Gender Differences in Sexual Attitude

Gender Differences in Sexual Attitude

Introduction

This article revaluates research on gender differences in sexual attitudes, a literature characterized by misuse of attitude scales and misinterpretation of those gender differences that are obtained. A study by Hendrick, Hendrick, Slapion-Foote, and Foote (1985) is used to illustrate these pitfalls. The gender differences in sexual attitudes obtained in this study, characterized by Hendrick et al. as indicative of women's greater sexual conservatism, are interpreted here as reflections of the different social structural positions of women and men.

Discussion

Adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviour are influenced by (1) biological and psychological factors within an individual, (2) proximal relationships in family and peer groups, and (3) sociocultural contexts, such as race, religion, school, and the media (Miller & Fox, 2007). Most of the research on adolescent sexuality has been fragmented and decontextualized, focusing exclusively on single variables (e.g., self-esteem, locus of control) or classes of variables (e.g., individual factors, family relationships). Miller and Fox (2007), noting that this research, in general, has been theoretical, suggested integrating multiple classes of variables within theoretically developed models. Influenced by symbolic interactions, this study, addressing an identified research need, examined individual and relationship factors that influence adolescent sexuality in order to integrate these two classes of explanatory variables.

Factors within the individual that are associated with sexual behaviour include psychosocial characteristics (e.g., age at first intercourse, self-esteem), gender, and attitudes about sexuality. Adolescents are also influenced by their peers and family.

Early initiation is a predictor of sexual frequency. Age at first intercourse is positively related to expectation for independence, but negatively related to expectation for academic achievement; and positively associated with tolerance for deviance, but negatively associated with religiosity. Adolescents who begin to date earlier have more dates, which are positively associated with sexual experience, number of sexual partners, and ...