Gender, relationship stage, and sexual behavior: the importance of partner emotional investment within specific situations

Journal of Sex Research, August, 2002 by Craig A. Hill

The decision to engage in sexual behavior with another person is greatly influenced by the level of emotional investment and love felt for the individual (Christopher & Cate, 1985; Roche, 1986; Sprecher, 1989a). Although actual practice may not always follow expressed attitudes and expectations perfectly (Cohen & Shotland, 1996; Roche, 1986), attitudes in the U.S. generally indicate greater approval for sexual behavior in relationships characterized by more emotional investment or stronger commitment to the relationship (Earle & Perricone, 1986; Roche, 1986; Sprecher, 1989b). Several studies have examined the extent to which people actually initiate sexual behavior in specific emotional contexts or relationship stages (outside of the traditional distinction between premarital and marital intercourse; Christopher & Cate, 1985; Cohen & Shotland, 1996; Roche, 1986; Sprecher, Barbee, & Schwartz, 1995). This research has demonstrated that the likelihood of sexual behavior increases with increasing intimacy, commitment, and progression to later stages of relationship involvement.

Of course, not all sexual behavior is initiated in the context of developing or established relationships. Some environments are more conducive to interest in casual sexual behavior, such as with the college culture and the phenomenon of hookups. A hookup is defined as "... a sexual encounter, usually lasting only one night, between two people who are strangers or brief acquaintances" (Paul, McManus, & Hayes, 2000, p. 76). The two people typically have little expectation of further involvement, with the sole or primary goal being to experience the sexual encounter. A second example of sexual contexts that are not oriented toward relationship enhancement is the tradition of taking trips on spring break vacation; norms associated with spring break trips permit, and even promote, sexual encounters between strangers with little expectation of further involvement (Maticka-Tyndale, Herold, & Mewhinney, 1998). Moreover, some individuals are more likely to be interested in casual sex than are others. For example, in one study college students lower in self-esteem, higher in dispositional exhibitionism, less likely to indicate a secure attachment style, and higher in some aspects of fear of intimacy were more likely to experience hookups (Paul et al., 2000). However, the concern of the current investigation regarded factors that relate to the initiation of sexual behavior between individuals who are interested in cultivating a long-term relationship with one another. It is likely that the factors that affect the initiation process in developing relationships is different from factors affecting the process for people not interested in forming a relationship with a sexual partner.

The focus of the current study is the perception of the likelihood of engaging in sexual behavior as a result of intimacy-relevant statements and actions by a hypothetical relationship partner. The hypothesis examined in the study is that perceptions of the likelihood of sexual behavior occurs as a function of (a) the nature of the interpersonal situation affording the opportunity for sexual interaction, (b) the stage of the relationship in which the opportunity arises, and (c) gender. Following from earlier research, it was predicted that, in situations conveying a sense of emotional investment by a hypothetical relationship partner, the likelihood of engaging in sexual behavior would be perceived as greater in more established relationship stages (involved in a long-term relationship vs. involved in a dating relationship, manipulated across participants through instructions about the type of relationship in which they were asked to imagine themselves). That is, Hypothesis 1 was that, in situations conveying partner emotional investment, the likelihood of sexual behavior was expected to be greater in later relationship stages.

The Influence of Emotional Investment on Sexual Behavior

Within the framework of the investment model of relationship commitment (Rusbult, 1980; Rusbult, Martz, & Agnew, 1998), commitment is conceived to be influenced by satisfaction with the relationship, the quality of alternatives to the relationship, and investment of resources in the relationship. According to this model, satisfaction contributes to a dependence on the relationship, a state in which individuals come to rely uniquely on the relationship for desired outcomes. To the extent that others outside of the relationship are not able to provide similar levels of desired outcomes, commitment to the relationship is strengthened by the experience of greater satisfaction. Intimacy is a major component of satisfaction that is often uniquely available from a romantic relationship (Rusbult et al., 1998), and in the current study emotional investment is conceived as an aspect of dependence on the relationship for the experience of such intimacy. Because this type of unique intimacy implies a special trust and a mutual concern for romantic partners' feelings, sexual behavior generally becomes more likely with increasing intimacy and emotional investment in a relationship, given that sexual involvement is generally viewed as a highly restricted and uniquely private type of interaction.