Clive M. Davis

Predictors of condom‐related behaviors among first‐year college students

Among a self‐selected group of 330 first‐year college students we assessed frequency of condom use, reasons for using condoms, and attitudes toward condoms, sexuality, and the double standard. A packet including demographic and sexual history items, along with three attitude measures, was distributed to a random sample of first‐year students. The majority (86.4%) of respondents had engaged in sexual intercourse, and 34.2% of those subjects reported two or more new sexual partners since arriving at college. Although 80.3% of those who had engaged in sexual intercourse since arriving at college reported using a condom, only 20.7% of students who had ever engaged in sexual intercourse reported using a condom every time. Logistic analyses were used to investigate the relationship between condom‐related behaviors and attitudes toward condoms, sexuality, and the double standard. These findings suggest that if condom use is to become a major element in the fight against AIDS, as well as in the prevention of othe...

Characteristics of Vibrator Use Among Women

In this exploratory study, we investigated several demographic and sexual history correlates of vibrator usage among a diverse sample of 202 women. They completed a 35‐item questionnaire that included the predictor variables and items allowing them to describe their experiences using vibrators. Vibrators were used primarily to enhance sexual responsiveness and sexual pleasure, most commonly in autoerotic activity, but, for more than two thirds of the sample, also in partnered activity. A majority indicated orgasms triggered by vibrator stimulation were more intense than others. Nearly half experienced multiple orgasms when using a vibrator. Most were very satisfied with their orgasmic experience in autoerotic activity and were either moderately or very satisfied with their orgasmic experience in partnered activity. The clitoris is the preferred site of vibrator stimulation for most, but there was great diversity in both preferred location and technique. These results were interpreted as indicating the val...

Effects of Fear-Arousing Communications and Topic Importance on Attitude Change

Summary The interaction hypothesis that higher levels of fear arousal will be relatively more effective in producing attitude change for topics of low importance and relatively less effective for topics of high importance was investigated. Undergraduate smokers and nonsmokers (N = 129 males and females) were exposed to one of three fear-arousing communications concerning smoking and cancer. High and low topic importance groups were created on the basis of (a) smoking behavior, (b) verbal reports of topic importance, and (c) interest in the topic. The latter two measures were moderately correlated with one another but neither correlated well with the behavioral measure. Posttest measures of fear level indicated that the messages induced fear but did not induce very high levels, even in the High Fear condition. The interaction hypothesis was not supported with any of the criteria of importance. Smokers evidenced more attitude change than nonsmokers. Higher levels of fear resulted in more attitude change tha...

EFFECT OF RELATIVE POSITIONS OF SEGMENTS ON STRENGTH OF THE MUELLER-LYER ILLUSION

Segall, Campbell, and Herskovits (1966) postulated that the Mueller-Lyer illusion results from the misapplication of normally valid visual inference habits related to depth perception. To test the hypothesis that the depth cue of the relative height of the Mueller-Lyer segments in the visual field affects susceptibility, 100 Ss were presented two identical sets of 15 slides of Mueller-Lyer stimuli, one set with the >—–< above the <——> and the other set in the reverse orientation. Placement of the >—–< above the <—–> produced significantly greater illusion susceptibility, as predicted by the depth cue hypothesis. Females were more susceptible than males, but there were no interaction effects of sex with figure orientation or trials nor a main effect for trials. The results were interpreted as supporting an empiricistic explanation of the Mueller-Lyer illusion.