Abstract

It has been proposed that both biological and social influences inform individuals’ attitudes toward casual sex. One of the most impactful societal influences is religion. Traditional Christian religions may impose values of purity onto their followers, and oftentimes the pressure of remaining chaste is disproportionately placed on women. Alternatively, other religions like Judaism, may not place such an emphasis on purity and chastity but instead focus on positive loving relationships. This study hypothesizes that participants with higher religiosity with traditional Christian messaging will have a more negative attitude toward casual sex, participants with similarly high religiosity will endorse heteronormative scripts, and women with this high religiosity will feel more regret when compared to men. Data collected through SONA in 2014 and 2018 will be analyzed. Preliminary data found a correlation found between religiosity and negative attitudes toward casual sex, along with Christian women feeling regret after casual sex.