Love-Hate Relationship
Accounting for Women's Orgasm and Sexual Enjoyment in College Hookups and Relationships
Elizabeth Armstrong, Paula England & Alison Fogarty
American Sociological Review, forthcoming
Abstract:
This article investigates the determinants of orgasm and sexual enjoyment in hookup and relationship sex among heterosexual college women and seeks to explain why relationship sex is better for women in terms of orgasm and sexual enjoyment. We use data from women respondents to a large online survey of undergraduates at 21 U.S. colleges and universities and from 85 in-depth interviews at two universities. We identify four general views of the sources of orgasm and sexual enjoyment - technically competent genital stimulation, partner-specific learning, commitment, and gender equality. We find that women have orgasms more often in relationships than in hookups. Regression analyses reveal that specific sexual practices, experience with a particular partner, and commitment all predict women's orgasm and sexual enjoyment. The presence of more sexual practices conducive to women's orgasm in relationship sex explains some of why orgasm is more common in relationships. Qualitative analysis suggests a double standard also contributes to why relationship sex is better for women: both men and women question women's (but not men's) entitlement to pleasure in hookups but believe strongly in women's (as well as men's) entitlement to pleasure in relationships. More attention is thus given to producing female orgasm in relationships.
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College Women's Experiences of Dating Violence in Casual and Exclusive Relationships
Catherine Kaukinen, Angela Gover & Jennifer Hartman
American Journal of Criminal Justice, June 2012, Pages 146-162
Abstract:
Using a sample of female college students involved in a current dating relationship, we investigate the nature of violence in these intimate relationships to better understand the concept of violence mutuality. To do so we explore womens' experiences with violence as both perpetrators and victims and examine the prevalence, chronicity, and severity of violence experienced by young women. We also examine whether there are differences in experiences of violence for women in casual versus exclusive dating relationships. Our findings suggest that when violence is present in a dating relationship it is likely to occur within a mutually violent relationship where women are both victims and perpetrators of violence. More importantly, within these mutually violent relationships, women reported being more likely to perpetrate violence at higher rates than they experience as victims. We find no notable differences in experiences with violence among those in casual versus exclusive relationships. The methodological limitations and policy implications of our findings are discussed.
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U.S. Tabloid Magazine Coverage of a Celebrity Dating Abuse Incident: Rihanna and Chris Brown
Emily Rothman et al.
Journal of Health Communication, forthcoming
Abstract:
Dating abuse is a prevalent adolescent health problem with substantial public health consequences. As many as 1 in 10 high school students in the United States reports being "hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose" by his or her boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year. The authors used the Rihanna-Chris Brown dating abuse incident of 2009 as a case study to conduct what is, to our knowledge, the first assessment of media framing of dating abuse. The authors reviewed the 20 leading U.S. single-copy sales magazines published from February to April 2009 and identified 48 relevant articles, which were all printed in 7 tabloid magazines. The authors conducted a content analysis of the media frames of the articles using 5 frame categories: (a) abuse is objectionable, (b) victim-blaming, (c) abuse is sexualized/romanticized, (d) myths about abuse perpetration, and (e) abuse is normalized. Abuse is objectionable was the dominant frame of 40% of articles, victim-blaming in 36%. Although the majority of articles reviewed (83%) made at least passing reference to the idea that abuse is wrong, a minority (40%) used a dominant frame that condemned abuse. Instead, the majority of articles communicated mixed messages about dating abuse, and many minimized the seriousness of partner abuse perpetration. Advocacy is needed to improve future tabloid media framing of dating abuse incidents.
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Risk of Death or Life-Threatening Injury for Women with Children Not Sired by the Abuser
Emily Miner et al.
Human Nature, March 2012, Pages 89-97
Abstract:
Women who are abused by their male intimate partners incur many costs, ranging in severity from fleeting physical pain to death. Previous research has linked the presence of children sired by a woman's previous partner to increased risk of woman abuse and to increased risk of femicide. The current research extends this work by securing data from samples of 111 unabused women, 111 less severely abused women, 128 more severely abused women, and 26 victims of intimate partner femicide from the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study to document an ordinal trend in the risk of experiencing more severe forms of violence for women who have children in the household sired by a previous partner. The discussion addresses two potential explanations for this trend and highlights directions for future research.
