Can aspects of personality help explain a predilection towards risky sexual behaviors in developing adolescents? Researchers from Utrecht University approached this question by surveying middle adolescents of various personality types. Their findings are now available in an Open Access article from The Journal of Sex Research, the official publication of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.
The three most common personality types found across cultures and age groups are undercontrollers (extroverted, disagreeable, unconscientiousness, open to new experiences), overcontrollers (agreeable, conscientious, introverted, emotionally unstable), and resilients (agreeable, conscientious, open to experiences, extraverted, emotionally stable). Researchers hypothesized that undercontrolling adolescents would engage in more advanced, casual, and risky sexual behavior compared to their resilient and overcontrolling peers. 9th grade students (average age 14.5 yrs.) from 7 high schools in the Netherlands were surveyed 4 times over an 18 month period regarding sexual behaviors/development and personality traits.
Subjects developed tendencies towards casual and risky sexual behaviors at similar rates across personality types. At the beginning of the study, however, survey data revealed more advanced, casual, and risky sexual behavior in undercontrolling subjects compared to their overcontrolling and resilient peers. Between overcontrollers and resilients, initial survey data showed the former engaging in more casual and risky sexual behaviors than the latter. Despite limitations inherent to its self-reporting methodology, the study makes an intriguing case for the link between personality type and sexual experience among middle adolescents.
