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Older adolescents' engagement in casual sex: Impact of risk perception and psychosocial motivations

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Abstract

The relationship between attitudes for casual sex and casual sex behavior was investigated for a group of older adolescents between the ages of 17 and 19. In addition, factors that influence casual sex orientations were studied. Models of behavior that emphasize disease issues as a primary determinant of casual sex behavior were compared with models that emphasize a broader range of social-psychological motivations. Results showed that the relationship between attitudes and behavior was stronger for females than males. In addition, disease-related variables were found to be correlated with behavior in a direction opposite to what traditional disease models would predict. The results were interpreted in the context of a behavioral inference model. It was found that casual sex behavior is more heavily influenced by a broad range of social-psychological motivations as compared to disease-based variables. Implications for educational interventions were developed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York

    Ruth Andrea Levinson (Assistant Professor)

  2. Department of Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York, USA

    James Jaccard (Professor)

  3. Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, USA

    LuAnn Beamer (Doctoral student)

Authors
  1. Ruth Andrea Levinson
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  2. James Jaccard
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  3. LuAnn Beamer
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Additional information

Received Ph.D. in education from Stanford University. Major research interests are in self-efficacy and adolescent sexual risk behavior.

Received Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana. Major research interests are in parent-adolescent communication and quantitative methods.

Received M.A. in psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York. Major research interests are in attitudes and attitude change.

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Levinson, R.A., Jaccard, J. & Beamer, L. Older adolescents' engagement in casual sex: Impact of risk perception and psychosocial motivations. J Youth Adolescence 24, 349–364 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537601

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537601

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