The Processes by Which Perceived Autonomy Support in Physical Education Promotes Leisure-Time Physical Activity Intentions and Behavior: A Trans-Contextual Model.

The trans-contextual model proposes that young people's perceived autonomy support in physical education will affect their perceived locus of causality, intentions, and physical activity behavior in leisure time. High school students completed measures of perceived autonomy support and perceived locus of causality in physical education. One week later, participants' perceived locus of causality and constructs from the theory of planned behavior were assessed in leisure time. Leisure-time physical activity behavior was measured 5 weeks later. Perceived autonomy support in physical education affected leisure-time physical activity directly and indirectly through a motivational sequence involving internal perceived locus of causality, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and intentions. Results support the trans-contextual model indicating that perceived autonomy support in an educational context influences motivation in a leisure-time context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child Sexual Abuse and Number of Sexual Partners in Young Women: The Role of Abuse Severity, Coping Style, and Sexual Functioning.

The authors proposed and tested a model describing distinct pathways through which childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may lead to relatively low or high numbers of sexual partners in adulthood. Path analyses were conducted on survey responses of young female US Navy recruits who reported CSA (N=547). Use of avoidant strategies to cope with CSA was expected to produce higher levels of sexual problems and fewer heterosexual sex partners, whereas use of self-destructive coping strategies was expected to result in more dysfunctional sexual behavior and more heterosexual sex partners. As predicted, the effect of CSA on number of sex partners was largely mediated by coping strategies and dysfunctional sexual behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical Attractiveness and Health in Western Societies: A Review.

Evidence from developed Western societies is reviewed for the claims that (a) physical attractiveness judgments are substantially based on body size and shape, symmetry, sex-typical hormonal markers, and other specific cues and (b) physical attractiveness and these cues substantially predict health. Among the cues that the authors review, only female waist-to-hip ratio and weight appear to predict both attractiveness and health in the claimed manner. Other posited cues--symmetry and sex-typical hormonal markers among them--failed to predict either attractiveness or health (or both) in either sex. The authors find that there is some indication that attractiveness has an overall relationship with health among women, but little indication that male attractiveness relates to male health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol Use and High-Risk Sexual Behavior Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: The Effects of Consumption Level and Partner Type.

Alcohol use may increase HIV sexual risk behavior, although findings have varied across study populations and methods. Using event-level data from 1,712 seronegative men who have sex with men, the authors tested the hypothesis that social context would moderate the effect of alcohol consumption on unprotected anal sex (UAS). For encounters involving a primary partner, rates of UAS did not vary as a function of alcohol use. However, consumption of 4 or more drinks tripled the likelihood of UAS for episodes involving a nonprimary partner. Thus, the effects of alcohol vary according to the context in which it is used. Interventions to reduce substance-related risk should be tailored to the demands of maintaining sexual safety with nonprimary partners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive mediation of alcohol's effects on women's in-the-moment sexual decision making.

Objective: To test a cognitive mediation model examining whether cognitive appraisals mediate alcohol consumption effects on condom request and unprotected sex intentions. Design: Female social drinkers (N = 173) participated in an experiment comparing four beverage conditions: control, placebo, target BAL = .04%, and target BAL = .08%. Subjects projected themselves into a hypothetical sexual encounter with a new sex partner. Measures: Appraisals of the situation's sexual potential, impelling and inhibiting cognitions, and behavioral intentions were assessed at several points. Results: Findings support the theoretical model, indicating that alcohol's effects on direct condom request and unprotected sex intentions were mediated through cognitive appraisals. Conclusion: Prevention interventions should include information about alcohol's effects on cognitions that may lead to ineffective condom negotiation and unprotected sex. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrapersonal and Familial Effects of Child Sexual Abuse on Female Partners of Male Survivors.

