M. Hynie et al., COMMITMENT, INTIMACY, AND WOMENS PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AND CONTRACEPTIVE READINESS, Psychology of women quarterly, 21(3), 1997, pp. 447-464
A person-perception study was conducted to examine the influence of in
timacy and commitment on the acceptability of premarital sex and contr
aceptive preparedness. Ninety-six women rated a female target's person
ality and behavior after reading a diary entry describing a couple's i
nitial sexual encounter. The nature of the couple's relationship and w
ho provided the condom were manipulated between participants. Women in
ferred a committed relationship when intimacy was present. Women rated
the target, and her behavior, as more acceptable when she had sex in
a relationship with commitment. When she provided a condom, the target
was perceived as less nice in the noncommitted than in the committed
relationship. When her partner provided the condom, however, commitmen
t level did not influence personality ratings.