Safer sexual decision making in stable and casual relationships: A prototype approach

Abstract

This paper aims at validating the relationship between the way people think about condom use in different types of sexual relationships and the safer sexual decisions they make in that kind of relationship. Based on prototypical features of relationships it was predicted that condom use would be more common in casual relationships whereas individuals in stable relationships would prefer to rely on their ability to select a safe partner. In two studies the predicted relationship between type of sexual relationship and safer or more risky sexual behaviour was validated. Data from the first study (N = 217) show that cognitive representations of both stable and casual sexual relationships arc organised around prototypical features, including types of safer sexual behaviour. In the second study (N = 448 sexual encounters) a link was found between the way people think about safer sex in stable and casual relationships as found in study 1, and the safer sexual decisions they make in that kind of relationship.