Intrapersonal and familial effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) were investigated by interviewing 10 female partners of male survivors. Consensual qualitative research analysis (C. Hill, B. Thompson, & E. Nutt Williams, 1997) yielded 13 domains describing male partner, female partner, couple, and family functioning. Findings concerning emotional reactions, coping strategies, communication patterns, and sexual functioning correspond to the 3 components of C. Maltas and J. Shay's (1995) trauma contagion model (i.e., threatened beliefs, chronic stress, and reenactment of aspects of CSA). Additional findings suggest themes of recovery from trauma contagion. Whereas results concerning threatened beliefs and chronic stress may replicate to other populations (e.g., partners of war veterans), reenactment of aspects of CSA seems unique. Practice and research recommendations are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influences of sexual sensation seeking, alcohol consumption, and sexual arousal on women's behavioral intentions related to having unprotected sex.

This experimental study examined effects of alcohol consumption and sexual sensation seeking on unprotected sex intentions, taking into account sexual arousal, indirectly discouraging sex, and condom insistence. Women (N = 173; mean age = 25.02) were randomly assigned to a control, placebo, low-dose beverage (target blood alcohol level = .04), or high- dose beverage (target blood alcohol level = .08) condition. Participants projected themselves into a hypothetical sexual interaction with a man in which no condom was available. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that both sexual sensation seeking and alcohol dose directly increased sexual arousal early in the interaction, but later sexual arousal indirectly increased unprotected sex intentions by decreasing endorsement of indirect discouragement and, in turn, condom insistence. These findings help to clarify the role of alcohol consumption and sensation seeking in women's sexual decision making and point to the importance of examining it as a multistage process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of alcohol and alcohol expectancies on male perception of female sexual arousal in a date rape analog.

The impact of alcohol and alcohol expectancies on men's perception of female sexual arousal and men's ability to discriminate accurately female sexual intentions in a dating situation was examined. In a 2 (alcohol)?×?2 (expectancy) balanced placebo design, men were exposed to an audiotape of a date rape and asked to signal when the man should stop making sexual advances. On 4 occasions during the vignette, participants rated how sexually aroused the woman on the tape was at that moment. Relative to controls, participants who consumed alcohol or expected to consume alcohol took significantly longer to identify the inappropriateness of the man's sexual behavior toward his date. Similarly, alcohol participants also rated the woman's sexual arousal level significantly higher at the first 2 refusals. Implications of the results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual identity, physical attractiveness and seating position as determinants of influence in discussion groups.

Two experiments are reported which show the importance of sexual identity as a determinant of influence in heterosexual discussion groups. In one study a male confederate was more likely than a female to get an elegant solution to a problem accepted. In general, male subjects were more active and exerted more influence in the group than did females. In the second study the social context of the problems was changed to make them less male-oriented, but a female confederate was still largely unable to get the elegant solution accepted. The physical attractiveness of the confederate had no influence on her effectiveness. Male domination of the discussions continued as before. Finally, there was some indication that sitting at the head of a table in a discussion group makes a person a little more influential in the group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Association of Antisocial Behavior and Depressive Symptoms Between Partners and Risk for Aggression in Romantic Relationships.

This study examined the extent to which antisocial behavior and depressive symptoms were associated between romantic partners and whether the partner's antisocial behavior and depressive symptoms affected the individual's aggression toward the partner above and beyond the contribution of his or her own symptoms. Questions were examined concurrently and longitudinally for 79 couples from a young, at-risk sample. There were reliable associations between partners' antisocial behavior and depressive symptoms. Women's antisocial behavior and depressive symptoms were significantly related to concurrent levels of men's physical and psychological aggression. Women's depressive symptoms remained significant in predicting men's psychological aggression over time. Overall, men's risk factors had little effect on their partners' aggression. Findings suggest that interventions to reduce partner violence need to consider the potential influence of partner, as well as perpetrator characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental relations and patterns of change between alcohol use and number of sexual partners from adolescence through adulthood.

