Understanding Sexual Orientation Ambiguity: Perceptions of Transitional Impacts in the Context of a Relationship Dissolution

Elements of a person's sexual orientation develop and change across the lifespan, particularly as an individual experiences life transitions that may act as a catalyst for identity exploration. One major life transition may be the dissolution of a relationship (e.g. breaking up, divorce); however, less is known about how experiencing a relationship dissolution may relate to an individual's sexual identity, including their sexual orientation. This study explored ambiguity and uncertainty in an individual's sexual orientation identity after they experienced an impactful relationship dissolution. A sample of 493 participants who had experienced a relationship dissolution within the past two years completed measures of sexual orientation ambiguity, sexual orientation uncertainty, and perceived transitional impact of the relationship dissolution. Results from a structural equation model highlighted that a more impactful transition was significantly related to more sexual ambiguity around the participants' perceived sexual orientation but was not significantly associated with sexual orientation uncertainty. These findings highlight the connection between perceived transitional impact of relationship dissolutions and sexual orientation development across the lifespan, and the importance of identifying various areas of support for sexual changes, especially after an impactful relationship transition.