Hooking Up Can Negatively Impact Females More Than Males

Among college students, casual sex means different things to different partners. Young adults may approach casual encounters with low expectations of commitment, but new research shows that women are more likely to be at risk for negative outcomes when relationships don’t materialize.

University of Cincinnati clinical psychology PhD candidate Eliza Weitbrecht led the new line of research. She decided to focus on casual sexual encounters because she believes that motivations and outcomes of young adult romantic and sexual activity are not well understood. 

“Hook ups are commonly reported by college students, yet there was a lack of research on the expected, ideal, and relational outcomes of these encounters,” said Weitbrecht, 28.

She has noted a shift in the dating and romantic landscape among young adults, including increased ambiguity and complexity in romantic and sexual relationships, she said.

“Many individuals delay marriage until their late 20s, resulting in a period of time from their late teens to mid-late 20s in which they are exploring their identity and making decisions in romance and sex that may contribute to their overall health and well-being,” said Weitbrecht.

Her master’s thesis concluded that women may be more vulnerable when it comes to hooking up because they are more motivated than their male partners to start relationships. “Investigating the ‘Hook Ups’ of Emerging Adult College Students: Motivations, Expectations, and Ideal Outcomes Associated with Hooking Up,” was chosen to represent UC in the social sciences category of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) 2017 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Competition. 

Weitbrecht could win a $750 honorarium and up to $500 for travel expenses to attend the MAGS annual meeting in April Indianapolis, Indiana. She said she is honored to have been chosen to be considered for the regional award.

“Receiving the award was very validating and rewarding, and reinforced the passion I have for this important area of psychology research,” she said. 

Aside from working on her research, she is currently completing her pre-doctoral clinical internship at the Orlando VA Medical. Because this is her last year of study in the College of Arts and Sciences, she is also applying for jobs. She hopes to obtain a position in a VA Medical Center or Academic Health Center, where she would like to pursue her clinical and research interests in the field of intimate relationships. 

Weitbrecht’s advisor, associate professor of psychology Sarah Whitton, PhD, is proud of her student’s achievements to date. 

“She exhibits such a rare combination of not only being smart, passionate about her research, and highly productive, but also having great social skills and being incredibly nice to work with,” said Whitton. 

Whitton said Weitbrecht’s thesis provides important new information about why college students engage in high rates of uncommitted sexual hook ups, and how gender differences in these motivations may place young women at risk for more than just disappointment. 

I have no doubt she will go on to a productive career conducting research in this important area.”