College Women's Sexual Decision Making: Cognitive Mediation of Alcohol Expectancy Effects

Abstract

Objective: Alcohol has been linked to a variety of risky sexual practices, including inconsistent condom use. Due to the high rates of alcohol consumption among underage college women, greater understanding of the role of alcohol in young women's sexual decision making is warranted. Participants and Methods: Female underage (18- to 20-year-old) social drinkers (N = 94) participated in an experiment in which they projected themselves into a written hypothetical sexual situation with a new partner. One half of the situations portrayed alcohol consumption; one half did not involve alcohol consumption. Their appraisals of the situation's sexual potential, impelling and inhibiting cognitions, and sexual behavior intentions were assessed. Results: Results revealed that alcohol's expectancy effects on young women's unprotected sexual intentions were mediated by their cognitive appraisals of the situation. Conclusions: These findings indicate that alcohol expectancies and their influence on women's sexual decisions should be incorporated into sexual risk reduction efforts.

Keywords:

• alcohol expectancy
• cognitive appraisals
• sexual risk
• condom use

Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was provided by National Institute an Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health grant AA014512 to Dr Norris.

Notes

Note. ⁺ p < .10; *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.

Note. *p < .05; **p < .01.