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Personality and sexual risk taking: a quantitative review
R H Hoyle1, M C Fejfar, J D Miller
1Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506-0044, USA. rhoyle@pop.uky.edu
Journal of Personality
|December 29, 2000
Summary
Personality traits like sensation seeking, impulsivity, and agreeableness significantly influence sexual risk-taking behaviors. More research is needed on other personality domains beyond sensation seeking.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Understanding the relationship between normal personality traits and sexual risk-taking is crucial for public health.
- Major personality models, including psychobiological and taxonomic perspectives, provide frameworks for this research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively review empirical literature on normal personality traits and sexual risk-taking behaviors.
- To identify which personality domains are most consistently associated with sexual risk-taking.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search identified 53 relevant empirical studies.
- The review focused on personality domains within major psychological models.
- Sexual risk-taking behaviors examined included number of partners, unprotected sex, and high-risk encounters.
Main Results:
- Sensation seeking was the most studied personality trait, accounting for 64% of effect sizes.
- Impulsivity and agreeableness showed effects across all examined sexual risk-taking behaviors.
- Neuroticism and conscientiousness also demonstrated effects on specific sexual risk-taking behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Sensation seeking, impulsivity, and agreeableness are key personality correlates of sexual risk-taking.
- There is a significant research gap concerning other personality domains and their link to sexual risk-taking.
- Future research should explore a broader range of personality traits to fully understand sexual risk behaviors.