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 sex- related 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) No effect of alcohol on unprotected sex with steady partners (46% vs 39%) alcoho l no alcohol alcoho l 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, 2010Alcohol Research & Health

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?