Script Theory Research Articles

Changes in Adolescent Heterosexual Behaviors from the 1980s to the Present in Various Western Countries: A Systematic Review

Adolescence is a stage of significant intrapersonal and interpersonal changes, influenced by cultural and historical shifts. This study aims to analyze the changes in heterosexual behaviors among adolescents in Western countries over the past 50 years approximately. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA model, utilizing the online databases EBSCO, WoS, and Scopus, covering the period from 1980 to 2024, across ten European countries. The review focused on studies published in scientific journals with regional or national samples. In addition to the 30 selected studies, three more were included due to their relevance as cited in the selected articles. Despite the considerable methodological heterogeneity, the results showed a relative stabilization of the differences in sexual behaviors of boys and girls throughout time. Those differences were more evident in Southern European countries. Some changes were also noted, such as the delay in the initiation of the first sexual intercourse, a trend observed over the last decade. The findings are discussed in terms of the sexual script theory, highlighting the importance of these mental frameworks in the heteronormative sexual socialization of boys and girls. Future research should emphasize the diversity of heterosexual behaviors, their significance, and the emotional experiences that accompany them.

Rapping about pleasure: the role of Black women’s rap music in shaping Black women’s sexual attitudes

Black women’s sexuality has historically been constrained by stereotypes and a discourse focused on risks rather than pleasure. Early Black women rappers initiated vital conversations about sexual pleasure, with contemporary Black women rappers continuing to challenge norms and define Black women’s sexualities. Grounded in Hip-Hop Feminism and Sexual Script Theory, this study explores how Black women interpret and find meaning in sexual pleasure-focused lyrics in Black women’s rap music and how these interpretations shape their sexual self-concepts and navigation of systemic oppression. Through semi-structured interviews with 20 Black women aged 20–42 years who frequently listen to Black women rappers, thematic and discourse analysis identified three key themes: (a) prioritising sexual pleasure as a means of self-empowerment; (b) practising assertiveness as a means to achieving sexual pleasure; and (c) celebrating the body as an act of sexual pleasure. Black women rappers’ unapologetic discussion of sexual pleasure empowers Black women to reclaim sexuality on their own terms, independent of dominant societal narratives. This study extends existing literature on Hip-Hop Feminism by demonstrating the transformative potential of culturally relevant media in fostering sex-positive attitudes and advocates for incorporating these messages into sexual health education for Black women.

A script fogalma és gyakorlati alkalmazhatósága

The collection presents professional materials that draw attention to the applicability of the concept and theory of script to the analysis of the attitudes of individuals and social groups towards different issues. The materials presented illustrate that scripts are procedures, scenarios that people use in predetermined situations, and that these procedures are situation-dependent. The application of this approach from a rural development perspective is not yet widespread - it is more commonly used in the field of gender roles and sexual behaviour - but there are already rural sociological analyses that show how scripts can influence development experiments and existing practices. The examples and methodological considerations that can be found in the related literature can be interpreted and applied to the case of the Szeklerland, in relation to a range of social problems and groups.

A thin line between consent and abuse - Reflections on sexual experiences among Swedish young adults with intellectual disabilities.

Research shows that young adults with intellectual disabilities struggle to understand the social codes embedded in sexual situations. This may lead to an incomprehension of sexual consent, or when consenting to sex may lead to abuse. This qualitative study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of sexual experiences and perceptions about sexual consent among Swedish young adults with intellectual disabilities. The data comprise 22 semi-structured interviews with young adults aged 18-35 with intellectual disabilities, thematically analyzed using sexual script theory as a theoretical framework. Four themes emerged from the analysis: Setting the sexual scene, Sexual self-awareness, Sexual communication and the necessity of clarification and Striving for a balance. The results show that the participants had a variety of sexual experiences and challenges associated with sexual consent, but also an agency that favors sexual situations. Further research is necessary to understand the complexities of sexual consent in this population.

