Information-seeking strategies for receiving consent : applying the Theory of Motivated Information Management to sexual relationships between college students.

Drawing from the Theory of Motivated Information Management (TMIM), this thesis applies the process of information seeking to consent utilization during casual sexual encounters between college students. The goal of this study is to (1) test the applicability of the TMIM model to communication during hookups, (2) gain insight into how partners communicate their sexual desires, and (3) identify external consent factors that would affect the TMIM model in this instance. Participants (N = 495) answered questions about their most recent sexual encounter, who their partner was during that encounter, and the ways they understood their partner's desire. Multiple linear regression results demonstrate the applicability of TMIM in explaining how external consent factors—gender, relationship history, and sexual behavior—predict communication about sexual desire during hookups. Data indicate significant results for every relationship in the TMIM model, as well the relationship between information management strategies and this study’s identified consent factors. Implications are discussed in the context of consent education for college students.