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197731 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.197731 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ All Rights Reserved 2024 33 pages Masters Thesis Academic theses Text eng Vannini, Maya Bina Najmi Blais, Rebecca K Cruz, Rick A Cue Davis, Kelly Arizona State University Partial requirement for: M.A., Arizona State University, 2024 Field of study: Psychology Sexual risk-taking is a public health concern that is particularly high among survivors of military sexual assault (MSA), who are also more likely to experience intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization, another correlate of sexual risk-taking. However, there is little research on this association in heterosexual males. IPV victimization may be associated with sexual risk-taking indirectly through posttraumatic cognitions, as the Modified Information Processing Model proposed by Ben-Zur and Zeidner (2009) suggests that traumatic event exposure may modify information processing related to risk-taking. Thus, the current study sought to examine whether posttraumatic cognitions mediated the association of IPV victimization and sexual risk-taking, and if the direct and indirect associations varied by sex. This study used cross-sectional data from a web-based survey of MSA survivors (n=346; 50.9% male). Moderated mediation analysis used the SPSS PROCESS Macro Model 58 to assess study aims. Moderated mediation analysis indicated that the effect of IPV on posttraumatic cognitions did not significantly vary by sex (p>.05). However, the association of posttraumatic cognitions with sexual risk-taking did vary by sex (p<.01; males 95% CI=[.10, .24]; females 95% CI=[-.05, .11]), and the indirect association of IPV victimization with sexual risk-taking by posttraumatic cognitions was significant for males (a*b=.10, 95% CI=[.05, .16]), but not for females (a*b=.01, 95% CI=[-.01, .04]). Results demonstrate the need to study unique aspects of IPV victimization by sex, and highlight posttraumatic cognitions as a potential target to reduce sexual risk-taking in males. Psychology Intimate parter violence Male mental health Military Sexual Assault Posttraumatic cognition U.S. military Posttraumatic Cognitions May Mediate the Association Between Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Sexual Risk-Taking Among Male Military Sexual Assault