Early Maladaptive Schemas in Women with Sexual Dysfunctions ...

Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 12 (9): 1245-1249, 2012
ISSN 1990-9233
© IDOSI Publications, 2012
DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2012.12.9.365
Early Maladaptive Schemas in Women with
Sexual Dysfunctions and Normal Women
1 2
A. Abolghasemi and A. Kiamarsia
1
University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2
Department of Clinical Psychology, Ardabil branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran
Abstract: The purpose of the present research was to compare of early maladaptive schemas in women with
sexual dysfounctions and normal women. This research is a causal-comparative study. The research sample
consisted of 120 women with sexual dysfounctions that visited psychitry clinics in Ardabil and 120 normal
women which were selected through voluntarily sampeling. To collect the data, Yaung Schemas Inventory was
used. Data was analyzed using MANOVA. The results show that women with sexual dysfounctions have grater
early maladaptive schemas, than healthy women. The findings of important implications is about prevention,
therapy and services of counseling for women of sexual dysfounctions.
Key words: Early maladaptive schemas
Sex dysfounction
INTRODUCTION
disturbance. In the study, no relation was found between
sexual problem prevalence and age [4] or low sexual
Sexual concerns are very common among function and menopause [5]. In Melbourne Women’s
menopausal women. Low sexual functions in women is Midlife Health Project, reduced frequency of sexual
multifactorial, influenced by attitudes towards activity and painful sexual activity was determined only in
menopause and aging, changes in body image, 31% of women inmenopausal ages [6].
state of health, stress, fatigue, medications, substance In the Massachusetts Women’s Health Study, it was
abuse, relationship issues, psychological health, partner’s concluded that aging and menopause affect sexual
sexual function, prior sexual health, flexibility or rigidity function less than alteration in general and mental health
with respect to sexual activity and ability to adapt to [7, 8]. Pearce and Hawton [9] indicated that the reasons
changes associated with age or illness and the hormonal and the exact features of sexual symptoms observed
milieu [1].
during menopause-loss of sexual interest, infrequency of
Among women 33% reported lack of sexual desire, sexual activity, vaginal dryness, dysparenia, reduction of
19% had difficulty with lubrication and 24% were unable sexual desire, decrease of orgasm-should be investigated
to reach reported difficulties among men included in detail. In Turkish society, an irrelevant belief exists
climaxing too early (29%), sexual performance anxiety supposing that sexual life of women ends forever with the
(17%) and low sexual desire (16%). Whereas 10% of all menopausal period [10]. In Iran, Yeke-Falah and Goodarzi
men surveyed reported significant erectile difficulties, [11] surveying the sex dysfuncthion in married women
prevalence rates increased with age-with more than 20% found that the demons trations of sex disorders were %89
of men over age 50 reporting erectile problems. Hence, the including %41 of sexual desire disorde. Beloorian and
sexual dysfunctions are perhaps one of the most common Ganjlo [12] demonstrated that there was a significant
yet underreported of the Diagnostic and Statistical correlation between sex intercourse and sexual
Manual of Mental Disorders [2].
dysfunctions.
Some clinical studies on menopause have reported Early maladaptive schemas operate on the deepest
that marital problems and sexual problems are in high level of cognition, usually outside of awareness and make
prevalence. Gonzales, Viafara, Caba and Molina [3] the individual psychologically vulnerable to develop
determined that sexual disturbance was seen by 50.3% of depression, anxiety, dysfunctional relationships, exual
the subjects in one out of domains of sexual function disorders, addiction and psychosomatic disorders [13].
Corresponding Author: A. Abolghasemi, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
1245

Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 12 (9): 1245-1249, 2012
When a schema is triggered, the individual may others’ needs, with male-to-female transsexuals
respond to it with a maladaptive coping style (e.g., conceptualizing themselves also as more vulnerable and
overcompensation, avoidance, surrender) that deficient than controls.
perpetuates the schema [14]. Early maladaptive schemas In view of the above, the present study
are thought to be trait-like [15] in that they are stable over attempted to extend or improve upon the previous
time. Recently, this assumption has been supported by research in one way. Due to the relative neglect in
empirical findings showing high stability correlations over psychology, the research that comparison of early
a 2.5-5 year interval despite significant changes in maladaptive schemas of women with sexual
depression severity [16]. However, an early maladaptive dysfounctions and normal women, could prove useful.
schemas is not necessarily activated at every moment. In To begin the study, we anticipated that women with
order to account for rapid shifts in emotional state, e.g., in sexual dysfounctions have grater early maladaptive
patients suffering from borderline or antisocial personality schemas than normal women .
disorder [17].
