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Mixed logit models predicting whether the target was drawn from the sexually transmitted infection disclosure website, according to attractiveness ratings, the actual website, and photograph ratings. Young adults and adolescents engaging in online dating have to generate quick intuitive judgments when making choices about their interactions with potential sexual partners. Like other decision makers, when they lack statistical estimates, they may rely on heuristics to judge risk [ 30 ]. Online dating invites such heuristic judgments in decisions about engaging others as potential sexual partners.
In this study, we examined the potential role of an attractiveness heuristic in sexual risk judgment by asking participants to predict which of two photographs came from a website for individuals with self-reported STIs. We did find that attractiveness predicts judgments about STI risk. Instead, attractiveness appeared to be used as a cue for higher sexual risk.
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Analyses incorporating other variables led us to an alternative post hoc explanation, which is consistent with research findings that attractive people are perceived as more sexually promiscuous [ 10 , 11 ]. Whatever processes guided their judgments, participants were unable to predict which photographs were drawn from the website with STI disclosure, despite incentives for accuracy.
Moreover, they showed overconfidence that is typical of difficult tasks [ 31 ]. Their predictions were related to the normatively valid cue of whether the target was rated by the pretest sample as someone likely to use condoms and, perhaps, with greater intelligence Table 3.
However, those perceptions appeared to reflect judgments of attractiveness, suggesting sound inferences based on unsound assumptions Multimedia Appendix 1. As seen in model 6 Table 3 , inferences reflecting attractiveness appear to be subsumed by inferences regarding multiple sexual partners.
Our study had several notable limitations. First, photograph pretesting was limited to judgments by male and female individuals identifying as heterosexual. Thus, it is possible that the attractiveness ratings for these photographs did not reflect the perceptions of the mixed heterosexual and bisexual participants in our experimental study sample.
However, there is evidence that judgments of attractiveness of same and other-sex individuals differ by gender but not sexual orientation [ 32 ]. To the best of our knowledge, there is no analogous evidence regarding judgments of STI risk and our sample size did not allow subanalyses by sexual orientation.
Understanding how such judgments relate to sexual orientation is a topic for future research, and it is particularly relevant given the popularity of dating apps among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, as well as their higher risk of contracting STIs [ 2 ]. Within the constraints of our sample, STI predictions were unrelated to gender, gender match with photographs, age, or self-reported STIs Table 2.
Our results did not differ by age group; however, the lack of age-based exclusion in our recruitment procedures should be noted when interpreting the findings in the pediatric context. Moreover, by advertising the topic, as well as recruiting some participants in person, we may have biased the recruited sample. The large representation of sexually inexperienced individuals is unlike much sex-related research [ 33 - 35 ] and higher than reports in national samples of this age group [ 36 ].
We cannot predict how this or other selection processes might have influenced our results. We attempted to focus participants on the images, rather than the individuals in them, by presenting targets who participants would never meet and by providing financial incentives for accuracy. This approach deprived participants of both valid and invalid cues available in everyday life, the most important of which may be the website on which the photograph appeared. Thus, our results suggest a form of heuristic thinking that young people may use, without indicating its power or prevalence.
Romantic interest in a target has been found to be driven primarily by sexual attractiveness [ 35 ]. Using an experimental task that involved rapid judgments of photographs, we found that judgments of STI risk were related to both relevant risk factors and the irrelevant cue of attractiveness. The role of attractiveness appears to have been mediated by the rapid inference that attractive people have more sexual partners and hence greater STI risk.
Reliance on heuristic judgments of risk from visual cues alone, paired with a misplaced confidence in the ability to identify risk among others, could contribute to the higher rates of STIs among those who use online dating sites to initiate sexual encounters [ 38 - 40 ]. These findings may help inform conversations between health care providers and their young patients, providing content for STI counseling that many are eager to provide [ 41 ]. Those conversations may include discussions on the validity of the cues available in online dating apps.
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. Conflicts of Interest: None declared. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. J Med Internet Res. Published online Jun 9. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Corresponding author.
Corresponding Author: Tamar Krishnamurti ude. Objective This study aimed to assess whether in the context of online dating, an attractiveness heuristic would be used for STI risk assessment. Methods In a survey experiment, we asked participants to determine which individual in each of 20 sets of paired photographs was enrolled in a personals website for people with publicly disclosed STIs.
Results Despite financial incentives for accuracy and high levels of self-confidence in their judgments, participants performed no better than chance at identifying individuals with self-reported STIs. Conclusions On showing adolescents and young adults photographs offering no diagnostic information about STIs, they appeared to use attractiveness as a cue for sexual risk, which was mediated by the belief that attractive individuals have more sexual opportunities.
Keywords: risk perception, heuristics, sexually transmitted infections, online dating, dating apps, adolescents, sexual health, attractiveness, halo effect. Introduction In the United States, sexually transmitted infections STIs are increasingly among the most commonly reported diseases, with the total cases of STIs reaching a historical high in [ 1 , 2 ]. Study Participants Our study included 87 participants 55 male and 32 female participants recruited from a private university student participant pool using online postings and recruited on the street in a high foot-traffic neighborhood housing multiple universities both public and private with a sign posted outside a research laboratory.
Study Procedure Participants were shown 20 pairs of photographs 10 pairs of male individuals and 10 pairs of female individuals drawn from the prerated photograph set.
Results Participant Characteristics Of the 87 participants, 74 identified as heterosexual, 12 as homosexual or bisexual, and one did not respond. Open in a separate window.
Descriptive Statistics Sample Size Considerations Each of the 87 participants made 20 judgments about which individual in a pair of photographs was more likely to have an STI. Table 2 Mixed logit models predicting whether the target was drawn from the sexually transmitted infection disclosure website, according to attractiveness ratings, the actual website, and personal characteristics.
Role of Risk-Relevant Characteristics in STI Risk Judgments We used binary mixed logit models to assess the role of other features of the photographs, using pretest sample ratings Multimedia Appendix 1 added to models Table 3. Table 3 Mixed logit models predicting whether the target was drawn from the sexually transmitted infection disclosure website, according to attractiveness ratings, the actual website, and photograph ratings.
Discussion Principal Findings Young adults and adolescents engaging in online dating have to generate quick intuitive judgments when making choices about their interactions with potential sexual partners. Limitations Our study had several notable limitations. Conclusions Romantic interest in a target has been found to be driven primarily by sexual attractiveness [ 35 ].
Appendix Multimedia Appendix 1 Descriptive statistics and Spearman rank correlations for pretest judgments of target photographs. Click here to view. Footnotes Conflicts of Interest: None declared. References 1. An increase in sexually transmitted infections seen in US emergency departments. Prev Med.
Oct 01, []. Sex Res Soc Policy. Wyn J. Young women and sexually transmitted diseases: the issues for public health. Aust J Public Health.
The role of attraction in partner assessments and heterosexual risk for HIV. Understanding and preventing HIV risk behavior: Safer sex and drug use. Journal of Adolescent Health. David G, Cambre C. Screened Intimacies: Tinder and the Swipe Logic. J Appl Social Pyschol. Does attractiveness influence condom use intentions in heterosexual men? Spend your time dating instead of searching. We understand how important discovering chemistry is to our clients. Our goal is to get you face to face with someone you can really click with and let you take it from there.
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