Author(s):
Alvarez, Maria João 
; Garcia-Marques, Leonel
Date: 2011
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/11029
Origin: Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa
Subject(s): Condom use; Interpersonal perception; HIV/AIDS prevention; Gender; Relationship expectations
Description
Versão pós-print This study examined the effects of contextual and
cognitive variables for sexual protection on perceived social
relationship factors. University students (108 women and 108
men) read script-based narratives on sexual encounters inwhich
six variables were manipulated in two independent analyses. In
thefirst analysis, fourvariableswere evaluated: relational context
(stable, casual), condom use (yes, no), script terminus (beginning,
middleor end), andthe rater’s sex.Thedependentvariables
were interpersonal perception of one of the characters of the narrative,
and expectations regarding characteristics and future of
the relationship. In the second analysis, two other factors were
manipulated only in the‘‘yes’’condom conditions: communicationstrategy
(verbal,non-verbal)andcondomproponent gender.
Our findings corroborated other studies where condom use was
viewed as unromantic with less positive characteristics for relationships.
Condom proponents, especiallymale, were perceived
as lessromantic,particularlywhenproposingacondomnon-verbally
at the beginning of the encounter. However, the controlled
variables enabled us to proposeways of associating condomuse
withpositive expectationstowards theproponentandthe relationship
itself.Romanticism, expectationof sexual intercourse, emotional
proximity, and expectations of condom use in encounters
where a condom was proposed increased when suggested by a
woman,postponedtotheendof theencounter,andverballymentioned.
Weencouragewomen to take the lead in suggesting condom
use, thus empowering them since they do not have to wait
for the male to make the first move.