Oliveir and Nobre [18] showed that is strong
MATERIALS AND METHODS
correlations between sexual functioning and positive
affect, cognitive schemas (deprivation, defectiveness/ Participants: This research is a causal-comparative study.
shame, vulnerability to danger and subjugation) and This study included 120 women with sexual
different psychopathology dimensions. Women less dysfounctions that visited psychiatry clinics in Ardabil
sexually functional presented significant higher levels and examinating according to DSM-IV criteria [24]. The
of positive affect during sexual activity and higher levels comparison group of 120 normal women deemed eligible
of insufficient self-control, emotional inhibition, social if they were reported no current or previous history of
isolation, abandonment, emotional deprivation and sexual disorders or psychiatric complaints during
incompetence schemas, when compared with a sexually screening for study eligibility. The sample covered an age
functional group. Nobre [19] showed that patterns of range of 30-50 years (mean=39.5 years; SD=8.4 years).
association and overlapping among the different sexual
dysfunction in men and women indicated high Instruments: The Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (SQcorrelations
between all dimensions of sexual functioning. SF; Young) measures 15 early maladaptive schemas [25].
The study of Bradford and Meston [20] showed that trait The scales consist of the five items with the highest
anxiety and anxiety sensitivity were correlated with self- loadings on the 15 factors that emerged in a factor
reported sexual arousal outside the laboratory. Balc, analysis of the long form of the SQ [26]. EMS are grouped
Guls_CSozer, Engun and Kukulua [21] found that in five broad domains: disconnection and rejection
depression was determined in 29.3% of women and sexual (abandonment, mistrust, emotional deprivation,
dysfunction in 65% of women. Significant negative defectiveness and social isolation), impaired autonomy
relation was found between sub-dimension of sexual and performance (dependence, vulnerability, enmeshment
function scale of women vaginal slickness, orgasm, pain, and failure), impaired limits (entitlement and insufficient
total sexual dysfunction and depression point. The results self-control), other-directedness (subjugation, selfof
study Donaghue [22] showed that body satisfaction sacrifice and approval-seeking) and overvigilance and
and dimensions of women’s actual sexual self-schemas inhibition (negativity, emotional inhibition, unrelenting
predicted satisfaction with life, positive and negative standards and punitiveness). Respondents are asked to
affect. The relationships between body satisfaction and rate statements on a six point Likert scale from
both positive affect and satisfaction with life were “completely untrue of me” to “describes me perfectly”.
partially mediated by the positive dimensions of sexual The SQ-SF has in different studies shown adequate
self-schemas. Simon, Zsolt, Fogd and Czobor [23] reliability, validity in predicting psychopathology and
showed that subjects with gender identity disorder factor structure [27, 28]. Cronbach’s alphas for the various
demonstrated a level of psychiatric distress comparable to subscales at the two different assessments varied from. 85
that of controls. They did display elevated scores, to. 95 [29]. In Iran, Ghyasi and et al [30] Cronbach’s
however, on multiple early maladaptive schemas alphas reported for the various subscales at the two
compared to nontranssexual subjects, indicating feelings different assessments varied from. 60 to. 86. The
of isolation, emotional deprivation and an urge to meet concurrent validity was of. 64.
1246

Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 12 (9): 1245-1249, 2012
Procedure: Participants were selected from among the
women with sexual disorders and normal women of the
among psychiatry centers. Each subject completed the
questionnaire and returned it to the researcher. The
questionnaires took approximately 45 minutes to
complete. The study measures were administrated in the
following order: The Young Schema Questionnaire.
RESULTS
Table 1 shows the Mean and Standard Deviation, for
early maladaptive schemas in in wamen with sexual
dysfounctions and normal normal. As demonstrated in
table 1, the mean scores of early maladaptive schemas
were 202.25 in normal women and in normal women 65.71.
The research [31] demonstrating the mean over 3 in each
subscale as an indecative of maladaptive schemas, was
used to determine the early maladaptive schemas in
women with sexual dysfounctions and normal women.
The results indicates that are early maladaptive schemas
of emotional deprivation, abandonment/ instability, social
isolation / alienation, failure, enmeshment/undevelopedself,
self-sacrifiee, Subjugation, emotional inhibition,
unrelenting Standards/ hypercriticalness,
emtitlement/grandiosity and insufficient self-disipline in
with sexual dysfounctions.
