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Relations Between Adolescent Sensation Seeking and Risky Sexual Behaviors Across Sex, Race, and Age: A Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

Sensation seeking (SS)—the seeking of novel and intense sensations or experiences and the willingness to take risks for the sake of such experiences—has been shown to be related to various risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) in areas such as multiple sexual partners, condom use, and sexual initiation. The aims of the current meta-analysis were to examine (1) how SS relates to specific RSBs in adolescents and (2) how the overall relationship between SS and RSB differs across sex, race, and age. Overall, a total of 40 studies met the inclusion criteria for our meta-analysis examining the relationship between SS and RSB, contributing 102 effect sizes. RSB variables included unprotected sex; multiple sexual partners; hazardous sexual activity; sexual initiation; virginity status; and history of sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnosis. Moderating effects of sex, race, and age were also examined. The overall mean effect size of the correlational relationship between adolescent SS and RSB was statistically significant, as were the mean effect sizes of the relationships between SS and RSB subgroups, except for history of STD diagnosis. Race and age did not significantly moderate the overall relationship between SS and RSB; however, results indicated that SS and RSB relations were stronger in females compared to males. Our findings suggest that adolescents with elevations in SS tendencies tend to engage in more RSBs compared to their peers with lower levels of SS, increasing their risk of unplanned pregnancy and STD acquisition.

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No funding source was connected to the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of the data, or the decision to submit the paper for publication. Writing of the manuscript was funded by the Bluebonnet Psychiatric Center Graduate Fellowship in Clinical Psychology awarded to the first author in the amount of $6,000.

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  1. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, 4235 TAMU, College, Station, TX, 77843-4235, USA

    Bethany Harris, Morgan N. McCredie, Tiffany Truong, Timothy Regan, Walker Leach & Sherecce A. Fields

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Christopher G. Thompson

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Contributions

First, second, and third authors designed the study. First and sixth authors developed search terminology and conducted literature searches. First and second authors coded the studies for the meta-analysis. Second and third authors conducted statistical analyses. First, second, and third authors wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.

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Appendix A

Appendix A

EBSCOhost Search Strategy

(sexual behavio*[ab] OR risky sex*[ab] OR unsafe sex*[ab] OR safe sex*[ab] OR sexual risk[ab] OR sexual risk-taking[ab] OR unprotected sex*[ab] OR sexual initiation[ab] OR sexual onset[ab] OR sexual debut[ab] OR problematic sexual behavio*[ab] OR STD[ab] OR STI[ab] OR HIV[ab] OR AIDS[ab] OR condom use[ab] OR abstinence[ab] OR hookups[ab] OR unplanned pregnancy[ab])

AND

(sensation seek*[ab] OR stimulus seek*[ab] OR excitement seek*[ab] OR novelty seek*[ab] OR impulsiv*[ab])

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Harris, B., McCredie, M.N., Truong, T. et al. Relations Between Adolescent Sensation Seeking and Risky Sexual Behaviors Across Sex, Race, and Age: A Meta-Analysis. Arch Sex Behav 52, 191–204 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02384-7

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