ASSESSING CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN RESPONDING IN A DEMAND TASK AND CONJUGATE PREPARATION FOR ROMANTIC PARTNERS

Abstract

Transmission of sexually transmitted infections may be attributed to risky health behaviors such as sex without a condom. Behavior analytic and economic paradigms have been used to assay sexual demand and sexual health decision-making. Relatedly, schedules of covariation have been proposed as a method for evaluating behavior-environment relations wherein responses and reinforcers
naturally covary, as the case may be with sexual behavior. Thus, the purpose of this translational study was to evaluate demand for hypothetical romantic partners. Participants completed a rank order preference assessment using images of potential romantic partners and then completed purchasing tasks for their high, moderate, and low preferred partner. Then, participants completed a conjugate assessment in which images on screen increased in clarity only when increasing forces were applied to a hand dynamometer. Researchers evaluated correspondence between responding in (a) the purchasing task and (b) the conjugate assessment. Findings indicated significant differences in responding based on preference and strong correspondence between the two assessments.