We explored two unanswered questions about the role of alcohol use in sexual behavior. First, we considered whether alcohol use temporally precedes and predicts changes in sexual behavior assessed as the number of sexual partners, whether the reverse pattern holds, or whether the association reflects a common, external cause. Second, we assessed whether associations between these behaviors change as adolescents transition to adulthood. These questions were addressed with a bivariate dual change latent difference score model. Drinking frequency and number of yearly sex partners were assessed 8 times across a 13-year period in a sample of 553 individuals. Assessment began when participants were in the 9th grade (age: M = 15.11 years, SD = 0.43). In addition to an association between the individual growth trajectories of these behaviors, alcohol use was a leading indicator of changes in number of sex partners throughout adolescence, but the reverse pattern was not supported. Of importance, the predictive association could not be explained by individual differences in impulsivity, excitement seeking, conduct problems, hostility/aggression, conventional attitudes, gender, or divorce. Finally, in a developmentally meaningful pattern, alcohol use ceased to significantly predict changes in the number of sexual partners as adolescents transitioned to adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Prospective Study of Sensation Seeking and Alcohol Use as Predictors of Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Men and Women Receiving Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic Services.

Sensation seeking, the propensity to seek optimal stimulation and engage in risk behaviors, correlates with alcohol expectancies, which are related to alcohol use in sexual situations, potentially increasing risks for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In the current prospective study of 313 male and 140 female STI clinic patients, path analyses showed that sensation seeking predicted unprotected intercourse 6 months later. Sensation seeking also predicted alcohol outcome expectancies, which predicted alcohol use in sexual contexts 6 months later, which in turn predicted unprotected sex. Tests for mediation showed that alcohol expectancies accounted for the association between sensation seeking and alcohol use in sexual contexts. These findings replicate previous research, with the prospective design confirming directional hypotheses and supporting causal conclusions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Childhood abuse and premilitary sexual assault in male navy recruits.

Three samples of male U.S- Navy recruits (N?=?7,850) were surveyed to determine whether a history of childhood physical abuse (CPA) or childhood sexual abuse (CSA) was predictive of premilitary rape of women and whether these relationships were mediated by alcohol problems and number of sex partners. In the 3 samples, 11.3%, 11.6%, and 9.9% of men reported committing premilitary rape. When demographic factors were controlled for, both CPA and CSA were independently and additively predictive of rape in each sample, with men who experienced both forms of abuse showing the highest risk of committing rape. Additional analyses revealed that alcohol problems and number of sex partners significantly mediated the relationship between childhood abuse (CPA and CSA) and rape perpetration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of Time in Prison and Security Level on Inmates' Sexual Attitude, Behavior, and Identity.

The aim of the present study was to develop an understanding of changes in inmates' sexual identity and the role these changes play in inmates' sexual attitudes and behaviors while incarcerated. Participants in this study consisted of 185 inmates from minimum and maximum security correctional facilities in a midwestern state. Results revealed that the higher the security level was and the longer inmates spent in a correctional facility, the greater was the probability that inmates would begin to endorse some preference for same-sex sexual behavior. This is in contrast to the finding that inmates less readily changed their sexual identity from heterosexual to homosexual regardless of the security level or the length of time spent in prison. Furthermore, inmates generally reported engaging in consensual same-sex sexual activities for reasons that are consistent with those of nonincarcerated persons (love and pleasure). Implications and future studies are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of Alcohol on Risk-Seeking Behavior: A Group-Level Analysis.

Although much drinking occurs in social settings, there has been little testing of alcohol in groups. The authors examined the effects of alcohol on performance on a group decision-making task. Fifty-four unacquainted male social drinkers were randomly assigned to 3-person groups that consumed either alcohol (0.82 g/kg) or a placebo. After drinking, participants decided whether to complete a 30-min questionnaire battery or toss a coin and, pending the outcome of that toss, complete either no questionnaires or a 60-min battery. Alcohol groups were significantly more likely than placebo groups to choose the coin toss. Results highlight the potent effects of alcohol on group decision making and suggest that application of social psychological theory and methods to the study of alcohol is warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family Communication and Religiosity Related to Substance Use and Sexual Behavior in Early Adolescence: A Test for Pathways Through Self-Control and Prototype Perceptions.

