Adolescents and young adults who engage in more frequent alcohol use also tend to engage in more frequent sexual behavior. However, most findings in this area are based on cross-sectional data, and thus indicate whether individuals who tend to drink more engage in more sexual behavior, but not necessarily that alcohol use and sexual behavior are temporally linked within individuals. In a recent paper in Journal of Research on Adolescence, Megan Patrick, Jennifer Maggs, and I used data from the University Life Study to examine daily associations between alcohol use and sexual behaviors across seven semesters of college. We found that consuming more drinks and engaging in binge drinking on a given day were associated with an increased likelihood of kissing, touching, oral sex, and penetrative sex on the same day. Findings were stronger at the semester and daily level than at the person level, suggesting that the associations may actually have more to do with situational factors than with stable personal traits.
The association between alcohol use and sexual behavior was higher for students who were not in romantic relationships, and for students with stronger expectations that alcohol was linked to sex. These findings provide some support for alcohol myopia theory. That is, students who are not in relationships may be relying on the most salient cues in the moment, such as whether a partner is available, when they are drinking. In contrast, the sexual behavior of students who are in romantic relationships and therefore have frequent access to sexual partners are likely less context and state dependent. Findings also support alcohol expectancy theory, given that students who expected alcohol use to be associated with sexual behavior demonstrated stronger associations between their own alcohol use and their sexual behavior.
“The post Alcohol use linked to a range of sexual behaviors, especially for single students first appeared on Eva Lefkowitz’s blog on January 7, 2016.”
The association between alcohol use and sexual behavior was higher for students who were not in romantic relationships, and for students with stronger expectations that alcohol was linked to sex. These findings provide some support for alcohol myopia theory. That is, students who are not in relationships may be relying on the most salient cues in the moment, such as whether a partner is available, when they are drinking. In contrast, the sexual behavior of students who are in romantic relationships and therefore have frequent access to sexual partners are likely less context and state dependent. Findings also support alcohol expectancy theory, given that students who expected alcohol use to be associated with sexual behavior demonstrated stronger associations between their own alcohol use and their sexual behavior.
“The post Alcohol use linked to a range of sexual behaviors, especially for single students first appeared on Eva Lefkowitz’s blog on January 7, 2016.”
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