| Conceptually distinct from long-term monogamous relationships,hookup is defined as casual sexual behaviors(ranging from kissing to sexual intercourse)with people who are not in a romantic relationship and have no commitment to the current and future relationship development.The impact of hookup on adolescents and young adults in popular culture is becoming greatly obvious,reflecting not only the evolutionary sexual preferences,but also the changes in social and sexual scripts.Hookup becomes more normative among adolescents and young adults in North America,which represents a great change in the openness and acceptance of uncommitted sexual behaviors.These changes are also reflected in the relevant research among Chinese college students.In theory,the emerging adulthood is different from adolescence and adulthood.At this stage,college students experience the suspension of adult responsibilities(such as marriage and childbirth)and engage in identity development and exploration,including sexual exploration.Compared with middle schools,college students are faced with more sexual decision-making opportunities.The mechanism by which casual sex may lead to the physical and mental outcomes of college students is unclear,however some characteristics of casual sex may provide potential explanations,including social stigma,less enjoyment than romantic sex,more regret,excessive substance use,or sexual health problem,failure to gratify the basic needs of deep and lasting interpersonal relationships,or dissolution of the neurochemical and experiential emotional collections that even short-term sexual contact can create.Understanding the factors related to hookup can provide important information for the development and evaluation of prevention and intervention approaches aimed at reducing risky behaviors among college students.At present,most of research on factor exploration is based on the background of Western culture.There are some issues worthy of further exploration in the research on casual sexual behavior among college students in China:On the one hand,although sexual behavior has biological commonality,it is also influenced by social culture,showing differences.Traditional cultures such as Confucianism,Taoist philosophy,and sexual taboos have influenced the understanding of the norms and values of sexual behavior among Chinese college students.The development of globalization has led to the influx of Western culture into Chinese culture,and the sexual scripts of youth may be reconstructed.Under the special cultural background of China,what is the status of hookup among Chinese college students,and what the similar and different characteristics of hookup between Chinese college students and Western college students are worthy of discussion.On the other hand,the research on hookup lacks theoretical support.Although some research has potential theoretical basis,such as interpersonal behavior theory,evolution theory and social cognitive theory,the research of hookup is a relatively new field.Empirical research is mostly non-theoretical and exploratory.Non-theoretical research limits the consistency of the literature and the interpretation of the finding.In addition,there are limitations in research methods,for example,the majority of research on hooking up have used cross-sectional design.Although these studies provide important clues to the correlates of hookup engagement,they provide little information on the predictors of hookup engagement.Based on the above problems,combined with the situation of China,the current study will combine qualitative and quantitative research,from cross-sectional research design to longitudinal tracking research design,for general group(i.e.,college students)and special group(i.e.,college students with hookup experience),focusing on the influence of individual and environmental factors on hookup engagement,the number of hookup partners and the intimate level of hookup behavior and its psychological mechanism.First,through the analysis of event-level research strategies,the study would find out the current situation and characteristics of hooking up among Chinese college students;secondly,it would construct the theoretical framework of hookup factors for Chinese college students through qualitative research;thirdly,through cross-sectional design,it would preliminary verify the rationality of the theoretical framework of influencing factors.It also would explore the correlation between factors and hookup;finally,through longitudinal tracking research design,it would further explore the psychological mechanism between main predictors and hookup.The above issues are discussed through 9 sub-studies.In study 1,Chinese college students(N = 2081)are participants.The study shows the current situation of hooking up among Chinese college students: nearly one-fifth of college students have had at least one hookup experience in past three years.From the perspective of demographic variables,there are significant differences in the incidence of hookup in academic directions,gender,family social economic status,family structure and only-child status.We also find out that the incidence of hookup shows an upward trend by age.We take an event-level approach to elicit information about college students’(N = 390)most recent hookup,and explore the characteristics of hookup: In the recent hookup experience,college students reported greatly penetrative sexual behavior,and would choose relatively familiar partners as the hookup partners.The college students who reported that their hookup partners were less familiar with each other are more likely to engage into penetrative sexual behavior.When there is sexual hookup,more than one-third of college students do not use condoms.In addition,the Internet is the main way for Chinese college students to encounter hookup partners,and it is reported that more than one-third of college students have drunk before hooking up.In addition,college students report more positive emotional responses than negative emotional responses after a recent hookup.We examine the difference on characteristics of hookup by gender and found that there are