A Meta-Analytic Review of

Research on Gender Differences

in Sexuality, 1993-2007

What do you call a woman who really gets around?

Is it considered strange if a guy does the same thing?
It's okay because men want sex, like, all the time, right?

INTRODUCTION
Based on a 1993 study of gender differences in sexuality
and updated with additional research and changes in
cultural behaviors and attitudes, Petersen and Hyde's
meta-analysis addresses the stereotype of men having a
greater amount of sexual experience and more permissive
attitudes towards having frequent and casual sex.

BACKGROUND
Four theoretical frameworks:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Cognitive social learning theory
- Social structural theory
- The gender similarities hypothesis

EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY
Gender differences in sexuality are the result of evolution,
and according to sexual strategies theory, women and
men choose a mate based on chances of genetic success.

COGNITIVE SOCIAL LEARNING

THEORY
The increased amount of sexual imagery in the media
encourages individuals, especially women, to imitate
what they see on TV or on the internet.

SOCIAL STRUCTURAL THEORY

The historical prevalence of awarding men power and
status and appointing women as objects of desire has
led to men devaluing women and forces women to rely on
long-term, committed relationships with men in order to
obtain resources. Societies with greater gender equity will
have more egalitarian sexual norms as well, and ethnicity
plays a role in which sexual behaviors and attitudes are
accepted and which ones aren't.

THE GENDER SIMILARITIES

HYPOTHESIS
Women and men are similar for most, but not all,
psychological variables and most differences in sexuality
are negligible.

PREVIOUS RESEARCH
- Oliver and Hyde's 1993 meta-analysis displayed
results that suggested men were more likely to report
sexual activity and permissive attitudes towards sex.
- Other studies have shown that as time passes and
society embraces more liberal attitudes, the gender
difference in sexuality decreases.

ANALYSIS I
The PsycINFO database was searched for the terms
"psychosexual behavior," "sexual attitudes," and new to
the current study, "homosexuality (attitudes toward)."
The PubMed engine was further searched for the terms
"sexual behavior" and "sexual attitudes." These results
were then assessed to remove duplicates and their
abstracts analyzed to omit articles that were not relevant
to the current study. The remaining 730 articles formed
Analysis I.

ANALYSIS II
In Analysis II, seven large national data sets selected
from the omitted material in Analysis I were used,
including two longitudinal studies and five nonlongitudinal
studies. Only the most recent data was used when
multiple waves of relevant data existed.

RESEARCH VARIABLES: SEXUAL

BEHAVIORS
1. Incidence of petting
2. Frequency of intercourse
3. Incidence of intercourse
4. Age of first intercourse
5. Number of sexual
partners
6. Oral sex
7. Receptive or insertive
anal sex

8. Casual sex
9. Same-gender sexual
behavior
10. Extramarital sex
11. Condom use
12. Masturbation
13. Pornography use
14. Cybersex

RESEARCH VARIABLES: SEXUAL

ATTITUDES
1. General sexual
permissiveness
2. Premarital sex
3. Casual sex
4. Extramarital sex
5. Sex while engaged to be
married
6. Sex-commitment
7. Masturbation
8. Condoms

9. Double standard
10. Fear/anxiety/guilt
11. Sexual satisfaction
12. Homosexuals (general)
13. Gay men
14. Lesbians
15. Homosexual civil
liberties
16. Civil unions/gay
marriage

ANALYSIS I RESULTS
Compared to women, men were somewhat more likely to
report sexual behavior that included:
- Incidences of intercourse
- Frequent intercourse
- Younger ages at first intercourse
- Petting
- Multiple sexual partners
- Oral sex
- Anal sex
- Sexual satisfaction
- Using condoms
- Engaging in cybersex
- Engaging in extramarital affairs
- Casual sex
- Masturbating
- Viewing pornography

ANALYSIS I RESULTS, CONTINUED

Men were also more likely to report permissive attitudes
toward:
- General sexual permissiveness
- Premarital sex
- Lesbians
- Endorsement of sexual double standards

ANALYSIS I RESULTS, CONTINUED

Women were more likely than men to report sexual
behavior that included:
- Same-gender sexual behavior

And permissive attitudes toward:

- Fear/anxiety/guilt about sex
- Sex in emotionally committed relationships
- Homosexuals
- Gay men
- Gay rights
- Gay marriage

ANALYSIS II RESULTS
In Analysis II, many of the results reported were
consistent with those of Analysis I. Analysis II also revealed
that while certain behaviors and attitudes reported by men
had decreased, there was no
change in the behaviors and attitudes reported by
women during the same time frame.

2007 VS. 1993 STUDY RESULTS

The majority of sexual behaviors and attitudes were
shown to have a smaller gender difference than
previously observed. However, positive attitudes toward
sex in a committed relationship had reversed from men
favoring it to women reporting more permissiveness.

EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY
RESULTS
The results suggest that men are more likely to have
permissive sexual attitudes and report more sexual
behaviors than women, especially in regards to casual
sex. This supports evolutionary psychology's sexual
strategies theory, suggesting that men have evolved a
desire for more casual sex partners so as to increase their
chance for genetic success while women have evolved
disapproval of sex that might yield fathers who will not
provide for their children.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

RESULTS
Analysis I revealed that gender differences in some
sexual behaviors and attitudes have decreased over
time, but the gender disparity amongst other behaviors and
attitudes have increased, such as endorsement of
the double standard and attitudes toward homosexuals.

SOCIAL STRUCTURAL THEORY

RESULTS
Gender differences in sexuality vary across ethnic
groups within the US, and gender differences for sexual
behaviors are moderated by the gender empowerment
of the nation where the study was conducted, as predicted
by social structural theory.

GENDER SIMILARITIES
HYPOTHESIS RESULTS
22 of 30 sexual behaviors and attitudes displayed small
gender differences, and 4 of 30 displayed no gender
differences, supporting the hypothesis that women and
men are similar for most psychological indicators.

CLASS RELATIONSHIPS: GENDER

The article deals first and foremost with gender, touching
upon some of the ideas from module 8 including how
gender typing results in stereotypes and women and men
developing gender roles as the result of what they are
taught and experience. Some ethnic groups also embrace
traditionally masculine and feminine characteristics similar
to those described by Sandra Bem.

CLASS RELATIONSHIPS: SOCIAL

LEARNING THEORY
Contrary to what might be expected of social learning
theory, that what is observed and analyzed is then
imitated and modeled by an individual, the article
revealed that there was little effect on gender differences in
sexuality and in fact in some areas the gender difference
increased rather than decreased.

CONTRIBUTIONS
Most of the article was an update of pre-existing research,
however, by compiling such a large data set, the article
provided a more inclusive and intersectional study of
gender differences, from a large number of countries, than
is typically the case. It further revealed that social learning
theory may not be applicable in studies of sexual inequity,
and future research might want to explore this discovery in
greater depth.

APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH
- Remove double standards in dress code in schools.
- Lessen assumptions made on the basis of sexual
stereotypes.
- Prevent bullying centered around or based upon sexuality.
- Decrease instances of adolescents engaging in risky
sexual behaviors.

CRITIQUE
- Well-written, analyzes an exhaustive amount of research
material.
- Good read for anyone unaware of gender differences in
sexuality or who is simply interested in the topic and would
like to read a more thorough study on the subject.
- Falls short in addressing the full spectrum of sexuality
beyond simply heterosexuality and homosexuality. Future
studies might want to fill in this gap.