Extending sexual scripting theory through critical discursive psychology: An analytical approach to explore the performance of sexual identities

Sexual scripting theory, a widely used tool in sexuality research, was originally developed by Gagnon and Simon to illuminate the social nature of sexual practices and identity construction. Later, they sought to develop the theory further to align with a social constructionist perspective. However, vestiges of individualism and cognitivism haunt sexual scripting theory largely due to the use of the symbolic interactionist concept of performance. To address this, we draw on the performance–performativity approach in critical discursive psychology that develops the notion of performance from a discursive perspective and offers a way of extending sexual scripting theory that offers a truly social explication of sexual identity construction. We provide a practical illustration of this extended theorising, drawing on data from a project about young people’s online engagement with pornography. We demonstrate how developing the notion of sexual scripts as discursive resources that enable the performance of sexual identities allows us to illuminate the social and situated nature of identity construction. This framework enhances understanding of the process of sexual identity construction and provides a valuable tool for studying how broader sexual scripts that are sociohistorically specific provide a scaffolding for the ways an individual can construct sexual identities. Overall, this paper offers a valuable contribution to discursive scholarship in psychology by presenting a nuanced analytical framework that coheres with a constructionist, performative view of identity.

Preliminary Validation of a Clinical Reasoning Theory-Based Assessment Rubric: An e-Delphi Study.

Questions persist regarding the evaluation of cognitive processes related to clinical reasoning when resolving situations in a learning by concordance tool. This Delphi technique study aimed to validate a clinical reasoning assessment rubric based on script theory. Seventeen experts participated in the study. Two rounds of consultation were conducted to obtain a consensus on the accuracy and clarity of the rubric descriptors (clarity index and content validity index ≥ 0.9). The results inform future research procedures and the intended use of the rubric to facilitate evaluator inferences, provide student feedback, and support the development of learners' clinical reasoning.

Debriefing to nurture clinical reasoning in nursing students: A design-based research study

BackgroundStudents' clinical reasoning can be stimulated by guiding them to use their experiences with patients to develop own illness scripts. Debriefing during hospital shifts invites students to put patient experiences into words, link them to previously acquired knowledge and make connections. ObjectivesTo develop, implement and evaluate a debriefing procedure for nursing internships based on illness script theory and generate corresponding design principles. DesignQualitative design-based research. SettingClinical education in dedicated educational hospital units. ParticipantsNurse educators, nursing students. MethodsFrom a collaboration between nurse educators and a researcher, a short, peer-debriefing procedure was designed, tested and enacted through four cycles of planning, action, evaluation and reflection. Students drew mind maps about patients. Nurse educators and students joined focus group discussions to evaluate outcomes and processes. Mind map and iterative thematic analysis were applied to these data. ResultsAn adjusted design and more extensive design principles resulted. Differences in mind maps were evident over time. Three themes in the process evaluation were established: trigger to reason; energy giving and taking; and form follows function. ConclusionsThis design-based investigation displays how nurse educators could design and implement a debriefing procedure to facilitate students' clinical reasoning skills and how students could learn from this. This method integrates research, innovation and collaboration. The design and enactment under real-life hospital conditions generated design principles for educators and researchers which may be useful for those seeking to improve teaching and learning clinical reasoning in practice. More clarification is needed about the path from design through enactment to real change in practice.

How do different goals affect students' internal collaboration script configurations? Results of an epistemic network analysis study.

Research has suggested that how learners act in CSCL environments is considerably influenced by their internal collaboration scripts. These scripts are knowledge structures that reside in an individual's memory and consist of play, scene, scriptlet, and role components. In its "internal script configuration principle," the Script Theory of Guidance suggests that as learners work in a CSCL environment, these components are dynamically (re-)configured, and that this (re-)configuration is influenced by the goals of the individual learner. However, this principle has not yet been tested empirically. In this study, upon entering a CSCL environment, we therefore experimentally manipulated the goals that students pursued while learning. In one condition, we induced learning goals while in the other condition, no goals were induced. A total of 233 pre-service teachers collaborated in dyads on the task to analyze an authentic, problematic classroom situation by aid of educational evidence. We measured their internal scripts both at pre-test (i.e., before collaboration and before goal induction) and post-test (i.e., after collaboration and goal induction), focusing on the scriptlet level. Results show that goal induction had no effects on the kinds of scriptlets participants selected during collaboration. However, results from Epistemic Network Analysis show that learning goal induction led to significantly different combinations of scriptlets (especially to more relations between scriptlets that are indicative of pursuing learning goals) than no goal induction. Furthermore, participants from the learning goal induction acquired significantly more knowledge about educational theories and evidence than students from the control condition. This study is among the first to provide direct evidence for the internal script configuration principle and demonstrates the effectiveness of inducing learning goals as a scaffold to support students' knowledge acquisition processes in CSCL.

