Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Type
Submission
Keywords
hookup culture, hookup, comprehensive sexual education, sexual scripts, heteronormativity
Department
Psychology
Major
Psychology
Abstract
Hookup Culture has created a pervasive sexual script on college campuses. This dominant culture urges students to hookup frequently and routinely based on several myths, such as the belief that hookups benefit all participants equally or that they give a person an opportunity to express sexual freedom. Studies have emphasized the need for comprehensive sexual education for young adults exposed to or participating in hookup culture. However, to the best of our knowledge, no curriculum has been developed to raise awareness of the detrimental realities of hookup culture. College students at Pepperdine University were randomly assigned to a hookup culture intervention (experimental condition) or a sexual anatomy intervention (control condition). Participants watched six brief educational videos for their assigned condition. Then, they completed a self-report questionnaire to evaluate acceptance of hookup culture myths (as well as a measure of sex positivity that served as filler items and for exploratory analyses). These results inform future interventions to provide students with comprehensive knowledge of sexual health and anatomy.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Rouse & Dr. Trammell
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
11-4-2025 1:00 PM
End Date
11-4-2025 2:00 PM
Does a Sexual Education Intervention Affect Students' Critique of Hookup Culture?
Waves Cafeteria
Hookup Culture has created a pervasive sexual script on college campuses. This dominant culture urges students to hookup frequently and routinely based on several myths, such as the belief that hookups benefit all participants equally or that they give a person an opportunity to express sexual freedom. Studies have emphasized the need for comprehensive sexual education for young adults exposed to or participating in hookup culture. However, to the best of our knowledge, no curriculum has been developed to raise awareness of the detrimental realities of hookup culture. College students at Pepperdine University were randomly assigned to a hookup culture intervention (experimental condition) or a sexual anatomy intervention (control condition). Participants watched six brief educational videos for their assigned condition. Then, they completed a self-report questionnaire to evaluate acceptance of hookup culture myths (as well as a measure of sex positivity that served as filler items and for exploratory analyses). These results inform future interventions to provide students with comprehensive knowledge of sexual health and anatomy.
