Transcript 14-Oct25-sexx

ALCOHOL USE AND SEX RISK
OCTOBER 25, 2012
BASIC RESEARCH ON ALCOHOL AND SEX:
1.
Sex-related expectancies
2.
Drinking and condom use
3.
Effects of intoxication on perceptions of others
4.
Stereotypes about men and women who drink
1. SEX-RELATED EXPECTANCIES
• beliefs and ideas about the + and - effects that
alcohol has on a person’s behavior
• Stronger expectancies are related to heavier
drinking
• Sex-related expectancies: (Dermen & Cooper, 1994)
• sexual enhancement
• disinhibition of sexual behavior
• increased sexual risk-taking
• drinking triggers sexual behavior (s) IF one holds sexrelated alcohol beliefs about that effect
2. ALCOHOL AND CONDOM USE
• Unprotected sex = special case of sexual risk taking
• Pregnancy prevention vs. STI prevention
• Global assessment studies show correlation
between alcohol use & unprotected sex
• Event-level studies are less clear -- WHY?
• Importance of both person variables and partner
variables
BROWN & VANABLE (2007)
• N = 330 sexually active students (60% sample)
• Event-level assessment
• Last time they had sex
• Was a condom used?
• Were they drinking prior to the event?
• 40% did not use a condom last time they had sex
• 32% drank before the last time they had sex
• M = 5 SDs
• Drinking more likely with nonsteady/casual partners (55%
vs. 22%)
• Drinking more likely for those with strong sex-related
alcohol expectancies
BROWN & VANABLE (2007)
Non-Steady Partners (n = 93)
50
50
40
40
% Reporting UVS
% Reporting UVS
Steady Partners (n = 229)
30
20
10
0
alcoho
l
no alcohol
30
20
10
0
alcoho
l
no alcohol
• No effect of alcohol on unprotected sex with
steady partners (46% vs 39%)
• Alcohol use associated with greater probability of
unprotected sex with casual partners (47% vs. 17%)
GENDER PATTERNS
(SCOTT-SHELDON, CAREY, & CAREY, 2010)
• Multiple event-level methodology; N = 177
• Gender matters: drinking was associated with
unprotected sex for men but not for women
• Partner type matters:
• participants with exclusively steady sexual partners =
unprotected sex 32% of the time
• participants reporting only casual sexual partners =
unprotected sex 19% of the time
• unprotected sex = gender x partner type x drinking
• Men + casual partners + drinking
• Women + steady partners + drinking
3. EFFECTS OF INTOXICATION ON
PERCEPTIONS OF OTHERS
• cues used to convey sexual interest can be indirect and
ambiguous
• friendliness = flirtation ??
• consider this interchange:
Man: “Come back to my room for a drink.”
Woman: “I guess I could have one drink, but I can’t
stay.”
ABBEY ET AL. (2000) EXPERIMENT
• Dyads consumed alcohol or placebo
• Each rated self and the other
• Intoxication increased perceptions of one’s own
sexuality, and other’s sexual interest
• Intoxicated male participants failed to notice cues that
showed woman’s lack of interest
• Conclusion: intoxication increases the likelihood of
seeing sexual meaning in neutral/friendly behavior
4. STEREOTYPES ABOUT MEN AND
WOMEN WHO DRINK
Richardson & Campbell (1982): participants read a story
about a woman raped by a guest while cleaning up after
a party
• Varied the story according to whether victim or
perpetrator was drunk or sober
• Both men and women perceived perpetrator as less
responsible if he was intoxicated
• Both men and women perceived the victim as more
responsible when she was intoxicated
DOUBLE STANDARD ??
• Men who consume alcohol are seen as less responsible
for a variety of offenses, including rape, than men who
are sober (Abbey et al., 1996)
• Women who drink are perceived by both genders as
• More sexually available/ willing to be seduced
• More promiscuous
(George et al., 1995)
• Drinking alcohol is perceived as a“sexual signal” -indicating that a person is interested
CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF ALCOHOL-INFLUENCED
SEXUAL ASSAULT (ABBEY, 2002)
Pre-existing beliefs
about alcohols effects
on:
- sexual behavior
- aggression
Effects of alcohol during heterosocial
interaction:
-misperceptions of partner’s motives
-impaired communication about intentions
-peer influence re: how to act while drinking
Effects of alcohol at the point when forced
sex is likely:
-impaired ability to “fix” misperceptions
-reduced verbal and physical ability to resist
-justification for aggressive behavior
Vol. 33, No. 3, 2010
Alcohol Research & Health
Pandrea et al. (2010)
Pandrea et al. (2010)
Pandrea et al. (2010)
TO PONDER FOR NEXT CLASS:
How can we use information on alcohol’s effects on
the developing brain to inform prevention strategies?