Table 1: Means and standard deviations of early maladaptive schemas in
wamen with sexual dysfounctions and normal women
normal women
frigid women
---------------------------- ----------------------------
Variable M SD M SD
ED 2.25 1.15 3.03 1.31
AI 2.41 1.09 3.16 1.10
MA 1.96 1.05 2.60 .85
SI 1.95 1.08 3.02 1.06
DS 2.21 1.18 2.97 1.38
F 2.25 1.21 3.42 1.47
DI 1.70 .96 2.37 .77
VH 1.88 .95 2.73 1.13
EU 2.05 .94 3.20 1.09
SS 1.92 .85 33.3 1.29
SB 2.47 1.38 3.41 1.22
EI 2.08 1.19 3.35 1.11
US 2.39 1.27 3.82 .93
EG 2.32 1.26 3.61 .97
IS 2.34 1.34 3.77 .86
total 65.71 9.59 202.25 28.21
Emotional Deprivation (ED), Abandonment/Instability (AI), Mistrust/Abuse
(MA), Sicial Isolation/Alienation (SI), Defectiveness/Shame (DS), Failure
(F), Dependence/Incompetence(DI), Vulnerability to Harm or Illness (VH),
Enmeshment /Undeveloped-Self(EU, Self-Sacrifices(SS), Subjugation(SB),
Emotional Inhibition(EI), Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness(US),
Entitlement/Grandiosity(EG), Insufficient Self-Contorol/Self-discipline(IS)
Table 2: Results of MANOVA analyses of early maladaptive schemas in
women with sexual dysfounctions and normal women
Variable SS df MS F Sig
ED 487.72 1 487.72 12.56 .000
AI 443.12 1 443.12 13.91 .000
MA 340.64 1 340.64 13.96 .000
SI 833.23 1 833.23 28.6 .000
DS 431.22 1 431.22 9.95 .000
F 918.45 1 918.45 19.61 .000
DI 263.77 1 263.77 14.02 .000
VH 497.95 1 497.95 17.42 .000
EU 747.19 1 747.19 26.60 .000
SS 1228.09 1 1228.09 38.88 .000
SB 573.84 1 573.84 13.88 .000
EI 1102.02 1 1102.02 31.85 .000
US 1477.81 1 1477.81 50.22 .000
EG 1205.70 1 1205.70 39.09 .000
IS 1518.37 1 1518.37 49.24 .000
The significance test of MANOVA showed that there
is a significant difference between women with sexual
dysfounctions and normal women at least one of the
dependent variables (Wilks’ lambda=0.792, F=27.25,
P=0.001).
The MANOVA results showed that there were
significant differences between the emotional deprivation
(F=12.56), abandonment /instability (F=13.91),
mistrust/abuse (F=13.96), sicial isolation/alienation
(F=28.6), defecticness/shame (F=9.95), failure (F=19.61),
dependence/incompetence (F=14.02), vulnerability to
harm or illness (F=17.42), self sacrifice (F=38.88),
enmeshment/undeveloped-self (F=26.60), subjugation
(F=13.88), emotional inhibition (F=31.85), unrelenting
standards/hypercriticalness (F=50.22),
entitlement/grandiosity (F=39.09) and insufficient selfcontorol/self-discipline
(F=49.24) in frigid and normal
women (P

Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 12 (9): 1245-1249, 2012
relatives. The results approve the findings of Oliveir and those of other researchers. Oliver and norbe come to
Nobre [18], Nobre [19] and Zsolt, Fogd and Czobor [23]. conclusion that unlike healthy women, those with sexual
The maladoptive schema of emotional deprivation dysfounctions experiencod move anxiety, stress,
in women with sexual dysfunction was consideed as an depression, emotional inhibition and insufficient selfimportant
variable, since they feel misunderstarding, lack control [18].
of sympathy, defectiveness and lack of support by their In conclusion, the results from the present study
husbomds affecting their sex relationships. The support of role of early maladaptive schemas on women
maladoptive schema of social isolation/alienation was sexual dysfunctions. This study provides significant
another determining variable. Women with sex findings about the presence of early maladaptive schemes
dysfunctions feel more isolation and alienation.
and sexual dysfunctions risk factors and its awareness in
The results of the study showed that the mean of the studied population. In order to investigate emotive
failure scheme in women with sexual dysfounctions is and cognitive dimensions of this problem in detail,
significantly great than normal women (p

Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 12 (9): 1245-1249, 2012
11. Yeke-Falah, L. and M.R. Goodarzi, 2004. 23. Simon, L., U. Zsolt, D. Fogd and P. Czobor, 2011.
Sexual Disorders and Effective Factors of in its. Dysfunctional Core Beliefs, Perceived Parenting
6th Congress Women in Iran, pp: 514-516.
