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Regret Expression and Social Learning Increases Delay to Sexual Gratification.
Amanda J Quisenberry1, Celia R Eddy2, David L Patterson1
1Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia, United States of America.
Plos One
|August 18, 2015
Summary
Understanding regret can reduce risky sexual behavior. This study found that hearing about negative health consequences and regret delayed sexual gratification, suggesting a potential prevention strategy.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Public health
Background:
- Modification and prevention of risky sexual behavior are crucial for individual and public health.
- Social learning and regret influence decision-making regarding sexual gratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of social learning and regret expression on delaying sexual gratification.
- To utilize a novel sexual discounting task to assess these effects.
Main Methods:
- Participants (Amazon Mechanical Turk Workers) were exposed to one of three scenarios involving a friend's sexual behavior and health consequences (positive, negative, or negative with regret).
- Participants then selected images for casual sex partners, identifying most/least desired and most/least likely to transmit STIs.
- Decisions regarding immediate unprotected sex versus delayed condom-protected sex were recorded for different partner conditions.
Main Results:
- The scenario detailing negative health consequences with regret expression led to delayed sexual gratification, particularly with more attractive or less STI-prone partners.
- In less attractive or more STI-prone partner conditions, negative health consequences (with or without regret) also resulted in delayed gratification.
Conclusions:
- The sexual discounting task serves as a valid laboratory measure for studying sexual decision-making.
- Incorporating regret expression into health information may be an effective strategy for preventing risky sexual behavior.