Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology

Major Professor

Gregory L. Stuart

Committee Members

Todd Moore, L. Christian Elledge, and Spencer Olmstead

Abstract

Hookup behaviors (HUBs; i.e., sexual activity outside an exclusive relationship) are prevalent problems on college campuses partly due to their association with alcohol use and sexual assault. Prior research supports the relationship between alcohol use and HUBs; however, there is limited understanding into individual difference factors that increase the risk of alcohol-facilitated consensual and coercive HUBs. This dissertation examined the proximal associations between alcohol use and consensual and coercive HUBs and the moderating influence of trait positive urgency and alcohol-related sexual expectancies among college men. Ninety-nine college men completed baseline trait assessment and daily surveys assessing their alcohol use and HUBs for 60 consecutive days. Daily alcohol use (an alcohol use day, a heavy episodic drinking day, and number of alcoholic drinks) increased the odds of a consensual HUB and coercive HUB, compared to no HUB. In models that included alcohol-related sexual drive expectancies, an alcohol use day and number of alcoholic drinks decreased the odds of a consensual HUB compared to a coercive HUB. An alcohol use day also decreased the odds of a consensual HUB, versus a coercive HUB, in the model that included trait sexual affect expectancies. Trait alcohol-related sexual affect expectancies moderated the relationship between an alcohol use day and consensual HUB, versus no HUB. An alcohol use day significantly associated with a consensual HUB compared to no HUB among college men at low (-1 SD) and high (+1 SD), but not extremely low (-2 SD) levels of trait sexual affect expectancies. Results suggest alcohol-related sexual affect expectancies relate to consensual HUBs, but not coercive HUBs. Additional research is needed to identify risk factors for coercive HUBs.

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