Hooking Up and Emerging Adults’ Relationship Attitudes and Expectations

James-Kangal, Neslihan; Weitbrecht, Eliza M.; Francis, Trenel E.; Whitton, Sarah W.

doi:10.1007/s12119-018-9495-5

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…This continues despite evidence that hookups are now normative behaviors for which most emerging adults report benefits or positive reactions (Olmstead, Norona, & Anders, 2019;Paul & Hayes, 2002;Shepardson, Walsh, Carey, & Carey, 2016;Snapp, Ryu, & Kerr, 2015;Stinson, 2010). Second, much of the hookup research to date has focused either on sexual interactions between heterosexual college students (for exceptions, see James-Kangal, Weitbrecht, Francis, & Whitton, 2018;Olmstead et al, 2019) or on casual sex as a HIV risk behavior among sexual minority men (i.e., gay and bisexual men) as well as other men who have sex with men (Bauermeister, 2012;Prestage et al, 2015;Vosburgh, Mansergh, Sullivan, & Purcell, 2012;Watson, Snapp, & Wang, 2017). Thus, the experiences of emerging adult lesbian and bisexual women have been left out of both the college-oriented hookup literature and the maleoriented literature on sexual risk behavior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Prospective Study of Predictors and Consequences of Hooking Up for Sexual Minority Women

et al. 2021

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Hooking up, which refers to a sexual encounter (ranging from kissing to penetrative sex) between individuals who are not in a committed relationship, is an increasingly normative form of sexual exploration among emerging adults. Past research has focused on hookups within a heteronormative context, and some of this work has examined hookups as a way to cope with distress. Building on this work, we examined the role of hookups as a means for lesbian and bisexual women to cope with minority stress through increasing connection and engagement with the LGBTQ (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer or questioning) community. A nationally recruited sample of 520 lesbian and bisexual women ages 18 to 25 years completed questionnaires regarding their hookup behaviors as part of a longitudinal study. Childhood sexual abuse, posttraumatic stress symptoms, alcohol use, minority stress, and involvement and connectedness with the LGBTQ community were also assessed. First, regression analyses were used to examine baseline predictors of hookup behaviors reported at a 12-month follow-up. Findings revealed that alcohol use was associated with a greater likelihood of any subsequent hookups, and individuals reporting more minority stress subsequently hooked up with more partners. Second, hookup behaviors at 12 months were examined as predictors of outcomes at a 24-month follow-up, after controlling for baseline variables. Findings revealed that hookup behaviors were associated with reduced minority stress as well as increased involvement with and connectedness to the LGBTQ community, suggesting hookups may serve a protective function. Overall, findings support the notion that, for sexual minority women, hookups may operate as a means of coping and connection.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Prospective Study of Predictors and Consequences of Hooking Up for Sexual Minority Women

et al. 2021

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“…To the extent that enduring relational competencies, including strategies for managing conflicts that arise, are developed during this developmental period, these findings are concerning. With most emerging adults expecting to be in committed relationships or married within 5 years (James-Kangal, Weitbrecht, Francis, & Whitton, 2018), emerging adults need to learn and practice effective ways of handling conflict now to sustain these stable romantic partnerships that they plan to have in the near future (Davila et al, 2017). The present study offered preliminary evidence of potential barriers to learning and practicing effective communication skills during emerging adulthood.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conflict management in emerging adults’ “nonrelationships”.

James-Kangal

Whitton

2019

Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice

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Emerging adulthood (ages 18 -25) is an important time for young adults to develop effective communication and the conflict management skills they will need to sustain stable relationships in the future. There is an extensive literature on conflict management in emerging adults' committed romantic relationships. However, today's emerging adults no longer reliably engage in traditional dating relationships; rather, up to 70% engage in "nonrelationships" that are casual and ambiguously defined (e.g., "talking," "unofficial relationships," or "friends with benefits"). Although there is currently no published data on how emerging adults respond to issues that arise in nonrelationships, the absence of a clear commitment or social norms to guide partners' behaviors might make it difficult to address conflict directly and effectively. The present study explored this understudied area by conducting focus groups with 45 emerging adults about how they handle conflict in nonrelationships. To supplement these qualitative data, quantitative data were collected on key components of communication competence: willingness to communicate and perceived efficacy. Results indicated that emerging adults rarely engaged in constructive discussions about problems in nonrelationships because of the lack of clarity regarding commitment, absence of relationship rules, and fears of violating social norms that discourage expressions of investment. Also, ratings of communication competence were low; most participants said that they were unlikely to raise their concerns and considered themselves unprepared to effectively manage conflict in nonrelationships. Findings underscore the possibility that the increasingly ambiguous nature of young adult relationships may interfere with the acquisition of healthy conflict management skills.

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“…As a result, hooking up would help SGM emerging adults identify other important aspects of their sexual identities that are a part of their individual or social identity processes. For example, hooking up has been associated with attitudes about committed sexual relationships (James-Kangal et al, 2018), willingness to engage in CNM (Sizemore & Olmstead, 2017), and discovering sexual and romantic preferences (Kuperberg & Walker, 2018) within primarily heterosexual and cisgender populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“This is Real, This is the Way that Things are”: Hooking up as a Pathway for Sexual Identity Development Among SGM Emerging Adults

et al. 2022

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Hooking up may be one pathway for sexual and gender minority (SGM) emerging adults to explore their sexual identity development while they navigate heteronormative milestones. Framed by Dillon et al.’s (2011) model of universal sexual identity development, we examined 24 interviews with SGM emerging adults to understand whether and how hooking up aided in the development of their sexual identities beyond their sexual orientation. Although some participants already reported stable sexual identities prior to hooking up, we identified that hooking up did lead others to develop their sexual preferences more fully, better understand their sexual identity, and strengthen their connections to the SGM community. These findings suggest that hooking up can facilitate positive sexual development among sexual and gender minority emerging adults.

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Hooking Up and Emerging Adults’ Relationship Attitudes and Expectations

Cited by 12 publications

References 44 publications

A Prospective Study of Predictors and Consequences of Hooking Up for Sexual Minority Women

A Prospective Study of Predictors and Consequences of Hooking Up for Sexual Minority Women

Conflict management in emerging adults’ “nonrelationships”.

“This is Real, This is the Way that Things are”: Hooking up as a Pathway for Sexual Identity Development Among SGM Emerging Adults

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