Behavior and Psychopathology in Gender Identity
12. Beloorian, Z. and J. Ganglo, 2007. Sexual Disorders Disorder: A Comparison of Male-to-Female,
and Some of Effective Related to its in Halthy Centers Female-to-Maletranssexual and Nontranssexual
of Sabzevar City. Fertility andInfertility Faslnameh, Control Subjects. J. Behav. Ther. and Exp. Psychiat,
8(2): 163-170. 42(1): 38-45.
13. Young, J.E., 1999. Cognitive Therapy for Personality 24. American Psychiatric Association, 1994.
Disorders: A Schema-Focused Approach (3rd ed.). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Exchange.
(4th ed.). Washington, DC.
14. Young, J.E., J.S. Klosko and M. Weishaar, 2003. 25. Young, J.E., 2000. Young Parenting Inventory (YPI)
Schema Therapy: A practitioner’s Guide. New York: (On-line). New York: Cognitive Therapy Centre.
Guilford Publications.
Available From: http://www.schematherapy.com.
15. Weishaar, M.E. and A.T. Beck, 2006. 26. Schmidt, N.B., T.E. Joiner, J.E. Young and M.J. Telch,
Cognitive Theory of Personality and Personality 1995. The Schema Questionnaire: Investigation of
Disorders. In S. Strack (Ed.), Differentiating normal Psychometric Properties and the Hierarchical
and abnormal personality (2nded.). (pp: 113e135) New Structure of a Measure of Maladaptive Schemas.
York: Springer. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 19(2): 295-301.
16. Riso, L.P., S.E. Froman, M. Raouf, P. Gable, 27. Waller, G., R. Shah, V. Ohanian and P. Elliott, 2001.
R.E. Maddux and N. Turini-Santorelli, 2006. Core Beliefs in Bulimia Nervosa and Depression:
The long-term Stability of Early Maladaptive the Discriminant Validity of Young’s
Schemas. Cognitive Therapy and Research, Schema-Questionnaire. Behavior Therapy,
30(3): 515-529. 32: 139-153.
17. Lobbestael, J., A. Arntz and S. Sieswerda, 2005. 28. Hoffart, A., H. Sexton, L.M. Hedley, C.E. Wang,
Schema Modes and Childhood Bbuse in Borderline H. Holthe and J.A. Haugum, 2005. The Structure of
and Antisocial Personality Disorders. Journal of Maladaptive Schemas: A Confirmatory Factor
Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Analysis and a Psychometric Evaluation of
36(2): 240-253. Factor-Derived Scales. Cognitive Therapy and
18. Oliver, C. and P. Nobre, 2008. Female Sexual Research, 29(3): 627-644.
Dysfunction: Therole of Schemas and Affect. 29. Wang, E.A., M. Halvorsen, M. Eisemann and
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, K. Waterloo, 2010. Stability of Dysfunctional
TOP-O-38.
Attitudes and Early Maladaptive Schemas: A 9-Year
19. Nobre, P., 2000. Psychological Variablsin Male Follow-Up Study of Clinically Depressed Subjects.
Ssexual Dysfunction: Cognitive Schemas and J. Behav. Ther. and Exp. Psychiat, 41(2): 389-396.
Personality. Journal Sexologies, Top-O., pp: 130. 30. Ghiyasi, L., H. Molavi, H.T. Neshat-doost and
20. Bradford, A. and C.M. Meston, 2006. The Impact of M. Mjhgan, 2008. The Factor Structure Study of Farsi
Anxiety on Sexual Arousal in Women. Version of Young Schema Questionnaire-S3 in Two
Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(4): 1067-1077. Groups of Clinical and Non-Clinical Samples.
21. Balc, H., P. Yang n, E. Guls, A. Sozera, S. Nazik and Journal of Psychological Achievements, Inpress.
K. Kukulu, 2008. The Relationship Between 31. Nordal, A., M. Hans, H. Holth and A. Ion, 2005.
Bepression and Sexual Function in Menopause Early Maladaptive Schemas in Potient With or
Beriod. Maturitas, 61(2): 233-237.
Without Personality Disorders. Clinical Psychology
22. Donaghue, N., 2009. Body Satisfaction, and Psychotherapy, 12(1): 142-149.
Sexual Self-Schemas and Subjective Well-Being in
Women. Body Image, 6(1): 37-42.
1249