Date of Award

Spring 5-2016

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Michael Madson

Committee Chair Department

Psychology

Committee Member 2

Bonnie Nicholson

Committee Member 2 Department

Psychology

Committee Member 3

Richard Mohn

Committee Member 3 Department

Educational Studies and Research

Abstract

African American college women are experiencing sex-related negative consequences (e.g., contracting sexually transmitted diseases or human immunodeficiency virus, having an unplanned pregnancy) at disproportionate rates in comparison to Caucasian college women. Furthermore, African American college women are likely engaging in risky sexual behaviors (e.g., unprotected anal, vaginal, oral sex) that may be placing them at a greater risk for experiencing sex-related negative consequences. Research suggests that increased alcohol consumption is predictive of more risky sexual behavior among college women. Additionally, sex-related alcohol expectancies, or beliefs about the effects of alcohol on sexual behavior, are positively associated with increased alcohol consumption and risky sexual behavior and therefore, may attenuate the association alcohol use has with risky sexual behaviors among African American college women. Because of the underrepresentation of African American college women in research examining the aforementioned factors, the purpose of the present study was to examine the link between sex-related alcohol expectancies (i.e., enhancement, sexual risk taking, disinhibition), alcohol consumption, and risky sexual behaviors exclusively among a sample of African American college women at a mid-sized Southern university. Multiple and hierarchical linear regression analyses yielded the following results: (a) enhancement sex-related alcohol expectancies predicted increased risky sexual behavior, (b) sex-related alcohol expectancies did not predict increased alcohol consumption and (c) did not moderate the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky sexual behaviors. Clinical and research implications will be discussed.

Download

Share

COinS