The Effects of Gender and Sociosexual

Orientation on Perceptions of Casual Sex

Ashley Adams & Whitley HoltHanover College

Casual SexCasual sex is defined as a sexual encounter that

may or may not involve intercourse between two people without the expectation of developing a relationship (Paul et al., 2000)

Rates of casual sex are thought to be increasing among both males and females, but the increase seems to be especially strong among females (Oliver & Hyde, 1993)

Double StandardWomen are permitted to engage in sexual

relations only within a committed love relationship, whereas men are permitted to have as many sexual partners as they want without condition (Milhausen & Herold, 1999)

Sex is encouraged for males, and discouraged for females (Levesque, et al., 2007; O’Sullivan & Byers, 1992)

Mixed EvidenceDespite an increase in permissiveness in sexual

attitudes and behaviors among women, the sexual double standard continues to thrive (Leigh, Aramburu, & Norris, 1992; Oliver & Hyde, 1993; Paul & Hayes, 2002)

Other research suggests that the double standard has diminished due to an increase in female liberation (Fraley, 2005; Sprecher, et al., 1987; Levesque, et al., 2007)

Past ResearchMain focus on perceptions of the initiators of

casual sex

Other important factors:Gender of the participantSexual attitudes and behaviors of the participant

Gender of the ParticipantGender differences in receptivity to sexual offers

(Clark & Hatfield, 1989)Participants were university students questioned

by male and female confederates“Would you go to bed with me?”

Majority of men agreed to the sexual encounter, while all women refused

Concluded men are much more likely to engage in casual sex than females Suggests that males may judge casual sex less

harshly than females

Sociosexual OrientationRefers to one’s tendency to prefer sexual

engagement with or without commitment

One explanation for the decline in the double standard could stem from the shift of sociosexual orientationsFrom restricted to unrestricted

Women are more likely to engage in casual sex than they have been in the past

Research QuestionWhat are the factors that influence how one

evaluates individuals who initiate casual sex?Gender of the initiator of the sexual actGender of the participantSociosexual orientation of the participant

MethodParticipants

262 ParticipantsAge range: 18-24 years old

18-19: 42%20-21: 28%22-24: 30%

Female: 68%Heterosexual orientation: 85%Currently attending college: 79%Currently in a relationship: 50%

MethodProcedure

Online Survey Informed Consent

After consenting, participants were randomly assigned to two conditions

ScenariosIn each condition, participants were asked to read

three scenarios, each describing a situation in which an individual initiated casual sex

The gender of the initiator was manipulatedRevised Sociosexual Orientation InventoryDemographicsDebriefing

Scenario Example“Matt and Jane were both students at a university.

They had seen each other around campus, and became acquainted when they enrolled in the same class. Matt asked Jane if she would like to hang out and study for the upcoming exam. Jane suggested that they could go to her apartment since she lived alone. That night Matt arrived at Jane’s apartment and they began studying. After an hour they decided to take a break. Jane put her hand on Matt’s thigh and offered to give him a back rub. Then she leaned over to Matt and began to passionately kiss him. They began to remove their clothing and had sexual intercourse” (Kowalski - Revised, 1992).

MethodEvaluation of Initiator

After each scenario, participants were asked four questions in which they evaluated the initiator of the sexual encounterExample: “How positively do you perceive Jane?”

Evaluations were made on 5-point Likert scales

Combined all scenarios α=.91Since the participants responded similarly to the

questions and scenarios we were able to average their answers

MethodRevised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory

“Assesses one’s willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations” (Penke, 2011)

Uses a 5-point Likert ScaleAll 9-items α= .87

SOI-R example questions“How many different partners have you had sex with

in the past 12 months?”“With how many different partners have you had

sexual intercourse without having an interest in a long-term committed relationship with this person?”

Data AnalysisBetween-subjects design

3-way ANOVAFactors:

Gender of the scenario initiator (male, female)Gender of the participant (male, female)SOI-R category placement (unrestricted, restricted)

Results

No significant effect for gender of initiator

Significant main effect for gender of the participant

Significant main effect for SOI-R

No significant interactions

Gender of Initiator

F (1, 252) = 2.072, p = 0.151

Female Male1

1.5

2

2.5

3

2.72.8

Gender of the Initiator

Posit

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valu

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f In

itia

tor

Gender of Participant

F (1, 252) = 13.75, p < 0.001

Female Male1

1.5

2

2.5

3

2.6

2.9

Gender of the Participant

Posit

ive E

valu

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Participant SOI-R Score

F (1, 252) = 52.11, p < 0.001

Restricted Unrestricted1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

2.4

3.1

SOI-R Score

Posit

ive E

valu

ati

on o

f In

itia

tor

ConclusionNo double standard was found

Male initiators were not judged more positively than female initiators

Male participants evaluated the initiators more positively than women This was consistent with the results from Clark &

Hatfield’s study, that men have a more positive view on casual sex

People who have more positive attitudes towards casual sex viewed the initiators more positively

LimitationsAge range of sample

Use of hypothetical scenarios

Future DirectionsWould perceptions be different if the initiators’

past sexual behavior was stated at the beginning of the scenario?

Milhausen & Herold (1999)Studied the attitudes and sexual behaviors of

university women “The number of partners a woman has had is a

strong predictor of their acceptance of men with many partners”

Questions