According to the sexual behaviour sequence model, decisions about contraception are
made in the context of both rational information processing and emotions. This model
attempts to add a degree of emotions and social norms (from the TRA) to the individual’s
cognitions.Herold and McNamee’s (1982) model
This model is made up of the following variables: (1) parental and peer group norms for
acceptance of premarital intercourse; (2) number of lifetime sexual partners; (3) guilt
about intercourse and attitudes to contraception; (4) involvement with current partner;
(5) partner’s influence to use contraception; and (6) frequency of intercourse. This
model differs from other models of contraception use as it includes details of the relation-
ship. It places contraception use both within the general context of social norms and also
within the context of the relationship.In summary
These decision-making models regard contraceptive use as resulting from an analysis of
the relevant variables. However, they vary in the extent to which they attempt to place
the individual’s cognitive state within a broader context, both of the relationship and the
social world.Integrating developmental and decision-making approaches
to contraception use
Developmental models emphasize behaviour and describe reliable contraception use as
the end product of a transition through a series of stages. These models do not examine
the psychological factors, which may speed up or delay this transition. In contrast,
decision-making models emphasize an individual’s cognitions and, to a varying degree,
place these cognitions within the context of the relationship and social norms. Perhaps
these cognitions could be used to explain the behavioural stages described by the
developmental models. Sheeran et al. (1991) argued that these perspectives could be
combined and that the best means to examine contraceptive use is as a product of
(1) background; (2) intrapersonal; (3) interpersonal; and (4) situational factors. They
defined these factors as follows:Background factors
1 Age: evidence suggests that young women’s contraceptive use increases with age
(e.g. Herold 1981).
2 Gender: women appear to be more likely to use contraception than men (e.g. Whitely
and Schofield 1986).
3 Ethnicity: some evidence suggests that whites are more likely to use contraception
than blacks (e.g. Whitley and Schofield 1986).192 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY