Gender Differences in Sexual Behavior
Paige Shipley
Hanover College
Abstract
This study was designed to examine gender differences in sexual behavior.
Participants (N = 60) completed a questionnaire, which included items asking
about their sexual experiences and behaviors. Demographics collected also
permitted for the analysis of gender. Although no significant differences were
found, on every item males scored higher than females.
Men and women appear to have different roles in sexual behaviors, which
A few of my participants ended up being under 18, therefore I had to delete
Results
may guide one’s sexual experiences: "...traditional gender roles frame the sexual
expectations for men and women in different terms; men are expected to instigate
their data. Not all of my participants went to Hanover, therefore this study is not
I predicted that men would admit to participating in permissive sexual
sexual activity and be sexually active, while women are expected to restrict and
behaviors more often than women. In order to come up with my results, I tested
avoid sexual activity and be more concerned with romance than sex..." (McHugh,
each item on the questionnaire separately. For questions with yes or no answers, I
2012, 364) Due to the fact that men are looked at as the instigators, it would
ran Chi Square tests (see Table 1). Scale questions were scaled from 0 being
make sense that men have had more hook ups than women. If men are doing the
never to 5 being every day. For questions with a scale, I ran independent t-tests
behaviors of males and females. Although it was not huge, my study did find
instigating, they would likely have more experience to have the confidence that
(see Table 2).
differences between men and women.
they need.
men did score higher in every category.
I found no significant differences between men and women, but
The hook up culture is described as engaging in sexual activities with no plan
Table 1
Percentages of sexual behavior listed among two different genders.
be likely to report higher numbers of sexual behaviors and successful sex. This
majority of college students have engaged in the “hook up culture”. Out of 19
could mean that men are exaggerating the number of sexual partners that they
Question
different colleges or universities (14,000 students) , 58% of these students have
have had.
Hooking up is taboo among many generations, but younger generations have
of 7 different hook up encounters. This culture is extremely prevalent among
made this a norm. Given the biological and environmental factors, I hypothesize
adolescents and young adults. According to Monto and the data presented above,
that men are more likely to report higher numbers of engagement in this culture
hooking up is appearing to replace dating. Helm (2015) reports that both sexes
than women.
have twice as many hook ups than first dates. One explanation of the high
prevalence of hook ups is the influence that popular media has on younger
generations. Songs with sexually provocative lyrics may be making the topic less
taboo. “The Fix” by Nelly is a good example of this. This song refers to these
behaviors as “sexual healing,” making sex seem like a drug or medicine used to
fix a bad day. Katy Perry’s song “Last Friday Night” also addresses this issue.
Her song opens with “There’s a stranger in my bed. There’s a pounding in my
Method
Participants
60 participants were included in the study. The participants were
acquaintances of the researcher. Participants found a link for the study on the
researcher's Facebook page and opted to take it. Participants varied in age,
head.” Katy is alluding to the fact that she got drunk and woke up the next day
gender, race, and sexual orientation. 39 participants were between the ages of 18
with a guy in her bed. Songs such as this promote hooking up by ignoring the
and 21, 12 participants were between the ages 22 and 25, and 9 participants were
risks and emphasizing the benefits. There is some evidence that points to a
correlation that adolescents who listen to high levels of rap music, likely to
promote permissive attitudes toward sexuality, are two times more likely to have
had multiple sexual partners (Wingood, 2003).
Double standards, attitudes or expectations favoring one group over the
other, are put in place when it comes to one's sexual behavior and gender. This
alone can affect whether or not someone engages in the hook up culture.
According to Helm, gender differences in the hook up culture can be explained by
two different theoretical frameworks. These would be evolutionary psychology
and cognitive social learning theory.
From an evolutionary perspective, both men and women use sex for mating,
but men can do so at a higher rate due to biological circumstances. While women
have to go through the nine-month process of pregnancy, men can continue to
reproduce therefore leading them to have sexual encounters with multiple partners
(Helm, 2015). Cognitive social learning theory also explains gender differences
within the hook up culture. Learning takes place by observing and engaging in
social interactions (Helm, 2015). A part of learning is receiving feedback from an
age 26 and up. 13 participants identified as male while 47 participants identified
as female. 46 participants identified as White, 6 African-American, 1 as
Hispanic, 4 as multi racial, 1 as other.
Materials
and an ‘abstinence’, or a campaign to encourage healthy relationships.
p-value
Campaigns can be targeted on the group of individuals that engage in this
Have you ever
85%
hooked up with a
friend?
Have you ever
54%
hooked up with an
acquaintance?
66%
0.414
behavior and culture more often.
Have you ever
46%
hooked up with a
stranger
Is casual sex okay? 92.3%
21%
0.185
79%
0.52
Taking into consideration these limitations this study could, and should, be
47%
0.807
run again to understand what is really happening with sexual relations between
the genders.
Table 2
Average of how often participants engage in sexual behavior.
