Advice givers rating the quality of their own advice messages during sex talk: testing Advice Response Theory

Advice givers are chosen on the basis that they provide valuable information on how to solve problematic issues. In sexual contexts, advice givers are chosen over romantic partners because they provide advice on how to manage sex in supportive environments. However, a lacuna in the sexual communication literature concerns how advice givers' perceptions influence the quality of their own advice messages. This communication theory-based project examined how advice givers' relational assessments, disclosure about sex, and perceived advice message features influence their own perceptions of advice quality. A total of 266 participants completed a survey developed based on the theoretical tenets of Advice Response Theory (ART). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Advice givers who perceived themselves as a credible source of information perceived that they gave better quality advice. Additionally, greater disclosures of advice givers' sexual experiences were positively associated with efficacy, feasibility, few limitations, positive face, and negative face. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.