National stereotypes in the cross-cultural service encounter: empirical evidence from Vietnam

Purpose This study aims to investigate Vietnamese hotel workers’ use of national stereotypes in cross-cultural service encounters. The study extends the existing knowledge on service failures and recovery attempts by illustrating how national stereotypes could inform these decisions through the lens of the script theory. Design/methodology/approach In this qualitative study, 34 service providers were interviewed about their experience in dealing with guests from different countries in Vietnamese hotels. Findings Service providers categorised guests based on their countries of origin to predict their behaviour prior to guest arrivals. When the guest’s behaviour matches the expectations, the service encounters went smoothly by following existing scripts. If there is a discrepancy between the guest behaviours and expectations, it could lead to service failure and the need for new scripts. Appropriate interventions in this process could turn anecdotes into accumulated understanding of guest behaviour for better service and guest experience as a new application of national stereotypes. Originality/value This study advances cross-cultural service encounter research by integrating national stereotypes and script theory. It sheds new light on how national stereotypes could inform service delivery and recovery attempts in service organisations.

What theories can be used to study hospitality and tourism consumers in the post-pandemic era?

PurposeThis paper aims to highlight unconventional or underused theories that can be considered for the study of hospitality and tourism consumers. The authors discuss how these theories can be applied.Design/methodology/approachThis research paper is conceptual and descriptive in nature. The authors address the proposed theories by applying the Delphi method.FindingsTheories such as dramaturgical theory, persuasion theory, script theory, customer inspiration theory and segmented assimilation theory are underused but can be applied to studies of hospitality and tourism consumers’ behavior. They can be helpful for understanding various aspects of consumer behavior, such as their decision-making, motivations, attitudes and perceptions, in hospitality and tourism.Originality/valueConsumer behavior is more diverse and complex in the post-pandemic era. The authors draw attention to theories that are underused but have explanatory power with regards to hospitality and tourism consumers’ behaviors. These non-conventional theories can provide new theoretical perspectives and offer new insights.

Navigating Conflicting Ideals of Masculinity: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Male Partners of Women with Vulvodynia

ABSTRACT Vulvodynia, a long-term genital pain disorder with a high lifetime prevalence, profoundly impacts both the affected women and their partners. However, the experiences of these partners have been under-researched. Using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, this qualitative study explored the experiences of male partners of women with vulvodynia. In individual interviews with seven men (20–32 years), four themes were identified: “Trying to be a good and caring partner,” “Fear of sexual and emotional rejection,” “Feelings of insecurity and being misled,” and “Keeping up the façade.” Despite efforts to support their partners, the men often faced rejection, leading to insecurities about their attractiveness, the relationship’s future, and their ability to conform to social expectations. They coped by concealing insecurities from their partners and overemphasizing traditional masculinity among peers. We discuss these results using sexual script theory, suggesting that gendered sexual scripts play a significant role in relationships with vulvodynia, with prevailing cultural assumptions regarding masculinity challenging men’s ability to be simultaneously caring and sexual. As a result, the men found themselves negotiating two contrasting ideals associated with masculine behavior: those of good caregiver and assertive, virile sexual partner. Our research suggests that male partners of women with vulvodynia tend to be left alone to deal with the resulting ambivalence and distress. Supporting these men could benefit both parties in managing vulvodynia.

The Sexual Double Standard and Adolescent Stigma: A Sociometric and Comparative Approach

ABSTRACT This study applied a sociometric approach to examine the traditional sexual double standard within a sample of Dutch adolescents (N = 1,175; 53.8% females; M age = 14.75). Drawing on script theory and the key concept of social stigma, this study examined associations between self-reported sexual partnerships and three measures of peer preference: (1) received friendship nominations, (2) peer dislike nominations, and (3) perceived popularity. Results from ordinary least squares regressions support the traditional double standard, indicating that girls who report a higher number of self-reported sexual partners receive fewer friendships and more peer dislike nominations than boys reporting similar numbers of sexual partners. Sexual partnerships are positively associated with boys’ and girls’ perceived popularity. Using sociometric measures of peer stigma, we found evidence of a traditional sexual double standard in an adolescent sample from a liberal and gender egalitarian Western democracy, while also pointing to the potential status rewards associated with adolescent sexual behavior.

