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Dating: Getting to KnowYou

differenttobothpartiesintherelationship.

Usually,astimepassesinadating

relationship,thenatureof therelationship

changes.However,itdoesn’talwayschange

inthesamewayatthesametimeforboth

parties.Currenttrendsshowadeclinein

traditionalformsof datingandarisein

casualsexualinteraction,oftenreferredto

as“hookingup”,whichhasbecomean

alternativetotraditionalexclusive

relationshipsforsomeyoungpeople

(Daniel&Fogarty,2007).“Hooking up”is

vaguely defined and can include varying

degrees of sexual behavior from kissing to

sexual intercourse.Factorswhichmakea

youngpersonmorelikelyto“hookup”

includebothpsychologicalandsocial

predictors(Longmore,Manning,Giordano,

&Rudolph,2004;Paul,McManus,&Hayes,

2000).Psychologicalpredictorsarelowself

esteemandpersonalitytraitswhichinclude

highrisktakingandpermissiveness,with

theprimarysocialpredictorbeingalcohol

useorintoxication.Rarelydohookupstake

placewithoutthepresenceof alcoholuseby

bothpartners(Longmoreetal.,2004).This

begsthequestion,if hookingupissogreat,

whydoyouhavetogetdrunktodoit?

A study of over 1000 college students

found hooking up common on college

campuses (Glenn & Marquardt,2001).

According to this study,dating has a

variety of meanings from hanging out or

just being together to a high degree of

commitment.College men rarely ask

women out on dates or acknowledge their

relationship has progressed to the point

they have become a couple.Regarding

relationships and marriages,this study

found college women found their

relationships either too committed or not

committed enough.College women have

marriage as a life goal and would like to

meet a spouse while in college.

Consequences of Hooking Up

Hookingup,despitetheincreasing

popularity,isnot without consequences.

One’spsychologicalwell-beingcan be

affected.Thedashedhopesandlowered

expectationscandiminishayoungperson’s

senseof well-being(Manning,Giodano,&

Longman,2006).Theseshort-lived,

nonexclusive,no-commitmentrelationships

canpreventyoungpeoplefrompracticing

Hooking up—casual sexual interaction—rarely

occurs in the absence of alcohol.

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