Sensation seeking predispositions and susceptibility to a sexual partner's appeals for condom use

Abstract

College students’ risky sexual behavior is related to sensation seeking predispositions. Interpersonal persuasion is likely to result in a permanent change in beliefs, attitudes, and behavior (e.g., using condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS). Using a sample of 205 college students, this study investigated whether individual differences in sensation seeking differentiate susceptibility to a sexual partner's appeals for condom use. Three effects of six appeals were examined. The six appeals included health, fear, threat, pleasure, responsibility, and caring. The three effects were the degree of appealingness, overall attitudes about condoms, and likelihood of condom use. The results showed: (1) the sexual partner's appeals were likely to result in condom use; (2) when the partner initiated condom use with pleasure, fear, threat, or health appeals, high sensation seekers were more likely to use condoms than low sensation seekers; and (3) high sensation seekers and males preferred pleasure appeals while low sensation seekers and females preferred caring and responsibility appeals. Practical implications are discussed for communication interventions designed for HIV/AIDS prevention in the college population.