significant differences between male and female college students in China.In study 2,we focus on the factors of hookup of Chinese college students.Based on the problem behavior theory,14 Chinese college students with hookup experience are interviewed and discussed.Grounded theory is adopted as the research approach and the interview materials are coded by using the NVivo11 software.The three-level coding technology(i.e.,open coding,spindle coding and select coding)is adopted to analyze and summarize the main factors that would affect the hookup of Chinese college students and construct the theoretical framework of the factors.The current study has shown that the factors that impact the hookup of Chinese college students include personality system,behavior systems,and perceptive environment system.Specifically,the personality system includes hookup attitude,attachment style,and psychological well-being;behavior systems include alcohol use and sexting;perceptive environment system includes perceptions of others’ hookup behavior and perceptions of others approve of hooking up.Study 3 explores the correlation between the main factors in the theoretical framework proposed in study 2 and hooking up.This research includes three sub-studies.In study 3a,we select the 1779 Chinese college students as a sample to examine the relationship between the factors of personality system,behavioral systems,as well as perceptual environment system and hookup experiences(i.e.,whether hookup has occurred in the past three years)respectively.In study 3b,we choose 545 Chinese college students who have experienced at least a hookup over three years as a sample.The study explores the relationship between the main factors of the theoretical model and the number of hookup partners reported in the last 12 months and the level of intimacy of the most recent hookup behavior respectively.The results of study 3a and study 3b initially support the rationality of the theoretical framework proposed in study2.However,it is also indicated that the correlation between psychological well-being and hooking up is not consistent.For example,psychological distress is positively correlated with hookup experience,and negatively correlated with number of hookup partners.The results show that psychological well-being may have different effects on hookup engagement among different groups of college students.From the result of study 1,we find out positive emotional response is greater than the negative emotional response.Whether hookup will damage college students’ emotion,or their appropriate behavior in the development,or both,needs further exploration and investigation.In study 3c,we take 463 Chinese college students who have reported at least a hookup in the last 12 months as a sample,to examine the relationship between the main factors and the emotional response after a recent hookup.Through cluster analysis of emotional reactions,the college students are divided into four clusters: happy and excited cluster,realistic contradiction cluster,worried and regret cluster and emotional indifference cluster.A multivariate analysis of variance is performed on the main factors and the four clusters,and it was found that except for alcohol use,other factors had significant differences.This study further verifies the rationality of the theoretical framework,and indicates the correlation between lower social and psychological functions and negative experience after hookup.The cross-sectional data is used in study 3 which cannot clarify the relationship between factors and hooking up and its psychological mechanism,further study should be explored from a longitudinal perspective.Study 4 further explores the relationship between the main factors of the theoretical framework and hooking up through longitudinal research design.It also focuses on the moderated and mediated mechanism between the main factors and hookup,so as to provide more information to understand hookup behavior.In study 4a,we choose 833 Chinese college students as a sample,and conduct two surveys at six-month intervals to explore possible shifts in engaging in hookup relationship over the six-month period.We examine the relationships among psychological well-being predictors(i.e.,psychological distress,self-esteem,suicidal ideation,loneliness,and life satisfaction)and these shift from a short-term longitudinal perspective.We also explore the moderated role of gender in the relationship.The results indicated that during the 6months,only 4.7% of college students were new participants(hookup entrance group),9.7% of college students had discontinued their engagement(hookup discontinuation group),and 6.2% of college students continued their engagement(hookup continuation group).By comparing multiple models,the results indicated that gender couldn’t moderate the relationship between psychological well-being and the engagement in hookup shifts.College students who did not engage in hookup behavior at either time point were used as the reference group,and the other three groups were compared with it respectively.The results indicate that the increase in the degree of depression will increase the possibility of the continuation or discontinuation of the hookup engagement.The decrease in loneliness,the higher the possibility of discontinuation of hookup engagement;the lower the satisfaction,the more likely to enter the hookup engagement.Those finding indicated that the relationship between psychological well-being and hookup decision-making may have complex psychological mechanism.Study 4b is based on social learning theory and social norms theory.Chinese college students who have reported at least one hookup experience in the last 12 months(N = 314)are participant in the study.We examined the association between perceived hookup attitudes of college students’ same-sex/opposite-sex close friends and number of hookup partners via mediated variables(i.e.,own hookup attitude and emotional reaction after a recent hookup).The results of a path analysis showed that students’ own attitudes toward hookups and negative affect following a hookup significantly mediated the association between