Sexual
Behavior
Vaginal
Intercourse
Mean for
Males
2.9
Mean for
Females
2.7
p-value
t-value
0.705
-3.81
References
Helm, H.J, Gondra, S.D., & McBride, D.C. (2015). Hook-up Culture Among College
Anal
Intercourse
Received Oral
2.15
2.77
2.17
0.284
-1.082
Given Oral
2.77
2.4
0.524
-0.64
1.53
0.168
-1.39
Students: A
Comparison of Attitudes Toward Hooking Up Based on
Ethnicity and Gender. North American Journal of Psychology, 17(2), 221-232.
Jonason, P. K., Hatfield, E., & Boler, V. M. (2015). Who engages in serious and
casual sex relationships? An individual differences perspective. Personality
And Individual Differences, 75205-209. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2014.11.042
designed was used to conduct this study. The questionnaire had 15 items. The
McHugh, M.C., Pearlson, B., & Poet, A. (2012). Who Needs to Understand Hook
questions were "have you ever“ (see Table 1) and "How often" questions such as
Discussion
how often do you engage in vaginal intercourse? (see Table 2) Participants
This study was meant to discover any differences between men and women's
hooked up with a stranger? casual sex okay? Participants answered these two
sexual behaviors. The hypothesis for this study was not confirmed, but the results
questions with a yes or a no. The questionnaire was aimed to discover how
are headed in the direction I predicted.
different men and women really are when it comes to their sexual behaviors. The
By understanding who is likely to have multiple casual sexual relations, programs
Female
Male
Not very many materials were used during this study. A questionnaire that I
answered this on a scale from never to a few times a week. Have you ever
In conclusion, my study found no significant differences between the sexual
unwanted pregnancies on college campuses and among other adults.
on being in a committed relationship (Monto, 2014). According to Monto, the
engaged in the “hook up culture” by their senior year of college, with an average
combat many of the limitations that affected my study.
campuses. This particular culture could affect STD rates, and the rates of
have the same number of partners on average. Jonason (2015) explains that due
to the stereotypes put upon men when it comes to sexual behavior, males tend to
If this study were to be run again, a bigger sample size should be used to
This data could be used to understand this culture that is taking over college
Assuming that the sexual behaviors are heterosexual, men and women should
Introduction
representative of Hanover’s campus
No significant differences were found, but men scored higher. Had more
Up Culture?: Understanding Hookup Culture: What's Really Happening on
College Campuses. Sex Roles, 67(5-6), 363-365. doi:10.1007/s11199-0120172-0
Monto, M.A., & Carey, A.G. (2014). A New Standard of Sexual Behavior? Are
Claims Associated with the 'Hookup Culture' Supported by general Social
Survey Data?. Journal of Sex Research, 51(6), 605-615.
questions I asked were meant to get an understanding of the participants’ sexual
men taken my questionnaire, there likely would have been a significant difference
habits. The study itself measured gender differences, but the questionnaire
between men and women. Having a bigger sample size over all would have
measured sexual behaviors.
improved external validity. The size of my sample was a limitation to my study.
Robillard, A., & Hook, E.I. (2003). A Prospective Study of Exposure to Rap
Procedure
However, this is considered a limitation but it did not ruin my study. Even though
Music Videos and African American Female Adolescents' Health. American
my sample size was not extremely large, my results confirmed that I my
Journal of Public Health, 93(3), 437-439.
Participants had to electronically agree to the informed consent form, in
audience. Whether that feedback is negative or positive, learning occurs.
which no deception was used, before they were able to move on to the
McHugh (2012) writes on page 364, "The sexual double standard refers to
questionnaire. Participants were told that the study was designed to examine their
reacting to the same sexual behavior differently when engaged in by men versus
sexual experiences. Participants were informed that their answers were
relationships. This one thing could have a huge effect on my study. A person in a
women. Women have been criticized, labeled and derogated for engaging in
completely anonymous in order to preserve the honesty of more sensitive
relationship may engage in sexual behaviors more often. This would cause them
sexual behaviors for which men receive tacit or even explicit approval. The
questions. The time needed to complete the entire questionnaire took between ten
to score higher, but may not mean that they are “hooking up”. This is simply a
current sexual double standard creates a setting in which women are accepted for
and fifteen minutes. Experimenter bias was reduced by the participants taking the
confounding variable that can not necessarily be controlled. This is only a concern
their involvement in a sexual interaction only when the sexual activity occurs
study in their own time and not with the researcher present. At the end of the
for the items in Table 2, because Table 1 asks specifically about hooking up.
within the limits of a monogamous intimate relationship". This framing of gender
questionnaire, participants were debriefed electronically. This allowed
stereotypes with sexual behaviors cause women to feel ashamed or regret when
participants to know what my hypothesis is and how to find the results when they
could mean that the data is a little skewed because the items on the questionnaire
participating in the hook up culture, maybe even limiting the involvement of
are posted. After the participants finished the survey, they were debriefed and
were mainly aimed at straight participants. For example, gay men will not engage
female participants in this behavior.
thanked for their participation.
in vaginal intercourse. The reasoning for this has nothing to do with one’s
hypothesis is in the right direction.
Another limitation that I ran into is that several of my participants are in
Participants of all different sexual orientations took my questionnaire. This
opinion on hooking up, but more to do with preferences of genitalia.
doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.906031
Wingood, G.M., DiClemente, R.J., Bernhardt, J.M., Harrington, K., Davies,