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Subhasish Dugar, Haimanti Bhattacharya & David Reiley
Economic Inquiry, April 2012, Pages 534-550
Abstract:
A large body of literature depicts that status-based discrimination is pervasive, but is silent on how economic incentive interacts with such discrimination. This study addresses this question by designing a field experiment in a reputable arranged marriage market that is prone to strong caste-status-based discrimination. We place newspaper advertisements of potential grooms by systematically varying their caste and income and focus on responses of higher-caste females to lower-caste males. The substantive finding is that despite the evidence of discrimination, discriminatory behavior of higher-status females decreases with an increase in the advertised monthly income of lower-status males.
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Mothers' Repartnering after a Nonmarital Birth
Sharon Bzostek, Sara McLanahan & Marcia Carlson
Social Forces, forthcoming
Abstract:
This article examines the prevalence, predictors and outcomes of unmarried mothers' repartnering patterns following a nonmarital birth. Results indicate that, within five years after a birth, approximately two-thirds of unmarried mothers end their relationship with the focal child's biological father, and more than half of these mothers enter new partnerships. Among those who repartnered, 60 percent of mothers formed unions with men who had higher economic capabilities than their former partners, 20 percent formed unions with men of similar capabilities, and 20 percent formed unions with men who had lower capabilities. This pattern holds for both nonresidential and coresidential unions. Our findings are consistent with marriage market, learning and evolutionary biology theories about union formation, and they provide support for qualitative evidence that unmarried mothers have high standards for new partners. While many mothers find new partners who seem to offer a higher level of economic security, many other mothers remain unpartnered, likely due (at least in part) to the limited pool of potential partners with relatively high levels of economic promise.
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Sexual and Cardiovascular Correlates of Male Unfaithfulness
Alessandra Fisher et al.
Journal of Sexual Medicine, forthcoming
Introduction: Definitions of unfaithfulness and its consequences vary across different cultures, religions, and legal jurisdictions; however, having extramarital affairs is associated in most societies with a stigma. Therefore, the study of this sensitive topic is extremely complex, and its prevalence is often underestimated.
Aim: To offer a summary of available data in literature about unfaithfulness.
Method: An extensive Medline search was performed including the following words "unfaithfulness," "extramarital affairs," "infidelity," "men." The search, up to December 4, 2011, was restricted to English-language articles.
Main Outcome Measures: We reported literature data on the prevalence of unfaithfulness and on related psychobiological, sexual, and risk factors.
Results: Some surveys reported that 1.5-4% of married men had extramarital coitus in any given year, others that 23.2% of men have cheated during their current relationship. Different studies reported a lifetime prevalence of unfaithfulness between 15% and 50%. With respect to factors related to unfaithfulness, several authors reported that men with extramarital affairs more frequently have a dysfunctional primary relationship, in both relational and sexual terms. In addition, parenthood, as well as conflicts within the family, seem to be associated with a higher risk of having an affair. Furthermore, unfaithful men display a higher androgenization, larger testis volume, lower prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire, and better sexual functioning. Only few studies have evaluated the correlation between infidelity and cardiovascular risk, reporting that having an extramarital affair could have a negative impact on cardiac morbidity and mortality.
Conclusions: Several interpersonal, sexual, and biological factors are associated with having extramarital affairs. Unfaithfulness in men seems to be associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular events.
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Dressed for Sex: Red as a Female Sexual Signal in Humans
Andrew Elliot & Adam Pazda
PLoS ONE, April 2012
Background: In many non-human primate species, a display of red by a female serves as a sexual signal to attract male conspecifics. Red is associated with sex and romance in humans, and women convey their sexual interest to men through a variety of verbal, postural, and behavioral means. In the present research, we investigate whether female red ornamentation in non-human primates has a human analog, whereby women use a behavioral display of red to signal their sexual interest to men.
Methodology/Principal Findings: Three studies tested the hypothesis that women use red clothing to communicate sexual interest to men in profile pictures on dating websites. In Study 1, women who imagined being interested in casual sex were more likely to display red (but not other colors) on their anticipated web profile picture. In Study 2, women who indicated interest in casual sex were more likely to prominently display red (but not other colors) on their actual web profile picture. In Study 3, women on a website dedicated to facilitating casual sexual relationships were more likely to prominently exhibit red (but not other colors) than women on a website dedicated to facilitating marital relationships.
Conclusions/Significance: These results establish a provocative parallel between women and non-human female primates in red signal coloration in the mating game. This research shows, for the first time, a functional use of color in women's sexual self-presentation, and highlights the need to extend research on color beyond physics, physiology, and preference to psychological functioning.
