title: Sexual decision making for the "better than average" college student.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to examine the impact of downward social comparison and the "known partner is a safe partner" heuristic on college students' sexual decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred-eighty heterosexual or bisexual undergraduate college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  participants read dating vignettes that varied on perspective and familiarity and then rated the likelihood the couple would engage in sexual intercourse and use a condom.
  
  
  RESULTS
  there were no differences in rated likelihood based on familiarity, suggesting that the students did not view the 2 partner types as significantly different. Students rated the likelihood of sexual intercourse lower and condom use higher when the vignette was presented from the second person perspective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the students' use of downward social comparison is consistent with the "better than average effect," suggesting that the students perceive their own behavior as safe. The implication is that safer sex messages might be most effective if they focus on what students will gain by practicing safer sex behaviors, not just avoidance of a risk behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA. lross6@uwyo.edu
authors.forename: Lindsey L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bowen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014959:Wyoming; D055815:Young Adult