Why I revisit a historic town in Chengdu? Roles of cognitive image, affective image and memorable tourism experiences

PurposeBuilding upon the cognition-affect-behavior (CAB) model and script theory, this research aims to enrich the existing literature on historic town tourism consumption by offering empirical evidence of how the cognitive and affective images of historic towns contributes to tourists' memorable tourism experiences (MTE) and revisit intention, while identifying the cognitive image dimensions that are relevant for evaluating historic towns.Design/methodology/approachAn on-site survey was conducted with 486 local tourists who visited the historic towns in Chengdu. partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to assess both the measurement and structural models.Findings(1) Cognitive image emerged as a significant predictor of affective image; (2) Both cognitive image and affective image had a positive influence on MTE, in which cognitive image played a more dominant role in shaping MTE; (3) MTE was found to strongly predict revisit intention among tourists; (4) MTE and affective image mediated the relationship between cognitive image and revisit intention.Research limitations/implicationsThis research highlights the value of incorporating cognitive and affective constructs in predicting MTE, and the proposed integrated framework of the CAB model and script theory exhibits superior predictive power in understanding tourists' revisit intention.Practical implicationsThis research provides empirical insights about how historic towns improve their marketing strategies as short day-trip destinations.Originality/valueThis research provides a novel insight on the applicability of an integrated model combining the CAB model and script theory in explaining the revisit behavior of local tourists within the context of historic towns.

Turkish women's perception of low sexual desire, its causes and consequences: an online qualitative survey.

Background The nature of sexual desire is complex, and little phenomenological consensus exists about its meaning. Low sexual desire (LSD) is a commonly reported sexual difficulty among women, but it is less frequently associated with sexual distress. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore women's understanding of sexual desire, and their perceptions of factors that may contribute to LSD, its effects and their methods of seeking help. Methods The research employed a questionnaire with 12 open-ended questions, developed by the researchers based on sexual script theory. Data were collected from 165 heterosexual Turkish women who reported LSD, recruited through social media platforms between August and October 2021. The data were analysed using a contextual form of thematic analysis to identify and explore patterns. Results The ages of the participants ranged from 20 to 63years. The majority of participants held a Bachelor's degree (81.2%) and in a relationship (78.8%). Three main themes emerged from the study: (1) gendered messages concerning sex, (2) multi-level sexual desire, and (3) minimisation. The research revealed that women's sexual desire is often ignored and repressed, and has negative consequences if not expressed in socially acceptable contexts. The causes of LSD in women go beyond personal factors, and include relational and social influences. Women experiencing LSD report distressing effects on their relationships and general wellbeing, yet they tend not to seek help. Conclusions Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors impacting women's sexual desire and the barriers to seeking help.

Enabling circular economy practices in regional contexts: Insights from the UK Southwest

While much research has focused on embedding circular economy (CE) practices in urban contexts, there is growing interest in the opportunities and challenges of rural settings. Adopting a regional lens can account for local knowledge, collective practices and community memory, yet CE conceptualisations often lack both a place-based dimension and a consideration of regional stakeholders. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of various stakeholders, in driving the adoption and implementation of CE practices at a regional level. We do this through engagement with 31 participants from business, governance and community groups in a peripheral region situated in the Southwest of the UK. Using stakeholder theory and thematic analysis of interviews, participant observation and workshop scripts, we identify ‘influencers’ as a key stakeholder group leading the implementation of regional CE goals and practices. Furthermore, we highlight key barriers and enabling factors which underpin interactions among different stakeholder groups and discuss their implications for regional CE transition.