This research tested predictions about pathways to substance use and sexual behavior with a community sample of 297 African American adolescents (M age: 13.0 years). Structural modeling indicated that parent-adolescent communication had a path to unfavorable prototypes of substance users; quality of parent-adolescent relationship had paths to good self-control, higher resistance efficacy, and unfavorable prototypes of sexually active teens; and religiosity had inverse direct effects to both substance use and sexual behavior. Self-control constructs had paths to prototypes of abstainers, whereas risk taking had paths to prototypes of drug and sex engagers and direct effects to outcomes. Prototypes had paths to outcomes primarily through resistance efficacy and peer affiliations. Effects were also found for gender, parental education, and temperament characteristics. Implications for self-control theory and prevention research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual compulsivity, state affect, and sexual risk behavior in a daily diary study of gay and bisexual men.

Researchers have identified a strong link between sexual compulsivity (SC) and risky sexual behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM). Meanwhile, affect/mood has also been connected with negative sexual health outcomes (sexually transmitted infection/human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] transmission, sexual risk, sex under the influence of drugs/alcohol). Given that SC is characterized by marked distress around one's own sexual behavior, affect may play a central role in SC and HIV risk behavior. Data were taken from the Pillow Talk Project, a pilot study conducted in 2008–2009 with 50 highly sexually active MSM (9 or more male sex partners, ≤ 90 days), of which half displayed SC symptoms and half did not. Forty-seven men completed a daily diary online for 30 days (n = 1,060 diary days), reporting on their sexual behavior and concurrent affect: positive activation, negative activation, anxious arousal, and sexual activation. We conducted HLM analyses using daily affect (Level 1, within subjects) and SC and HIV status (Level 2, between subjects) to predict sexual behavior outcomes. Increased negative activation (characterized by fear, sadness, anger, and disgust) was associated with reduced sexual risk behavior, but less so among sexually compulsive MSM. Sexual activation was associated with increased sexual risk taking, but less so among sexually compulsive MSM. Anxious arousal was associated with increased sexual behavior, but not necessarily sexual risk taking. Findings indicate that affect plays key roles in sexual behavior and sexual risk taking; however, the association between affect and behavior may be different for sexually compulsive and non-sexually compulsive MSM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived Autonomy Support in Physical Education and Leisure-Time Physical Activity: A Cross-Cultural Evaluation of the Trans-Contextual Model.

This study tested the replicability and cross-cultural invariance of a trans-contextual model of motivation across 4 samples from diverse cultures. The model proposes a motivational sequence in which perceived autonomy support (PAS) in physical education (PE) predicts autonomous motivation, intentions, and behavior in a leisure-time (LT) physical activity context. High-school pupils from Britain, Greece, Poland, and Singapore completed measures of PAS and autonomous motives in a PE context. Goodfitting path-analytic models supported the main hypotheses of the trans-contextual model in the British, Greek, and Singaporean samples. PAS in PE had significant total effects on autonomous motives in LT, except in the Polish sample. The effect of autonomous motives in LT on physical activity intentions and behavior was mediated by theory of planned behavior constructs in all samples. Results supported the main hypotheses of the trans-contextual model across cultures, although the effect of PAS was not pervasive in the Polish sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Theory of Planned Behavior in Prediction of Leisure Time Physical Activity Among Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective: To examine the utility of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for predicting leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Study Design: Prospective correlational design. Participants: 104 men (n=75) and women (n=29) with SCI. Method: Baseline telephone interview assessing attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intentions for engaging in LTPA. One-week follow-up telephone interview assessing frequency of LTPA. Results: Attitudes (β=.29), subjective norms (β=.29), and PBC (β=.47) each predicted LTPA intentions. LTPA intentions (β=.45) but not PBC (β=-.05) predicted LTPA. Furthermore, intentions mediated the attitudes-LTPA, subjective norms-LTPA, and PBC-LTPA relationships. Conclusions: These findings support the tenets of the TPB and provide a foundation for developing interventions promoting LTPA in the SCI population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)