Sexuality

1. Sexuality • Why do people have sex? Why don’t they? • What is “sociosexuality”? How does it relate to infidelity? • What determines sexual satisfaction? • How do we communicate desire?

2. Sexual Attitudes • 1972 – 46% of respondents said sex between a man and a woman before marriage was “always or almost always wrong” (National Opinion Research Center, 1972) • 1996 – 32% said that it was “always or almost always wrong”

3. But that is not to say most people endorse sex with strangers • People generally disapprove of intercourse between people in uncommitted relationships (Sprecher, McKinney, & Orbuch, 1987) • People who are sexually active are viewed more positively when described as being in a “serious” rather than a “casual” relationship (Bettor, Hendrick, & Hendrick, 1995)

4. Most people also prefer their dating or marriage partners to have had limited sexual experience (McKinney & Maxwell, 1997) • Thus, today there seems to be a prerequisite of relational attachment and affection for the most appropriate context of sexual activity • But are there gender differences?

5. Gender Differences • On average, men tend to be more permissive in their sexual attitudes than women • But this also depends on the attitude measured • One of the largest differences is on casual premarital sex • Men are more likely to enjoy sex w/o intimacy • This difference has decreased over time (but what has changed?)

6. Most Americans strongly disapprove of extramarital affairs • Men have somewhat more permissive attitudes towards them (Oliver & Hyde, 1993) • Cultural sexual attitudes • Sexual double standards • “Studs” and “sluts” • What does the research say?

7. Women who were described as sexually active were not evaluated more negatively than women who not described as sexually active (Gentry, 1998) • In this study, sexually active women were seen as more liberal and assertive

8. Men prefer potential spouses to be less sexually permissive • But they favor permissive dating partners • Women prefer both potential dating partners and spouses to be less permissive (Oliver & Sedikides, 1992)

9. Attitudes about homosexuality • 1973 – 81% of Americans believed that homosexual sex was “always or almost always wrong” • 1996 – 62% thought it was “always or almost always wrong” (NORC)

10. Attitudes about homosexuality extend past the act of sex itself • More than half of Americans object to the “homosexual lifestyle” (Turque, 1992) • Gay and lesbian relationships are assumed by many to be dysfunctional and unhappy • Not supported by research (Peplau, Veniegas, & Campbell, 1996)

11. Attitudes may continue to become more positive • More high-visibility gays and lesbians • Will & Grace, Ellen DeGeneres, Sheryl Swoopes • Civil unions in California • Personal contact with a gay or lesbian person may promote positive attitudes towards homosexuals (Herek & Glunt, 1993) (reciprocal influence)

12. Sexual behavior • First time for sex? • Approx. 16 for males and 17 for females • African-American males (14) earlier than whites or Latinos • The general trend had been toward earlier experiences • But rates of adolescent virginity have increased

13. Adolescent reasons for and against having sex • Reasons for: • Express love and affection for partner • Curiosity • Peer pressure/want to please partner

14. Reasons against: • Potential for pregnancy, AIDS, STDs • Moral beliefs • Have not experiences sufficient love with partner • Feelings of insecurity or inadequacy (men)

15. Predictors of first-time sex • Premarital sex is associated with: • Confidence about being popular and attractive to the opposite sex • A positive and accepting view of oneself • More experiences involving stressful physical or family related events • Girls without a father present; boys whose families change from intact to being without a father • Desire to achieve “adult status” • Teenagers who place greater emphasis on independence

16. Sex in committed relationships • Frequency (Call, Sprecher, & Schwartz, 1995) • Couples co-habiting: 3 times/week • Married couples: 2 times/week • Both have sex more frequently than single people • Older people have sex less frequently • Decreased hormone levels • Interest may decrease (“sexual habituation”)

17. Sexual orientation • Initially gay men have more sex than lesbian or heterosexual couples • After 10 years heterosexual couples have more sex than gay couples • Lesbians have sex less frequently than the other couples regardless of relationship duration

18. Infidelity • Recall Americans’ attitudes toward extramarital sex • 25% of married men and 15% of married women report extramarital sex at least once (Laumann et al., 1994) • Predictors?

19. Gender • Men are more likely to have an affair and are more accepting of nonmonogamy in general • Gay men are most likely to report an instance of extradyadic sex

20. Sociosexuality • A general orientation toward sex as either requiring commitment or not • Computer dating video experiment (Seal et al., 1995) • Equity theory • Underbenefitted people report more affairs (Walster, Traupmann, & Walster, 1978) • Replicated for wives by Prins, Buunk, and VanYperen (1993)

21. Sexual satisfaction • Almost 90% of respondents said they were “very” or “extremely” physically satisfied with their sexual relationships (National Health and Social Life Survey, 1994) • Numbers were somewhat higher for married couples • Other studies have found married couples to be quite satisfied with their sex lives (e.g. Lawrence & Byers, 1995; Oggins, Loeber, & Veroff, 1993)

22. Sexual satisfaction is closely tied to sexual frequency (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1983) • 89% of married couples having sex 3 times/week or more reported sexual satisfaction • Only 32% of spouses having sex once a month or less felt the same satisfaction • Sexual satisfaction is associated with relationship satisfaction • May be the correspondence between desired and actual frequency • May be more sex than arguments (remember Gottman)

23. Exchange theories • Rewards • The degree of comfort with your partner • How you feel about yourself during or after sex • Physical sensations • Costs • Having sex when you or your partner is not in the mood • Lack of spontaneity • Infrequency

24. More rewards than costs, and having expectations met lead to greater sexual satisfaction (Lawrence & Byers, 1995) • Partners in equitable relationships report going further sexually • Participants in equitable relationships reported more sexual satisfaction (Traupmann, Hatfield, & Wexler, 1983)

25. Sexual communication • Verbally • Nonverbally • Kissing, touching, dressing attractively • Other indirect strategies? • Men are more likely to initiate sexual activity • The most common strategy for acceptance is simply not resisting (Hickman & Muehlenhard, 1999)

26. People often have difficulty expressing specific sexual desires • More likely to talk about likes than dislikes • Sexual self-disclosure is highest when partner reciprocates • Clear communication about likes and dislikes is associated with greater sexual satisfaction • Greater subjective quality of experience

27. Sexual miscommunication • Sexual aggression • May be that if a man perceives a woman as sexy he hears “yes” even when she says no • Aggressive men may selectively ignore resistance and use miscommunication as an excuse for rape (Warshaw, 1994)

28. Kinsey Questions • Do you think that Kinsey made a contribution to the field of human sexuality? • Do you agree or disagree with his methods? Why? • Can you think of some alternative ways to study human sexuality?