Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Correspondence should be addressed to Melina M. Given ongoing debates about the connection between casual sex and psychological adjustment, in the current study we assessed the cross-sectional association of participation in casual sex with psychological well-being and distress. A greater proportion of men Gender did not moderate these associations.
For emerging-adult college students, engaging in casual sex may elevate risk for negative psychological outcomes. For example, among a random sample of undergraduate students from a Northeastern U. The current study investigated the association between casual sex and socioemotional outcomes in a diverse, multicampus sample of undergraduates.
Terminology for these relationships, in addition to the umbrella term casual sex , include phrases such as friends with benefits, hookups , and the more traditional one-night stand. Researchers, and emerging-adult college students themselves, often define casual sex differently depending on the behaviors that occur within a sexual encounter e. Thus, a clear understanding of the precise operational definition of casual sex is necessary to interpret the results of a given study.
In the current study, we defined casual sex as having intercourse with a partner one has known for less than a week. That is, the emphasis was on a sexual encounter between two relative strangers. This distinction is important as there may be unique psychological ramifications for different kinds of casual sexual relationships and correspondingly varied implications for how researchers examine them Cooper, In reviewing current research, we use and define terminology consistent with that of each empirical study that we cite.
Studies examining the association between mental health and casual sex among young adults and college students have produced mixed findings. For example, Paul and colleagues found that levels of self-esteem were significantly lower among college students who reported engaging in a sexual experience either coital or noncoital with a stranger or brief acquaintance compared to college students who had not done so.
