Effects of emotion regulation strategies on sexual risk-taking

<p>Sexual risk-taking is a growing problem and an area where there are significant individual differences in behavior. One contributing factor to risky sexual behavior may be emotion regulation difficulties. For example, suppression has negative effects on emotion experience, while reappraisal leads to increased well-being. Previous research has demonstrated the use of sexual behavior as an emotion regulation strategy in victimized populations. This study investigated whether emotion regulation strategies influence sexual risk-taking in a non-clinical college population. Individuals with higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties and higher suppression use engaged in more frequent sexual risk-taking behavior, whereas individuals who used reappraisal more frequently engaged in less sexual risk-taking. In addition, the use of reappraisal partially mediated the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and risky sexual behavior, for females. The gender differences suggest that females may benefit most significantly from risk-taking interventions focused on increasing positive emotion regulation strategies.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2013

Author dc:creator

• Lackups, Monica

Contributors dc:contributor

• Natalie Dove, PhD, Chair
• Carol Freedman-Doan, PhD
• Tamara Loverich, PhD

• emotion regulation
• reappraisal
• sexual risk
• sexual risk-taking
• suppression
• Clinical Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/716

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2109