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Updated: Oct 29, 2025

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
Short-term mating orientation as a predictor of alcohol use and risky sexual behavior
Susanna V Lopez1, Jaimie Arona Krems1, Delaney S Dunn1
1Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA.
Objectives:
Sexual Strategies Theory suggests people fall on a continuum between having short-term mating orientation (STMO) and long-term mating orientation. One way STMO individuals signal mating goals is via risky drinking. The current study therefore aims to investigate drinks per week (DPW) as a mediator between STMO and risky sexual behavior (RSB), with gender as a moderator between STMO and DPW.
Participants:
Undergraduate students (N = 300) from a Midwestern university during Fall 2019.
Method:
Participants completed questionnaires assessing STMO, DPW, and RSB frequency.
Results:
A moderated-mediation model indicated DPW significantly mediated the relationship between STMO and RSB. Positive associations were found among all three variables. Gender was not a moderator between STMO and DPW.
Conclusions:
Mating orientation was a correlate of alcohol use and RSB for women and men, contributing to the literature identifying STMO as an indicator of those in need of substance use and RSB intervention.
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