Risky Sexual Behaviors as a Transaction of Individual Differences and Situational Context

Madison Shea Smith*, Susan C. South

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) incur large societal and personal costs. Despite widespread prevention efforts, RSBs and associated consequences (e.g., sexually transmitted infections) continue to rise. A proliferation of research has emerged on situational (e.g., alcohol use) and individual difference (e.g., impulsivity) factors to explain this rise, but these approaches assume an unrealistically static mechanism underlying RSB. Because this prior research has resulted in few compelling effects, we sought to innovate by examining the interaction of situation and individual differences in explaining RSBs. A large sample (N = 105) completed baseline reports of psychopathology and 30 daily diary reports of RSBs and associated contexts. These data were submitted to multilevel models including cross-level interactions to test a person-by-situation conceptualization of RSBs. Results suggested that RSBs are most strongly predicted from interactions of person- and situation-level factors in both protective and facilitative directions. These interactions outnumbered main effects and commonly included partner commitment as a central mechanism. These results point to theoretical and clinical gaps in preventing RSB and urge a departure from prior ways of conceptualizing sexual risk as a static outcome.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2539-2560
Number of pages22
JournalArchives of Sexual Behavior
Volume52
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2023

Funding

This work was supported by the Clifford B. Kinley Trust at Purdue University (Grant Number: 00031986).

Keywords

  • Context
  • Daily diary
  • Personality
  • Psychopathology
  • Risky sex

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

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