1 2 Cognitive and Contextual Variables in Sexual Partner 3 and Relationship Perception 4

7 Abstract This study examined the effects of contextual and 8 cognitive variables for sexual protection on perceived social 9 relationship factors. University students (108 women and 108 10 men) read script-based narratives on sexual encounters in 11 which six variables were manipulated in two independent anal12 yses. In thefirst analysis, fourvariableswereevaluated: relational 13 context (stable, casual), condom use (yes, no), script terminus 14 (beginning,middle or end), and the rater’s sex. The dependent 15 variables were interpersonal perception of one of the charac16 tersof thenarrative, andexpectations regarding characteristics 17 and future of the relationship. In the second analysis, twoother 18 factorsweremanipulatedonly in the‘‘yes’’condomconditions: 19 communication strategy (verbal, non-verbal) and condom 20 proponent gender. Our findings corroborated other studies 21 where condom use was viewed as unromantic with less posi22 tive characteristics for relationships. Condom proponents, 23 especially male, were perceived as less romantic, particularly 24 whenproposing a condomnon-verbally at the beginningof the 25 encounter. However, the controlled variables enabled us to 26 propose ways of associating condom use with positive expec27 tations towards the proponent and the relationship itself. Roman28 ticism, expectation of sexual intercourse, emotional proximity, 29 and expectations of condom use in encounters where a condom 30 was proposed increasedwhen suggested by awoman, postponed 31 to the end of the encounter, and verballymentioned.We encour32 age women to take the lead in suggesting condom use, thus 33 empowering them since they do not have to wait for the male to 34 make the first move. 35 36