Citation

Moilanen KL, Manuel ML. J. Sex Res. 2018; 55(1): 120-133.

Affiliation

b Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Counseling Psychology , West Virginia University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality)

DOI

10.1080/00224499.2017.1330394

PMID

28598682

Abstract

Little is known about specific mechanisms linking self-regulation to sexual risk taking. The present study considered four possibilities in emerging adulthood: sexual self-restraint, consideration of future consequences, substance use, and romantic competence. Never-married young adults (N = 274), ages 18 to 24, responded to anonymous Internet surveys (60.2% female, 78.8% European American, 66.3% university students). The effects of self-regulation were primarily indirect but varied by sexual behavior, suggesting that high self-regulation limits sexual risk via high sexual self-restraint and low substance use. High regulation was linked to multiple sexual partners and high-risk practices risk via high romantic competence, high self-regulation was linked to multiple sexual partners and high risk practices.

Language: en