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Adolescent Wishful Identification With Risky Media Characters and the Co-Occurrence of Alcohol Use and Sexual Behavior

Mon, May 29, 17:00 to 18:15, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Floor: 3, Aqua 305

Abstract

Approximately one in five sexually active adolescents consumes alcohol or drugs shortly before or during sexual behavior. The influence of media exposure on adolescent risk behaviors is documented, but behavioral combinations such as alcohol use and sexual activity remain understudied. The present study examines the exposure-behavior relationship using the context of TV portrayal of co-occurrence of both alcohol use and sexual behavior, and tests whether adolescent involvement with characters that engage in co-occurring sex and alcohol use onscreen may influence their likelihood of emulating that behavioral combination. Prototype perceptions for the type of person who engages in the combination of alcohol and sex is the hypothesized mediator. Results suggest that wishful identification with a media character who models the combination of alcohol and sex is associated with more positive prototype perceptions of people who behaviorally combine alcohol and sex, and those perceptions are associated with adolescents’ combining alcohol and sex.

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