Integrating Impulsivity, Expectancies, and Alcohol Use to Predict Risky Sexual Behavior Among College Students: A Test of the Acquired Preparedness Model of Risk

Risky sexual behaviors (RSB) that lead to the transmission and contraction of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections disproportionately affect young adults compared to other age groups. Positive beliefs about the effects of alcohol on sex (i.e., sex-related alcohol expectancies) and the use of alcohol before sex have been shown to influence RSB; however, limited research has examined precipitants to these factors. The acquired preparedness model of risk states that dispositional impulsivity predisposes individuals to form positive expectancies for risky behaviors. The current study used the acquired preparedness model to examine the effects of four dimensions of impulsivity—sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, negative urgency, and positive urgency—on sex-related alcohol expectancies, alcohol use at sex, and their subsequent effects on RSB among a college sample (N = 100). Results demonstrated that sensation seeking and lack of premeditation were the only dimensions of impulsivity significantly associated with RSB. Additionally, the acquired preparedness model for RSB was supported: the positive relationship between impulsivity (i.e., sensation seeking and lack of premeditation) and RSB was serially mediated by sex-related alcohol expectancies and alcohol use at sex, respectively. These findings demonstrate a possible unique pathway in the development of RSB among adolescents and young adults. Preventative efforts aimed at reducing RSB among college students may benefit by incorporating interventions for specific impulsive tendencies and techniques that challenge expectancies about concurrent alcohol use and sexual activity.