Skip to main content
Log in

Hooking-Up, Religiosity, and Sexting Among College Students

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mediation effect of sexting, and taking sexually suggestive photos on religiosity and hooking-up with three separate sexual outcomes. A web-based survey examined the relationship between religiosity and the three hooking-up outcomes among students reporting sexting or taking a sexually suggestive photo in the last 30 days (n = 231). Sexting, as well as taking sexually suggestive photos mediated the relationship between religiosity and hooking-up among females. Sexting may be initiated by females as a way to engage in a nonphysical sexual interaction, which ultimately predisposes them to a physical sexual outcome.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albury, K., & Crawford, K. (2012). Sexting, consent and young people’s ethics: Beyond Megan’s Story. Continuum,26(3), 463–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, B. L. (1989). From front porch to back seat: Courtship in twentieth-century America. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,51(6), 1173–1182.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beckwith, H. D., & Morrow, J. A. (2005). Sexual attitudes of college students: The impact of religiosity and spirituality. College Student Journal,39(2), 357–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benotsch, E. G., Snipes, D. J., Martin, A. M., & Bull, S. S. (2013). Sexting, substance use, and sexual risk behavior in young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health,52(3), 307–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crimmins, D. M., & Seigfried-Spellar, K. C. (2014). Peer attachment, sexual experiences, and risky online behaviors as predictors of sexting behaviors among undergraduate students. Computers in Human Behavior,32, 268–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davey-Rothwell, M. A., Tobin, K., Yang, C., Sun, C. J., & Latkin, C. A. (2011). Results of a randomized controlled trial of a peer mentor HIV/STI prevention intervention for women over an 18 month follow-up. AIDS and Behavior,15(8), 1654–1663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dir, A. L., Coskunpinar, A., Steiner, J. L., & Cyders, M. A. (2013). Understanding differences in sexting behaviors across gender, relationship status, and sexual identity, and the role of expectancies in sexting. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking,16(8), 568–574.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Döring, N. M. (2009). The Internet’s impact on sexuality: A critical review of 15 years of research. Computers in Human Behavior,25(5), 1089–1101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emons, W. H., Sijtsma, K., & Meijer, R. R. (2007). On the consistency of individual classification using short scales. Psychological Methods,12(1), 105–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felmlee, D., Sweet, E., & Sinclair, H. C. (2012). Gender rules: Same-and cross-gender friendships norms. Sex Roles,66(7–8), 518–529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glenn, N., & Marquardt, E. (2001). Hooking up, hanging out, and hoping for Mr. Right. In An Institute for American Values Report to the Independent Women’s Forum.

  • Glock, C. Y. (1962). On the study of religious commitment. Religious Education: The official journal of the Religious Education Association, 57(sup 4), 98-110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon-Messer, D., Bauermeister, J. A., Grodzinski, A., & Zimmerman, M. (2013). Sexting among young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health,52(3), 301–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollander, D. (2005). Many young teenagers consider oral sex more acceptable and less risky than vaginal intercourse. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive health,37(3), 155–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houck, C. D., Barker, D., Rizzo, C., Hancock, E., Norton, A., & Brown, L. K. (2014). Sexting and sexual behavior in at-risk adolescents. Pediatrics,133(2), e276–e282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hulin, C., Cudeck, R., Metemeyer, R., Dillion, W. R., McDonald, R., & Bearden, W. (2001). Can a reliability coefficient be too high? Journal of Consumer Psychology,10, 55–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, P. B., Kleiner, S., Geist, C., & Cebulko, K. (2011). Conventions of courtship: Gender and race differences in the significance of dating rituals. Journal of Family Issues,32(5), 629–652.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jozkowski, K. N., Peterson, Z. D., Sanders, S. A., Dennis, B., & Reece, M. (2014). Gender differences in heterosexual college students’ conceptualizations and indicators of sexual consent: Implications for contemporary sexual assault prevention education. The Journal of Sex Research,51(8), 904–916.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert, T. A., Kahn, A. S., & Apple, K. J. (2003). Pluralistic ignorance and hooking up. Journal of Sex Research,40(2), 129–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenhart, A. (2009). Teens and sexting.  Retrieved  from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media/Files/Reports/2009/PIP_Teens_and_Sexting.pdf.

  • O’Neal Nagel, P., Cummings, T., Hansen, C. H., & Ott, M. A. (2013). Predictors of sexting in a university population. Journal of Adolescent Health, Poster Abstract52(2 Supplement 1), S87.

  • Owen, J. J., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Fincham, F. D. (2010). “Hooking up” among college students: Demographic and psychosocial correlates. Archives of Sexual Behavior,39(3), 653–663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, E. L., & Hayes, K. A. (2002). The casualties of casual’sex: A qualitative exploration of the phenomenology of college students’ hookups. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships,19(5), 639–661.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penhollow, T., Young, M., & Bailey, W. (2007). Relationship between religiosity and “hooking up” behavior. American Journal of Health Education,38(6), 338–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penhollow, T., Young, M., & Denny, G. (2005). The impact of religiosity on the sexual behaviors of college students. Journal of Health Education,36(2), 75–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers,36(4), 717–731.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid, J. A., Elliott, S., & Webber, G. R. (2011). Casual hookups to formal dates refining the boundaries of the sexual double standard. Gender & Society,25(5), 545–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice, E., Rhoades, H., Winetrobe, H., Sanchez, M., Montoya, J., Plant, A., et al. (2012). Sexually explicit cell phone messaging associated with sexual risk among adolescents. Pediatrics,130(4), 667–673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, M. W. (2005). Typing, doing, and being: Sexuality and the Internet. Journal of Sex Research,42(4), 342–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samimi, P., & Alderson, K. G. (2014). Sexting among undergraduate students. Computers in Human Behavior,31, 230–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, D. P., & Fuller, R. C. (2015). On the varieties of sexual experience: Cross-cultural links between religiosity and human mating strategies. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality,7(4), 314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2008). National survey on drug use and health, 2007 public use codebook. Ann Arbor, MI.

  • Temple, J. R., Le, V. D., van den Berg, P., Ling, Y., Paul, J. A., & Temple, B. W. (2014). Brief report: Teen sexting and psychosocial health. Journal of Adolescence,37(1), 33–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Temple, J. R., Paul, J. A., van den Berg, P., Le, V. D., McElhany, A., & Temple, B. W. (2012). Teen sexting and its association with sexual behaviors. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine,166(9), 828–833.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vazsonyi, A. T., & Jenkins, D. D. (2010). Religiosity, self-control, and virginity status in college students from the “Bible Belt”: A research note. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion,49(3), 561–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, S., Sanci, L., & Temple-Smith, M. (2013). Sexting: Young women’s and men’s views on its nature and origins. Journal of Adolescent Health,52(6), 697–701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weisskirch, R. S., & Delevi, R. (2011). “Sexting” and adult romantic attachment. Computers in Human Behavior,27(5), 1697–1701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Hall.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hall, M., Williams, R.D., Ford, M.A. et al. Hooking-Up, Religiosity, and Sexting Among College Students. J Relig Health 59, 484–496 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0291-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0291-y

Keywords

Navigation