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Warm Thoughts: Attachment Anxiety and Sensitivity to Temperature Cues
Matthew Vess
Psychological Science, forthcoming
"This research was a preliminary examination of the relationship between attachment anxiety and sensitivity to temperature cues. Study 1 indicated that individuals with high levels of attachment anxiety desire physical warmth after reflecting on a distressing event, whereas Study 2 indicated that in individuals with high levels of attachment anxiety, exposure to warm-temperature cues increases satisfaction with their current romantic relationships."
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Prevalence of Same-Sex Behavior and Orientation in England: Results from a National Survey
Joseph Hayes et al.
Archives of Sexual Behavior, June 2012, Pages 631-639
Abstract:
There are few data sources on the prevalence of same-sex sexual orientation in England. We aimed to measure the prevalence of same-sex orientation and behavior in the English general population and assess the impact of enquiry format on reporting. The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 used a multi-stage, stratified probability-sampling design (n = 7,403). Two questions addressed sexual orientation and sexual partnership and each had two versions. Version A of the sexual orientation question used "homosexual." Version B used "gay or lesbian." Version A of the sexual partnership question required participants who had male and female partners to say which was predominant, while Version B had a midpoint response option: "about equally with men and women." Participants were randomized between versions. Overall, 5.3% of men and 5.6% of women reported they were not entirely heterosexual. The question using "gay or lesbian" elicited higher (though not statistically significant) reporting of non-heterosexual orientation than the question using "homosexual." A significantly larger proportion of men and women (96.0 and 96.1%) reported entirely heterosexual partnerships in response to Version A of the partnership question than in response to Version B (94.0 and 92.9%) where Version B asked specifically about "kissing, touching, intercourse, or any other form of sex." These figures constitute the first national prevalence data on combined sexual orientation and sexual behavior in England, based on a random probability sample of the general population. They demonstrate that people are willing to report their sexual orientation in survey research, but reporting is sensitive to question wording.
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Attractiveness Differences Between Twins Predicts Evaluations of Self and Co-twin
Connor Principe et al.
Self and Identity, forthcoming
Abstract:
One of the most consistent findings in psychology shows that people prefer and make positive attributions about attractive compared with unattractive people. The goal of the current study was to determine the power of attractiveness effects by testing whether these social judgments are made where attractiveness differences are smallest: between twins. Differences in facial attractiveness predicted twins' evaluations of self and their co-twin (n = 158; 54 male). In twin pairs, the more attractive twin judged their less attractive sibling as less physically attractive, athletic, socially competent, and emotionally stable. The less attractive twin did the reverse. Given that even negligible differences in facial attractiveness predicted self and co-twin attitudes, these results provide the strongest test yet of appearance-based stereotypes.
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Dramatic Improvement in Sexual Function Induced by Intranasal Oxytocin
Kai MacDonald & David Feifel
Journal of Sexual Medicine, May 2012, Pages 1407-1410
Introduction: A variety of sources indicate that oxytocin has beneficial effects on several components of sexuality. This is a case report on a male who had significant, broad-spectrum improvements in sexual function during a course of intranasal oxytocin treatment for social anxiety.
Aim: To document a case of diverse, salutary effects of oxytocin on sexual function.
Methods: The patient was in individual treatment for a variety of difficulties, including social avoidance and relational problems. A biopsychosocial evaluation ruled out medical conditions and substance-related issues as a cause of sexual difficulties. After obtaining informed consent, an off-label trial of intranasal oxytocin was administered targeting his social anxiety and relational avoidance.
Results: Oxytocin positively impacted a number of components of sexual function, including libido, erection, and orgasm, and was well tolerated.
Conclusions: This is the first case we are aware of documenting broad-spectrum benefits of chronic intranasal oxytocin on male sexual function. Future trials of oxytocin for psychiatric indications should specifically monitor its effects on sexuality, and trials directly investigating oxytocin's impact on aspects of sexual function are warranted.
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Are Parental Personality Traits a Basis for Mate Selection?
Robert McCrae, G. Willemsen & Dorret Boomsma
Journal of Research in Personality, forthcoming
Abstract:
Both psychoanalytic views of attachment and evolutionary theories of imprinting suggest that mates may be preferentially chosen to resemble one's parents. Using data from a large Dutch study of twins and their families, we tested these hypotheses with regard to personality traits from the Five-Factor Model. Little evidence of parent/spouse similarity was found, although women did tend to select a husband who resembled their parents with regard to Openness to Experience. This effect may be due to the influence of Openness on their social worlds, rather than to their experiences in early childhood.
