LE3 .A278 2007

2007

Price, Lisa

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Psychology

Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality, affect and risky sexual behaviour. A total of 227 undergraduate university students completed anonymous questionnaires concerning recent and lifetime sexual behaviour, the NEO-PI-R personality inventory, the Impulsive Sensation-Seeking scale, the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist (MAACL-R), and other survey instruments. Overall there was a high level of risky sexual activity in this population, with 20% having had 10 or more sexual partners, and more than half having engaged in a one-night stand. Among those who engaged in risky sexual behaviour, condoms were always used only 10% of the time. Correlation and regression analysis indicated that Impulsive Sensation-Seeking and low levels of Conscientiousness were consistently associated with risk taking. Other personality dimensions were only associated with specific indicators of risk. Extraversion and low scores on Agreeableness were associated with number of sexual partners. Openness to Experience was associated with number of sexual partners and incidence of one-night stands. Neuroticism was only associated with using condoms inconsistently during high risk sexual activity. These results suggest that there are both general and specific personality indicators of risk. No main effects were observed for mood, but when combined with personality, all of the specific, but not general, personality risk indicators were associated with unpleasant affective states. This suggests the possibility of different groups of risk takers; those who take risks which are largely unrelated to mood factors, and those who take risks either to modify unpleasant affect or who experience unpleasant affect following risk taking. Order effects between mood and risk taking behaviour could not be resolved in the present study. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

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