Luff publishes hook up culture research

Through movies, television, and other popular forms of communication, we are bombarded with ideas of the “Hook-Up Culture.” With all of this information coming in in at once, it can be hard to decipher what is true and what is not. Shows such as Sex and the City would have us believe that everyone is hooking up, while shows such as 19 Kids and Counting makes us believe sex only comes with marriage. Luckily for the students here at Concord, our very own Dr. Tracy Luff and her research partner Marit Berntson sets the record straight in their most recent research journal publication, “The Impact of Peers and Perceptions on Hooking Up” published in College Student Affairs Journal.

When speaking about what inspired this research, Luff explains that he idea came about while teaching a Sociology and Family class. “I have been working on this research since the early 2000’s. We noticed that the textbooks started to talk about hooking, and the students were very interested in the topic.”

The research describe the hookup culture as, “a culture that accepts casual sex and no strings-attached relationships.” Although most students on campus today would assume through popular culture that hooking up is common amongst everyone, research contrast this belief and suggests that only a limited number of students participate in these types of interactions. Differential Association, Impression Management, and Pluralistic Ignorance set up the theoretical framework in the social that influence students to participate in hookups. 

More than 600 students participated in the surveys between Concord University and Roanoke College in Virginia. The surveys included questions about how often the students hooked up, how often their friends hooked up, their attitudes towards hooking up, and the demographic backgrounds and behaviors of various groups. 

The findings of the research may be different than what most people would have thought. “The biggest surprise was finding that hooking up didn’t happen as often as we thought. It was not as prevalent as what we have believed.”

The research suggests that colleges should help guide their students through the hookup culture by talking to them about it. The students she be informed through relatable terms to help them differentiate the myths and stereotypes about hooking up, from the truth and reality of it. It also advocates that colleges and universities discuss the connections between alcohol and the hookup culture. 

Dr. Luff explains why it is important that students are informed about this topic;  “We would like to [do presentations] on campus as part of student life, or freshmen orientation…Our goal is to de-mythologize the hookup culture. People may be making choices that they are not comfortable with. We just want students to have the whole picture so that they can make informed decisions about their sexuality.”

If you would like to read more research on this topic and more involving hookup culture, also see College as Context: Influences on Interpersonal Sexual Scripts. Sexuality & Culture.