PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN Bryan et al. / PROPOSING CONDOM USE The Impact of Males Proposing Condom Use on Perceptions of an Initial Sexual Encounter

The authors investigated the impact of the introduction of a con-dom into an initial sexual encounter on the perception of the male condom proposer and the likely outcome of the sexual encounter. College students viewed a videotape depicting the development of an initial sexual encounter. Method of condom introduction (verbal, nonverbal, no condom control) was var-ied. Respondents evaluated the condom proposer on five charac-teristics (nice, mature, romantic, exciting, promiscuous). Con-dom proposers were perceived as nicer and more mature but less romantic and exciting than nonproposers. Women but not men perceived the proposer as nicer and more mature and less promis-cuous when he introduced the condom verbally rather than non-verbally. Men but not women estimated that proposing condom use diminished the chance of sexual intercourse. Results are dis-cussed from the perspectives of person perception, sex role stereo-types, the evolutionary perspective on mate selection, and the applied perspective of the implications for intervention. In a well-intentioned effort to decrease the spread of such sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV, health educators have for some time advocated that sexual partners propose condom use during or directly before sexual encounters. This suggestion to propose condom use to one’s partner has been made, however, with little regard for the situational and interpersonal constraints on carrying out that rec-ommendation (Collins & Karney, 1995). There is increasing evidence (Helweg-Larsen & Collins, 1994