Co-ed Dorms Lead to More Drinking, Sex, If You Can Imagine That

A recent study conducted by the by Dr. Brian J. Willoughby while at the University of Minnesota found that college students were more than 2.5 times as likely to binge drink if they lived in a co-ed dorm. The study also found that these same students were twice as likely to have had at least three sexual partners in the last year.

The findings came after a survey of more than 500 undergrads at five different universities. Willoughby and his team found that 41 percent of students living in co-ed dorms hit the bar on a weekly basis as compared to only 18 percent in single-sex dorms. Also, 44 percent of undergrads living in co-ed dorms said they had had sex within the past year, while only 63 reported getting their bump and grind on in single-sex dorms.

So what does this tell us?  

Well for starters, science is slow. Because it comes as a real shock that throwing a bunch of newly independent, hot, horny undergrads together would lead to boozing and banging. Willoughby says that “A lot of the reaction we’ve been getting from students is, ‘Well, we’ve known that.’”

Science doesn’t like drinking or sex: Willoughby said that his findings could be useful for parents and school administrators to evaluate the effects of 90 percent of college housing options being co-ed.

“It’s not necessarily simply about women and men living together:” Researchers speculate that the reason that co-ed dorms have more sex and drinking than single-sex dorms might not be about men and women leaving together. What’s the reason, you ask?  Willoughby believes a different set of social standards dictates behavior in co-ed dorms. Yeah, different social standards alright, the hot, ready, willing and totally able co-ed next door probably has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Via: Reuters