Blurred lines or Word crimes? On cognitive linguistic contributions to the study of musical parody by ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic

The paper argues for the multiple advantages of applying cognitive linguistic concepts and frameworks to the study of basic mechanisms and conceptual, pragmatic and social aspects of musical parody a as a polyvalent, flexible, multimodal phenomenon, understood both as a musical genre which revolves around replication or imitation of pre-existing music, and as a comedic statement utilizing the latter technique. Points of convergence, and important differences, between traditional concepts offered by the most influential linguistic theories of humour, viz. Raskin’s (1985) Semantic Script Theory of Humour and Attardo & Raskin’s (1991) General Theory of Verbal Humour, are addressed, with particular emphasis on how the status and treatment of concepts of incongruity and its resolution are accommodated within the interpretative frameworks of frame- shifting (Coulson, 2001) and Blending Theory (Fauconnier & Turner, 2002). Both emerge as useful heuristics offered within the cognitive linguistic paradigm and suggested as applicable to (multimodal) humour research. These are argued to encompass and cater for both the sequential and the (predominately) non-sequential aspects of incongruity resolution (Ritchie, 2009) underlying musical parodies as sources of humorous amusement. Further motivating factors for the development and appreciation of parodies as humorous stimuli, such as the role of (word) play and listener familiarity with the borrowed music are addressed by focusing on the description of the distinctive cognitive-cultural mechanisms and goals underlying the opus of a particular artist, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, by applying the abovementioned concepts and interpretative frameworks to the analysis of the techniques and goals behind his use of comedy music.

Dramaturgical Tricks in the Clementine Literature

The Clementine novel (written in the 4th century CE and set in the 1st century CE) incorporates a palette of comic features. Using the “Taxonomy of ” and the “Script Theory” developed by Attardo and Raskin within the framework of the General Theory of Verbal Humour, this essay examines some of these comic features, focussing on the so called “meta-textual comic” – i.e., the comic effect that uses a manipulation of the plot’s structure to elicit laughter from the reader.

Expanding Communication Expectations: Examining Audience Understanding of Scripts Through Fold and Swap Strategies

This entry presents cognitive-based strategies, called folds and swaps, communication professionals can use to introduce new concepts to different groups. A novel extension of prototype theory and script theory from cognitive psychology and linguistics, these strategies can help create messages that add, or fold, new ideas, activities, or items into existing processes. Communication professionals can also use these strategies to develop messaging that shifts, or swaps, the location individuals associate with performing different activities. Through an application of folds and swap strategies, communication professionals can help audiences contextualize new approaches to everyday activities.

“Too weak to fight, too scared to scream”: Understanding experiences of sexual coercion of Black female adolescents through digital storytelling

Black female adolescents are less frequently viewed as victims of violence or as agents of resistance. This study analyzed the experiences of sexual coercion of Black female adolescents on the South Side of Chicago through narrative scripts used to create digital stories. Using Sexual Script Theory and applying an intersectional lens, we analyzed a collection of 46 narrative transcripts from Black female youth, living on the South Side of Chicago, five of which specifically focused on the theme of sexual coercion. Under the broader theme of sexual coercion, the following subthemes were identified: (1) broken expectations of romance, (2) sex as a means of seeking attention from a male partner, (3) sex as a means of maintaining a partner, and (4) rape. By better understanding the social context of relationships for Black adolescent girls in heterosexual relationships, we may be able to better design sexual and reproductive health interventions for young women of color.

Tourism visual deception in “check-in tourism”: Value co-creation and co-destruction perspectives

social media has changed the way tourism-related information is generated and disseminated. Research has focused on the benefits of social media for tourism management while ignoring its drawbacks. Using script theory and service-dominant (S-D) logic, this study explores whether visual deception in tourism can lead to value co-creation and co-destruction. We conducted a thematic analysis of 190,000 words of textual data from 29 interviews on xiaohongshu and Weibo and found that tourism visual deception resulted in the dual outcomes of value co-creation and co-destruction by multiple stakeholders involved in a co-participation process. In addition, the study revealed two types of tourism visual deception interactions in check-in tourism: feedback and learning. Each type of interaction has the dual potential for value co-creation and co-destruction, depending on the consistency of the operating scripts. However, script inconsistency does not necessarily lead to value co-destruction. This paper highlights the important role of social media platforms for value recovery. When value co-destruction occurs, social media platforms, bloggers, and tourists actively engage in value recovery and adopt co-recovery strategies to transform value co-destruction into co-creation. Meanwhile, we have discovered that the service restoration mechanism primarily relies on the interplay between service remedies, types of failures, response speed, and tourists' emotions. Our findings provide important theoretical contributions and practical insights for tourism deception research and marketing practice.