Smartphone hookup app use (e.g. Tinder) and college student's risky sexual behavior: A model including leisure boredom, sensation seeking, and the moderating role of gender

Abstract

Smartphone hookup apps (e.g., Tinder) are popular among college students and used for a variety of purposes including to find a partner for casual sex. As such, previous research has linked college students’ hookup app use with various, often single item, measures of risky sexual behavior. The current study extended previous research by linking hookup app use with risky sexual behavior as assessed by multi-item scales developed specifically for college students. Furthermore, the current study tested these relationships within an integrated path model which simultaneously examined the potential contributions of leisure boredom, sensation seeking, and gender. A survey of valid and reliable scales was administered to a random sample of 410 US college students (females = 244; hookup app users = 173). Data was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results revealed that hookup app use was significantly and positively related to all measures of risky sexual behavior and these relationships were not moderated by gender. Leisure boredom was a significant and positive predictor of hookup app use but for females only; sensation seeking was a significant and positive predictor of hookup app use for both males and females; additionally, sensation seeking predicted risky sexual behavior independent of app use but for females only. In summary, males and females may have different predictors of hookup app use; however, the associated risky sexual behaviors appear similar for males and females, and significantly riskier than for non-hookup app users. Results are explained within the context of the current literature.