Perceived Physical Attractiveness, Sexual History, and Sexual Intentions: An Internet Study

Epstein, Joel; Klinkenberg, W. Dean; Scandell, Donald J.; Faulkner, Kelly; Claus, Ronald E.

doi:10.1007/s11199-006-9169-x

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Intention to have unprotected sex was independently reduced by the attractiveness of the potential partner, the potential partner's HIV status and sexual arousal. Similar findings have also been obtained in heterosexual men and women, with increased willingness to have unprotected sex with an attractive partner, relative to a less attractive one (Epstein et al, 2007). While these two studies did not directly ask for STI risk judgments, it is apparent that the behavioral intentions carry a heightened risk of disease transmission, and that this heightened risk is very likely to be known to the participant.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 71%

The Role of Disgust in Male Sexual Decision-Making

et al. 2019

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Sexual arousal is known to increase risky behaviors, such as having unprotected sex. This may in part relate to the emotion of disgust, which normally serves a disease avoidant function, and is suppressed by sexual arousal. In this report we examine disgust's role in sexual decision-making. Male participants received two study packets that were to be completed at home across two different time-points. Participants were asked to complete one packet in a sexually aroused state and the other in a non-aroused state. Participants were asked to rate: (1) arousal, (2) disgust, (3) willingness for sex, and (4) disease risk toward a range of female targets, which varied in level of potential disease risk (sex-worker vs. non sex-worker) and attractiveness. A measure of trait disgust was also included along with other related scales. Sexual arousal was associated with reduced disgust and reduced judgments of disease risk for all targets—these latter two variables being correlated—and with enhanced willingness to have sex with all of the depicted persons. Willingness to have sex when aroused (in contrast to non-aroused) was predicted by disease risk judgments and trait disgust, suggesting both direct (state) and indirect (trait) effects of disgust on sexual decision-making.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 71%

The Role of Disgust in Male Sexual Decision-Making

et al. 2019

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“…However, this hypothesis is undermined by Dijkstra et al's finding 12 that participants perceived highly attractive women to be more promiscuous and more likely to have an STI than less attractive women. Conversely, Epstein et al 14 did not find a significant effect of perceived attractiveness on condomless sex intentions or perceived STI likelihood.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…However, path analysis revealed that the total indirect effects of physical attractiveness on intentions to use condoms were five to six times larger than those for sexual health information about the target. More recent work by Epstein et al , 14 which involved an internet study displaying a picture and a biography for a randomly assigned target, also supported the hypothesis that a potential partner's physical attractiveness has an impact on intentions to have sex in men and women. However, no significant direct effects of physical attractiveness on intentions to have condomless sex or on perceived STI risk were found.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Does attractiveness influence condom use intentions in heterosexual men? An experimental study

et al. 2016

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ObjectivesJudgements of attractiveness have been shown to influence the character of social interactions. The present study sought to better understand the relationship between perceived attractiveness, perceived sexual health status and condom use intentions in a heterosexual male population.SettingThe study employed an electronic questionnaire to collect all data, during face-to-face sessions.Participants51 heterosexual, English-speaking men aged between 18 and 69 years.Outcome measuresMen were asked to rate the attractiveness of 20 women on the basis of facial photographs, to estimate the likelihood that each woman had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and to indicate their willingness to have sex with or without a condom with each woman.ResultsThe more attractive a woman was judged to be on average, the more likely participants would be willing to have sex with her (p<0.0001) and the less likely they were to intend to use a condom during sex (p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that higher condom use intentions towards a particular woman were associated with lower ratings of her attractiveness (p<0.0005), higher ratings of her STI likelihood (p<0.0001), the participant being in an exclusive relationship (p=0.002), having a less satisfactory sex life (p=0.015), lower age (p=0.001), higher number of sexual partners (p=0.001), higher age at first intercourse (p=0.002), higher rates of condomless sex in the last 12 months (p<0.043) and lower confidence in their ability to assess whether or not a woman had an STI (p=0.001). The more attractive a participant judged himself to be, the more he believed that other men like him would engage in condomless sex (p=0.001) and the less likely he was to intend to use a condom himself (p=0.02).ConclusionsMale perceptions of attractiveness influence their condom use intentions; such risk biases could profitably be discussed during sex education sessions and in condom use promotion interventions.

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“…Stereotypic gender differences in partner preferences continued to prevail in this decade (e.g., Henningsen et al 2006;Hetsroni 2000). Men valued beauty more in choosing a partner in a hypothetical dating game (Hetsroni 2000) and expressed more interest in having sex with hypothetical partners (Epstein et al 2007). In fact, research on sexual language count that men assigned more favorable ratings to the term "feminist" than women, perhaps as the result of men considering feminists to be more liberated sexually (Noland et al 2004).…”

Section: Cultural Scriptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Has Dating Become More Egalitarian? A 35 Year Review Using Sex Roles

2011

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In this selective review, we examined research on heterosexual dating published in Sex Roles since its inception to determine if dating practices have become more egalitarian over the past 35 years. An analysis of current best-selling dating advice books suggests that gender roles continue to be institutionalized in cultural scripts. A sexual scripts framework was used to categorize research findings to determine if the empirical evidence confirmed the durability of gender roles over time or revealed that dating has become less gendertyped. Research in Sex Roles suggests that heterosexual dating among young adults in the U. S. remains highly gender-typed in terms of cultural scripts (e.g., beliefs, ideals, and expectations), as well as interpersonal scripts (e.g., actual interpersonal emotions, interpersonal behaviors, or behaviors aimed at achieving or signaling a partner). Some variability was observed in interpersonal scripts in terms of occasional initiation of dates by women, for instance, but was not sufficiently widely used to challenge the dominant script. Functional reasons for the persistence of gender stereotypes in dating are presented. In addition, a friendship script is proposed as an alternative, egalitarian model of dating that might fulfill the same functions.

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Perceived Physical Attractiveness, Sexual History, and Sexual Intentions: An Internet Study

Cited by 16 publications

References 26 publications

The Role of Disgust in Male Sexual Decision-Making

The Role of Disgust in Male Sexual Decision-Making

Does attractiveness influence condom use intentions in heterosexual men? An experimental study

Has Dating Become More Egalitarian? A 35 Year Review Using Sex Roles

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