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Carolyn Tucker Halpern & Abigail Haydon
American Journal of Public Health, June 2012, Pages 1221-1228
Objectives: We documented the prevalence and relative timing of oral-genital, vaginal, and anal intercourse during adolescence and examined whether these timetables varied by sociodemographic factors.
Methods: We used data from almost 14 000 Wave IV respondents to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to generate prevalence estimates for adolescents who reached age 18 years by 2001 and logistic and ordinary least squares regression to examine sociodemographic correlates of sexual patterns.
Results: One in 5 adolescents did not engage in any of these sexual behaviors by age 18 years. More than two thirds reported vaginal or oral-genital sexual activity, but only about half experienced both. One in 10 reported anal intercourse experience. A third initiated 2 or more behaviors within a 1-year period. In longer timetables, vaginal intercourse was more often initiated first. Most sociodemographic characteristics examined were uniquely associated with prevalence and sexual timing.
Conclusions: Diversity in patterns of sexual initiation occurring in the 1990s underscores the ongoing need for comprehensive and nuanced examinations of adolescent sexual trajectories and their implications for sexual health in more recent cohorts.
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Eveningness is related to men's mating success
Christoph Randler et al.
Personality and Individual Differences, forthcoming
Abstract:
Men and women differ in sleep duration and timing of sleeping. Men sleep shorter and are later chronotypes, thus go to bed and get up later than women. This sexual dimorphism in chronotype is most striking between the beginning of puberty and beginning of menopause indicating the possibility of a sexually selected trait. Sleep duration, however, is different between the sexes already before and after the reproductive phase, suggesting a trait that is not under sexual section. In men, the most influential predictor of mating success was extraversion, followed by age, propensity to stay out late and evening orientation. This was confirmed by structural equation modeling showing both, an indirect and a direct fitness benefit of eveningness even when imposing extraversion and age as important predictor variables. As eveningness is related to an array of problematic behaviors, we suggest that it can be viewed as a kind of handicap.
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The Sex Side of Civil Liberties: United States v. Dennett and the Changing Face of Free Speech
Laura Weinrib
Law and History Review, May 2012, Pages 325-386
Abstract:
It was the policy of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) during the 1920s to contest only those obscenity regulations that were "relied upon to punish persons for their political views." So stated a 1928 ACLU bulletin, reiterating a position to which the organization had adhered since its formation in 1920. For the majority of the ACLU's executive board, "political views" encompassed the struggle for control of the government and the economy, but not of the body. The early ACLU was not interested in defending avant-garde culture, let alone sexual autonomy.
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G-Spot Anatomy: A New Discovery
Adam Ostrzenski
Journal of Sexual Medicine, May 2012, Pages 1355-1359
Introduction: The anatomic existence of the G-spot has not been documented yet.
Aim: To identify the anatomic structure of the G-spot.
Methods: A stratum-by-stratum vaginal wall dissection on a fresh cadaver.
Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome is the identification of the G-spot and the secondary outcome is its measurements and anatomic description of the G-spot.
Results: The G-spot has a distinguishable anatomic structure that is located on the dorsal perineal membrane, 16.5 mm from the upper part of the urethral meatus, and creates a 35° angle with the lateral border of the urethra. The lower pole (tail) and the upper pole (head) were located 3 and 15 mm next to the lateral border of the urethra, respectively. Grossly, the G-spot appeared as a well-delineated sac with walls that resembled fibroconnective tissues and resembled erectile tissues. The superior surface of the sac had bluish irregularities visible through the coat. Upon opening the sac's upper coat, blue grape-like anatomic compositions of the G-spot emerged with dimensions of length (L) of 8.1 mm × width (W) of 3.6-1.5 mm × height (H) of 0.4 mm. The G-spot structure had three distinct areas: the proximal part (the head) L 3.4 mm × W 3.6 mm, the middle part L 3.1 mm × W 3.3 mm, and the distal part (tail) L 3.3 mm × W 3.0 mm. From the distal tail, a rope-like structure emerged, which was seen for approximately 1.6 mm and then disappeared into the surrounding tissue.
Conclusion: The anatomic existence of the G-spot was documented with potential impact on the practice and clinical research in the field of female sexual function.