| Alcohol-related sexual risk taking is a problem among American college students. Potential risks of intoxicated sex include sexual assault, STD/HIV transmission, and unplanned pregnancy. However, little is known about how alcohol may engender sexually risky behavior. Alcohol has long been popularly assumed to facilitate sexual expression, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been rigorously examined. Current theory suggests that people become more sexual after drinking because they expect such an effect; however, numerous studies have shown that cognitive functioning is impaired at higher doses of alcohol, such that expectancies may not be so influential over behavior. The present study considered several possible mechanism of post-drinking sexual interest: sexual disinhibition, alcohol expectancies, alcohol myopia, and deviance disavowal. The overarching hypotheses were as follows. In sober participants, interest in sexual images would be influenced primarily by traditional (explicit) sexual attitudes. In slightly intoxicated participants, alcohol expectancies would be the primary determinant of sexual interest. In highly intoxicated participants, sexual interest would be influenced primarily by implicit sexual attitudes.; One hundred sixty undergraduate men and women participated in the study. Participants completed a number of measures of explicit sexual attitudes. Implicit sexual attitudes were measured using the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Participants were administered no alcohol or a low or high dose of alcohol. Executive cognitive function was measured before and after the beverage administration. After the beverage administration, participants were asked to look at sexually explicit images on a computer screen. The amount of time spent looking at each image (“sexual interest”) was measured surreptitiously. In addition, participants rated their reactions to the images. Mood and sexual arousal were measured before and after the image-viewing task. The results suggested a complex interplay among implicit and explicit sexual attitudes and alcohol expectancies in relation to the reactions to the sexual images. Alcohol was associated with higher ratings of arousal to the sexual images. Path analyses suggested that the effects of alcohol and explicit sexual attitudes on interest in sexual material were largely mediated through affective responses, including subjective sexual arousal. |
