Research Projects
Very little human behavior occurs in isolation, and with age, the importance of intimate partners becomes most central to the decisions that we make. This study aims to investigate the ways in which partners may contribute to recreational substance use and sexual decision-making. In addition to an initial retrospective survey and a follow up interview, participants will complete daily diaries, allowing for a uniquely complex picture of the momentary effects of substance use and partner-level variables on sexual decisions. The study will employ community-based recruitment at locations identified in consultation with community partners (e.g., barber shops, social organizations, non-profit organizations). This community-based participatory approach allows for the project to be co-created and implemented in concert with the population it aims to understand and serve.
Partners, Intimacy, and Decision Making
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NOW ENROLLING!
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Positive Sexuality as Prevention
Much attention has recently been given to the high rates of sexual assault on college campuses: as many as one in five women report being assaulted during their four-year college matriculation. Many factors are thought to contribute to this alarming trend; however, it has been proposed that socializing a more normative approach to sexuality and facilitating positive dialogue around sexual behavior will result in fewer incidents of sexual assalut. This research study aims to assess the impact of an innovative campus-wide positive sexuality education initiative on college students' sexual risk, sexual health, and alcohol use behaviors. The project has the following three specific aims: 1) to identify any shift in the campus climate around sexuality; 2) to measure the prevalence of sexual behaviors and unwanted sexual experiences; and 3) to isolate the moderating effects of alcohol use on the association between the initiatives and sexual outcomes.
Sexual Socialization and Healthy Subjective Sexuality
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The current sexual development literature has done much to elucidate the factors contributing to sexual risk-taking in African American youth. However, there is a need to expand research approaches to focus on other healthy, non-behavioral sexual outcomes and the factors that predict them. Addressing this gap, this project predicts that certain sexual messages would impact an emerging adult's feelings and beliefs surrounding sexual experiences, which in turn would affect sexual decisions.