Abstract
Authors examined self-efficacy to motivate abstinent behavior (among youth) in a sample of instructors teaching abstinence-only-until-marriage education in Texas (N = 104). Sixty-one percent of the sample had been trained/certified to teach abstinence education. Instructors (mostly female and White) were more confident motivating students to maintain abstinent behavior than motivating change from sexual activity to abstinence (t = 9.354, df = 97). Regression modeling revealed “age” and “beliefs that abstinence education is theory-based” as significant predictors of confidence to motivate both abstinence maintenance and change. Additionally, ethnicity ]being non-white (β = -.234, p = .030)] significantly predicted confidence to motivate behavior change.