In this article, we review the literature on sexual hookups and consider the research on the psychological consequences of casual sex. However, these encounters often transpire without any promise of - or desire for - a more traditional romantic relationship. Hook-up activities may include a wide range of sexual behaviors, such as kissing, oral sex and penetrative intercourse. Hookups are becoming more engrained in popular culture, reflecting both evolved sexual predilections and changing social and sexual scripts. These developmental shifts, research suggests, are some of the factors driving the increase in sexual "hookups," or uncommitted sexual encounters, part of a popular cultural change that has infiltrated the lives of emerging adults throughout the Western world. In the United States, the age when people first marry and reproduce has been pushed back dramatically, while at the same time the age of puberty has dropped, resulting in an era in which young adults are physiologically able to reproduce but not psychologically or socially ready to "settle down" and begin a family (Bogle, 2007 Garcia & Reiber, 2008). It is an unprecedented time in the history of human sexuality. Discuss the role of uncommitted sexual behavior, and larger social-sexual scripts, on the lives and experiences of emerging adult college students.
![sexual positions and emotional investment sexual positions and emotional investment](https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/money-banking-seniors-senior_citizens-emotional-upset-enraged-dpin2301_low.jpg)
Review the current research on psychological and health consequences of emerging adults' uncommitted sexual activity.Describe the concept and context of contemporary sexual hook-up culture and behavior.The APA Office of CE in Psychology retains responsibility for the program. The test fee is $25 for members $35 for nonmembers. APA will immediately send you a "Documentation of CE" certificate. Upon successful completion of the test (a score of 75 percent or higher), you can print your CE certificate immediately.
![sexual positions and emotional investment sexual positions and emotional investment](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QK7Dx9ISIUI/hqdefault.jpg)
"CE Corner" appears in the February 2012, April, July/August and November issues of the Monitor. This feature will provide you with updates on critical developments in psychology, drawn from peer-reviewed literature and written by leading psychology experts. "CE Corner" is a quarterly continuing education article offered by the APA Office of CE in Psychology.