perceived hookup attitudes of same-sex close friends and number of hookup partners over six months.These findings indicated that same-sex close friend injunctive norms were more strongly associated with future hookup behavior,as compared to opposite-sex friend injunctive norms.To better understand the relationship between peer norms and number of hookup partners,both students’ hookup attitudes and negative emotional response should be considered.In study 4c,Chinese college students with hookup experience(N = 260)participated in a longitudinal follow-up survey at three time points.Each of which was 6months interval,to explore the relationship between insecure attachment and number of hookup partners and the level of intimacy of future hookup behaviors respectively.It is also explored the mediated and moderated mechanisms of sexual motives and gender in these relationships.In multiple parallel mediation analysis,the relationship between Time 1(T1)anxious attachment and Time 3(T3)number of hookup partners is mediated by Time 2(T2)intimate motivation and T2 coping motivation.The relationship between T1 anxious attachment and T3 penetrative hookup behavior is mediated by T2 coping motivation.The relationship between T1 anxious attachment and T3 non-penetrative hookup behavior is mediated by T2 intimating motivation.The study examined the moderated effect of gender in three multiple parallel mediation models,and it indicated that the relationship between T1 anxious attachment and T2 coping motivation was moderated by gender.Specifically,only among female college students,T2 coping motivation has a significant mediated effect on relationship between T1 anxious attachment and T3 number of hookup partners.It is also significant mediated effect on relationship between T1 anxious attachment and T3 penetrative hookup behavior.Those findings indicate that hookup engagement may be a strategy for individuals with anxiety attachment to cope with negative emotions,especially in female college students.In study 4d,Chinese college students(N = 528)completed three follow-up surveys with 6 months intervals each time.The study explores the relationship between sexting and psychological distress and hookup experience respectively,and the mediated mechanism of sexting between psychological distress and hookup experience.The study indicated that T1 psychological distress and T2 psychological distress could positively predict T2 sexting and T3 sexting respectively.The result of cross lag model of sexting and hookup experience shows that they are causality and influence each other.The subsequent mediated model showed that T1 psychological distress had a significant positive indirect effect on T2 hookup experience via T2 sexting;similarly,T2 psychological distress had a significant positively indirect effect on T3 hookup experience via T3 sexting.Therefore,these results indicated that sexting played a stable mediated role in earlier psychological distress to the later hookup experience.Specifically,earlier psychological distress might increase the later possibility of hookup engagement via frequently engaging in sexting.To sum up,the current study takes qualitative research methods to construct a theoretical framework for the influencing factors of Chinese college students’ hookup.Taking the general group(college students)and the special group(college students with hookup experience)as participants,the study examines and explores the relationship between the main factors of the theoretical framework and hookup and the psychological mechanism through cross-sectional and longitudinal-sectional quantitative research designs.The current study indicats that: first of all,sexual double standards in China might still be relatively common.Although impacted by Western cultural trends,the influence of Oriental Culture on the sexual behavior among Chinese college students is still obvious.Compared with men,women’s sexual behavior may be more closely related to the existing social and cultural norms and values.Secondly,the constructed theoretical framework shows the complexity of hookup engagement among Chinese college students.To understand hookup engagement needs to involve multiple systems and their interactions.We find the basis of the influence of personality system,behavior system and perceived environment system on hooking up,and suggest that a series of personal,social and environmental factors should be considered when intervening and preventing this behavior.Focusing on any kind of system(e.g.,personality or perceived environment)is not the most effective way to influence college students’ hookup relationships.Finally,in addition to discussing the main influencing factors,our research also explores the information of moderated and mediated factors.An in-depth discussion of mediated and moderated factors can help to shift education,public policy,and clinical work from a unified,one-size-fits-all strategy and information about casual sex and its health consequences to more personalized and effective approach.All in all,this study focuses on hookup factors of Chinese college students,combined with qualitative and quantitative research,and constructs a theoretical framework of the influencing factors of Chinese college students’ hookup.From the perspective of Chinese culture and social psychology,it thoroughly and systematically verifies and explains the relationship between the main factors and hookup.To a certain extent,this research helps to clarify the complex factors that affect casual sexual behaviors.It has important theoretical and practical worthy for preventing and intervening risky sexual behaviors of Chinese college students and improving their sexual mental health and public safety behaviors.Future research can further improve and expand the theoretical framework of influencing factors,increase the diversity of samples,extend and increase the time and frequency of longitudinal tracking,and provide more comprehensive information on the complex process and potential dynamic development of the formation of hookups for college students in China. |
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