Women's Alcohol Consumption and Personality Characteristics as Predictors of Unwanted Sexual Experiences 

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between women’s alcohol use and three situation-specific personality characteristics in relation to women’s past sexual experiences. 201 heterosexual female university students answered an anonymous survey including a self-report of their Quantity and Frequency of drinking over the past 90 days, a Women’s Sexual Experiences Questionnaire that assessed frequency of sexual interaction that they desired, were ambivalent about, or completely did not want during the last year, and an Inventory of Interpersonal Problems that was modified to measure Nonassertive, Overly accommodating, and Self-sacrificing personality characteristics specific to interactions with men. Results showed that a greater number of drinking days, combined with higher scores on the Nonassertive or Overly accommodating measures, were associated with higher levels of both unwanted and ambivalent sexual interaction. A greater number of drinking days combined with all three personality characteristics was associated with ambivalent sexual intercourse. The role alcohol may play in increasing victimization risk in particularly vulnerable women is discussed.