Alcohol And Sexual Risk Behavior

Summary

The current study proposes to develop, refine, and conduct a preliminary randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an innovative prevention program that is the first to (a) simultaneously target heavy episodic drinking (HED), sexually aggressive behavior (SAB), and risky sexual behavior (RSB) among college men; (b) integrate personalized feedback and cognitive training strategies; and (c) target the five major modifiable risk factors for SAB: HED, impersonal sex, misperceptions of sexual interest, rape-supportive attitudes, and peer influence. The program will be computer-delivered as this approach is well received by college students.

Conditions

• Sexually Aggressive Behavior
• Risky Sexual Behavior
• Heavy Episodic Drinking

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Personalized Feedback

The personalized feedback consists of four components: normative feedback, risk/protective feedback, decisional balance/goal setting, and protective strategy review. Personalized feedback targets include readiness to change, perceptions of risk, and misperceptions of peer attitudes/behaviors.

BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Skills Training

We will address three cognitive targets: focus on affective cues, focus on non-affective cues, and over-perception of sexual interest. The first module targets enhanced focus on women's affective cues and reduced over-perception of sexual interest. We will introduce the role of men's sexual-perception skills in satisfying social and sexual interactions with women, as well as problematic sexual behavior including RSB and SAB. Next, we will instruct participants that affective information is the best-available nonverbal information about how a woman is feeling about a specific man. This instruction will focus on distinguishing four primary dating relevant cues: sexual-interest, friendliness, sadness, and rejection. More detailed focus on each cue will emphasize the increased difficulty of reading these cues with a new partner and under the influence of alcohol and sexual arousal, as well as the importance of checking verbally on assumptions about a woman's current sexual interest.

OTHER

Services As Usual

These participants will receive services as usual

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Iowa

  collaborator OTHER

• University of New Mexico

  collaborator OTHER

• Arizona State University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• William Corbin, PhD · Arizona State University

• Teresa Treat, PhD · University of Iowa

• Katie Witkiewitz, PhD · University of New Mexico

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

19 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-10-01

Primary Completion

2025-01-31

Completion

2025-01-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations