners, parents, and colleagues about sex and sexuality. The data for this study has also been collected, but not yet analyzed. A research assistant would help with content analysis development and coding.
Duties: My research assistant would mostly help with developing codes for content analysis, then coding data. This entail reading through data (in this case, research participants’ comments) and analyzing patterns among them. We would work together to come up with a set of codes. The research assistant would then go through each response and apply the appropriate code. For example, the research assistant and I might determine that many participants recall their mother emphasizing the importance of saving one’s virginity for marriage. The research assistant would then go through each statement and indicate whether or not this code applies.
Note. I have indicated that this could be a 1-credit opportunity. However, this is flexible and I am open to offering more credit and providing more work on these projects.
Time commitment: 1-3 hours per week (average)
Credit hour option*: 1
Submit Cover Letter/Resume to: klp@gwu.edu
*If credit is sought, all registration deadlines and requirements must be met.  Students selected to be research assistants should contact Mary Rothemich at rothemich@gwu.edu whether they intend to pursue credit or not.