Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Correspondence should be addressed to Melina M. Given ongoing debates about the connection between casual sex and psychological adjustment, in the current study we assessed the cross-sectional association of participation in casual sex with psychological well-being and distress.
A greater proportion of men Gender did not moderate these associations. For emerging-adult college students, engaging in casual sex may elevate risk for negative psychological outcomes.
For example, among a random sample of undergraduate students from a Northeastern U. The current study investigated the association between casual sex and socioemotional outcomes in a diverse, multicampus sample of undergraduates.
Terminology for these relationships, in addition to the umbrella term casual sex , include phrases such as friends with benefits, hookups , and the more traditional one-night stand. Researchers, and emerging-adult college students themselves, often define casual sex differently depending on the behaviors that occur within a sexual encounter e.
Thus, a clear understanding of the precise operational definition of casual sex is necessary to interpret the results of a given study. In the current study, we defined casual sex as having intercourse with a partner one has known for less than a week.
