title: Diverse reactions to hooking up among U.S. university students.
abstract: Hooking up is defined as a physical encounter between two people who are not romantically committed. This study explored whether there were subgroups of young adults with unique reactions to hooking up (N = 879). Psychosocial predictor variables (gender, depression, loneliness, intoxication level, college adjustment, and hope for a committed relationship) were investigated along with emotional reactions as the outcome variables. Through the use of cluster analysis, four distinct clusters were identified: Happy Hopeful, Content Realist, Used and Confused, and Disappointed and Disengaged. The majority (62 %) of the sample reported mostly positive reactions to hooking up and fell within the Happy Hopeful or Content Realist clusters. Protective factors in these two clusters included hope for a committed relationship, having realistic expectations, and healthy psychological adjustment. The Used and Confused and Disappointed and Disengaged clusters reported the most negative hooking up reactions and consisted of 38 % of the overall sample. These two groups reported increased depression and loneliness symptoms and lower levels of social adjustment as compared to those clusters with more positive reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Counseling Psychology, Counseling, and College Student Personnel, College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisville, Room 320, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA, Jrstro04@louisville.edu.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strokoff
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Frank D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Fincham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult