Characteristics of women who most often set goals revealed the following profile: inner-directed behaviors such as determining own moral values and decisions; optimism about life; comfort with own sexuality; psychological sexual satisfaction; religious attitudes; conservative sexual attitudes; and safer sex behaviors. Thus, the cognitive variable of goal-setting did appear to differentiate college women who made responsible sexual decisions from those who engaged in risk-taking sexual behaviors. As the 21st century begins, a high level of participation in premarital sexual intercourse by college women is well-documented. However, cognitive factors, as operationalized in personal goals, appear to be important variables affecting life decisions among college women in issues pertaining to sexuality. This study examined the relationship of cognitive skills to responsible sexual behavior, specifically between the cognitive variable, personal goal-setting, and risk-reduction sexual behavior. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 626 never-married, heterosexual women from a midwestern, residential State university. Tables and references