Linking Risky Sex and Personality Traits to Positive and Negative Consequences of Sex for Young Adults

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Sex, Gender

Abstract

Early adulthood is associated with high levels of risky sexual behaviors which can have negative consequences for physical health. The implications of risky sex for psychological consequences of risky sex, both negative and positive are less well understood. Risky sexual practices have been linked to more negative psychological consequences such as guilt (Vasilenko, Lefkowitz, & Maggs, 2012). In contrast, associations between risky sex and positive consequences (e.g., self-affirmation, physical satisfaction) have received less attention. In addition, personality traits, especially sensation seeking and self-regulation, may contribute to both positive and negative psychological consequences of sex. Sensation seeking, which is associated with engaging in a broad array of sexual behavior including risky practices (Donohew et al., 2000), should be positively associated with negative consequences, whereas self-regulation (i.e., “sexual self-restraint”) should limit negative consequences by inhibiting impulsive behavior. Moreover, these personality traits might moderate the association between risky sex and negative consequences: specifically, individuals with more sexual self-restraint might act in ways that mitigate the effects of risky sex. To investigate these issues, this study examined the relations of risky sex, sensation seeking, and self-regulation to negative and positive psychological consequences of sex.

Participants were 301 young adults ages 18-22 years (M = 19.52, SD = 1.23) recruited from two public universities in the U.S. (59.1% from Site 1; 84.4% female; 86.8% European American); 90% reported being mostly or entirely heterosexual. Respondents completed anonymous online surveys. Risky sex in the last year was represented by a composite of six high-risk behaviors (e.g., sex with a stranger), having 3 or more sexual partners, consistency of condom use, and a composite of these eight indicators. Negative consequences (e.g., felt that you harmed your reputation), positive consequences (e.g., felt physically satisfied), sensation seeking, and sexual self-restraint were assessed with pre-existing measures.

Multiple regression was used to predict negative and positive consequences, respectively. Each model controlled for race, age, gender, site, and annual frequency of sex. Results indicated that less sexual self-restraint was associated with more negative consequences of sex (Table 1). Furthermore, a significant interaction between number of partners and sensation seeking revealed that having more partners predicted increased negative consequences more strongly for youth with low sensation seeking than for youth with high sensation seeking; a trend level interaction indicated that youth with lower levels of self-regulation experienced more negative consequences than those with high self-regulation, especially when condom use was high (Figure 1a, 1b). Results for positive consequences revealed that higher levels of sensation seeking predicted more positive consequences of sex; there were no significant interaction effects.

It appears that, as expected, risky sexual practices lead to more negative psychological consequences, whereas sexual self-restraint reduces the frequency of negative consequences. In contrast, sensation seeking, but not sexual self-restraint, appears to contribute to positive consequences of sex. Young adults with high levels of sensation seeking may focus on the rewarding aspects of sexual experiences and thus recall more positive consequences. Discussion will focus on the implications of these findings for future research and practice.

Authors

• Lisa J Crockett, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  Presenting Author

• Kristin L Moilanen, West Virginia University
  Non-Presenting Author