From permissive sexual scripts to transactional sex: The mediating role of materialistic money attitudes among Chinese women college students

This study proposed and empirically tested a sequential scripts–attitudes–behavior model to explain transactional sex among Chinese women college students. We hypothesized that permissive sexual scripts were linked to this behavior via the mediation of materialistic money attitudes. A matched case-control study (216 pairs, N = 432) supported this pathway. Analyses using mixed-effects models (accounting for the paired design) confirmed that permissive scripts predicted stronger materialistic money attitudes, which, in turn, were associated with a higher likelihood of transactional sex. After controlling for impulsivity and demographics, we found that the direct effect was nonsignificant. The findings elucidated a cognitive–motivational pathway wherein permissive scripts fostered materialistic valuations of money, thereby increasing the propensity for transactional exchange. Interventions should target this specific link (e. g., through values clarification) rather than focusing solely on risk awareness or structural factors.