Posted September 26, Reviewed by Jessica Schrader. The actual overall prevalence of hooking up is likely even higher, since these estimates are limited to college students. Post-college social interactions for individuals in their 20s or 30s present many new opportunities for hooking up, and with no sign of these trends changing, we need to evaluate how hooking up is connected to psychological health and well-being.
The partners could be strangers, friends, casual acquaintances, ex-partners, etc. But the absence of commitment is important to the definition. People have great hookups and horrible hookups. The variety of behaviors involved, situations in which they can occur, and ways that they can end, creates a challenge for researchers to understand and predict people's emotional reactions. Scholars are also challenged to focus not only on heterosexual hookups, but also on the casual sex behaviors and subsequent emotional responses of gay and lesbian individuals.
Follow me on Twitter theresadidonato for relationship-related research articles, updates, and info. Eshbaugh, E. Hookups and sexual regret among college women. The Journal of Social Psychology , 1 , Galperin, A. Sexual regret: Evidence for evolved sex differences. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 42 7 , Owen, J. Toward a more complete understanding of reactions to hooking up among college women.
Oswalt, S. Sexual regret in college students. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 34 6 , Paul, E. The casualties of casual sex: A qualitative exploration of the phenomenology of college students' hookups. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 19 5 , Strokoff, J. Diverse reactions to hooking up among US university students. Archives of Sexual Behavior , Theresa DiDonato, Ph. Theresa E. DiDonato Ph.
Meet, Catch, and Keep. References Eshbaugh, E. About the Author. More from Theresa E. More from Psychology Today. Back Psychology Today. Back Find a Therapist. Back Get Help. Mental Health. Passive Aggression Personality Shyness. Personal Growth. Low Sexual Desire Relationships Sex. Family Life. Child Development Parenting. View Help Index. Do I Need Help? Talk to Someone. Back Magazine. January Back Today. Essential Reads. Trending Topics. See All.
