It’s long been claimed that men want more sex than women. And various studies have even claimed that men are more sexually permissive, masturbate more, and have higher rates of casual sex. A recent study even showed that men were more likely to report dreams about multiple sex partners.

However, a new study published in the journal ‘Sex Roles’ by Tom Tiegs, Paul Perrin and colleagues from the University of Florida, shows that once in a committed relationship, men and women both have similar attitudes toward sex. The study reveals that sexual stereotypes, in which men are sexually forward whilst women tend to resist are unfounded when romantic feelings come into play.

Paul Perrin said:

Men experience a lot of pressure in our society to have sex with a number of different partners; the opposite of what women experience as kind of the gatekeepers of sexuality.

Methodology
208 women and 131 men from an introductory psychology course at UF were surveyed. The students rated 160 statements on a scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”, regarding their sexual behaviours and attitudes. The statements fell into four broad categories.

In category 1, “sex as personally and physically pleasurable,” statements included:

• I should have sex with as many people as possible.
• If I want to be close to someone, I should have sex.
• I should get drunk to enhance my sexual experience.
• I should have sex with my partner so he/she will not leave me.

In category 2, “sex as beneficial in creating positive feelings about oneself,” statements included:

• I feel attractive after sex.
• Sex makes my partner love me.
• I trust my partner more after sex.

In category 3, “sex as personally costly in terms of having negative emotional, psychological or physical consequences,” statements included:

• God will punish me for having sex.
• Having a one-night stand makes me feel cheap.
• Sex makes me feel guilty for violating my morals.
• I will get an STD by having sex.

In category 4, “sex as a violation of social injunctions,” statements included:

• I should be with my partner a long time before I have sex.
• I should not have sex because I’m too attached to someone I’m having sex with.
• I should not engage in premarital sex.

Conclusion
Women placed more emphasis on the emotional aspects of sex, whilst men focused more on the physical side of sex. Men were much more likely to find sex personally and physically pleasurable, while women were more likely to think sex violated social taboos.

The Scientists concluded:

Sexually restrictive gender roles too often become self-fulfilling prophecies because women know that they are expected to be less sexual than men, and men know that they are expected to be more sexual than women.

Men gave much higher ratings for sexually risky behaviours, such as “I should have sex with as many people as possible,” and women were more likely to agree with statements about waiting longer, and not engaging in premarital sex.

However, in the context of an intimate relationship, the researchers found that women dumped societies imposed gender roles, and became more open to sexual pleasure. And both genders testified that sex was important as a way to bring couples closer, to help maintain healthy relationships and increase one’s self confidence.

Paul Perrin summed up:

People in romantic relationships give more importance to their own feelings and their partners’ than they do to social expectations about sexual behaviour”

You might also enjoy reading:-

• Sexually active girls more prone to depression than virgins
• Depressed women have more sex
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• Mating motives can shape friendships (and attract trouble)
• Avoiding Automatic Defensive Postures

Posted by Jonathan in Psychology, Sociology

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