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Predictors and Consequences of Sexual “Hookups” Among College Students: A Short-term Prospective Study

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Abstract

“Hookups,” sexual interactions between partners who do not expect a romantic commitment, are believed to be common among adolescents and young adults. Most existing research is cross-sectional and has not investigated the antecedents or consequences of hookups. To our knowledge, this study provides the first prospective investigation of the hypothesized predictors of penetrative sex hookups (i.e., oral, vaginal, and anal sex) and the first exploration of the short-term mental health consequences of hookups. A total of 140 first-semester college students (109 females, 31 males) completed an anonymous survey early in their first semester; the survey assessed 18 potential predictors of hooking up that were identified from theory and past research. At the end of their first semester, students again responded to a survey and provided data on their oral and vaginal sex hookup behavior (occurrence and number of partners), distress, and self-esteem. Baseline and follow-up data were linked using unique codes that protected participants’ anonymity. Pre-college hookup patterns, peak intoxication level, and situational triggers for hookups were consistent predictors of oral and vaginal sex hookup behavior (and number of hookup partners) in the first semester of college. Penetrative sex hookups increased psychological distress for females, but not for males. Implications for education and intervention as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

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Notes

  1. A total of 158 students enrolled in the study; for the T2 assessment, 144 participants returned, for a retention rate of 91%. There were no differences between attriters and completers on any of the predictor variables or number of oral or vaginal sex hookup partners at study entry. Of the 144 students providing data at both T1 and T2, two students were excluded due to sexual orientation (because the hookups of homosexual individuals may differ from those of heterosexual individuals), and two were excluded because they provided contradictory answers on their T1 surveys (undermining data quality). Thus, the final sample size at T2 was 140.

  2. Enrollment in the introductory psychology course is typically at least 65% female. At the university overall, 62% of first-year students that year were Caucasian.

  3. Pilot testing of our survey items with 10 individuals confirmed that participants understood the definition provided in the survey. All pilot participants completed the survey and were asked for feedback regarding the survey. None of the pilot participants expressed confusion over or suggested clarification regarding any of the relationship or sexual behavior terms used in the survey. Furthermore, none of the 158 participants asked questions about the meaning of terms or definitions used in the survey.

  4. The situational triggers predictors were not confounded with alcohol use. Peak intoxication level and situational triggers for oral sex hookups did not correlate highly, r = .22, p = .005, and peak intoxication level and situational triggers for vaginal sex hookups were not correlated, r = .07, p = .42.

  5. To minimize participant burden, these questions measure general media exposure rather than exposure to sexual media content in particular. A recent review confirmed that sexual content is pervasive on television, in song lyrics and music videos, in movies, in magazines, and on the internet (Escobar-Chaves et al., 2005); thus, we assumed that participants with greater media exposure in general would have greater exposure to sexual media content. Social networking internet websites were included due to their popularity with college students in particular, their high traffic volume, and the high amount of photo-sharing (e.g., Facebook: Statistics, n.d.). Campus newspapers were included because the campus newspaper had featured articles on hooking up within the past year (e.g., Tousigant, 2007).

  6. The effect of hookup transition group could not be meaningfully examined in males due to small cell sizes.

  7. No participants reported engaging in anal sex during a hookup; therefore, we report only on oral and vaginal sex hookups.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the students for their participation, Kate B. Carey, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier draft of this article, and Hillary L. Bishop for her assistance with data collection and data entry. Supported by Grant R01-MH54929 from the National Institute of Mental Health to Michael P. Carey and by a Graduate Research Grant from Psi Chi to Robyn L. Fielder.

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  1. Center for Health and Behavior, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244-2340, USA

    Robyn L. Fielder & Michael P. Carey

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  1. Robyn L. Fielder
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  2. Michael P. Carey
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Correspondence to Michael P. Carey.

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Fielder, R.L., Carey, M.P. Predictors and Consequences of Sexual “Hookups” Among College Students: A Short-term Prospective Study. Arch Sex Behav 39, 1105–1119 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9448-4

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