Sexual Scripts among Young Heterosexually Active Men and Women: Continuity and Change

Masters, N. Tatiana; Casey, Erin A.; Wells, Elizabeth A.; Morrison, Diane M.

doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.661102

Cited by 219 publications

(169 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…These findings parallel recent qualitative work demonstrating the variance of gendered sexual scripts in relationship and individual contexts. 42 These findings also partially align with studies suggesting that emotional sexual motivations are typically associated with lighter, less varied sexual behavior choices, whereas pleasure as a sexual motivator is usually associated with more frequent, penetrative-type sexual behaviors. [18][19][20][21][22][23] We found that among both male and female participants, feeling in love was generally associated with less complex partnered sexual interaction choices (e.g., one vaginal event only), while either an individual's or their partner's wanting to have sex was associated with more involved sets of sexual behaviors (e.g., multiple vaginal events).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Daily diary study of adult men’s and women’s event-level sexual motivations and sexual behaviour

Hensel

Harezlak

et al. 2017

Sex. Health

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IntroductionAs they move from adolescence into emerging and early adulthood, men and women continue to be at elevated risk for the adverse outcomes associated with sexual activity. 1 Traditional public health prevention approaches to this risk typically focus on changing an individual's behaviors (e.g. reducing sexual activity or consistent condom and contraceptive use). 2 A significant limitation of this focus, however, is that it obscures how the context of a given romantic/sexual relationship precedes and organizes the decisions people make about sex. 3,4 Many public health agencies now recognize that advancing sexual health requires greater attention to the partnership factors that are associated with STI risk and protection behaviors. [3][4][5] Part of this attention includes examination of how personal-and partner-specific affect motivates individuals to choose, exclude and/or combine specific behaviors as part of their sexual repertoire. 9,10 Background Gender Differences in Sexual MotivationsOver the past two decades, literature has documented a wide range different factors men and women cite as motivations for sexual activity. Some of these studies support gender differences in these motivations, suggesting that physical desirability, sexual pleasure or power, such as feeling "horny," wanting physical release or stress relief, are cited by more men as reasons to have sex, whereas the perceived emotional benefits of sex, such as psychological closeness, bonding, intensify commitment, love or affection, factor more prominently for women. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Other work has found gender similarities in sexual motivations for sex, with many young and adult men report enjoying close emotional ties to sexual partners, 13,14 and many women pursuing specific sexual activities in response to sexual desire specific sexual activities 15,16 Additionally, in a sample of young and emerging adults, 17 both men and women endorse satisfying sexual desires as a primary reason, and feeling in love with a boy/girlfriend as secondary reason, to have sex. 17 Emotional motivations for sex are similarly reported by both men and women. 6,18 Linking Sexual Motivations to Sexual BehaviorsLess is known about how specific sexual motivations link to specific sexual behaviors. In general, studies show that having sex for pleasure is typically associated with more penetrative sexual behaviors, such as men's receiving oral sex, or participating in vaginal or anal sex, whereas endorsing love, intimacy or other emotional reasons for sex is associated with lighter behaviors, such as kissing, genital touching, massage or a woman's receiving oral sex. [18][19][20] Other research has suggested that having sex for intimacy reasons may also be associated with more frequent sex. 18,21,22 Gender differences may exist in these patterns. For example, in a sample of college students, women reporting higher levels of emotional motives, including love and commitment, during sexual interactions involving only oral sex only, or during sexual inter...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Daily diary study of adult men’s and women’s event-level sexual motivations and sexual behaviour

Hensel

Harezlak

et al. 2017

Sex. Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Studies of sexual scripts among heterosexually active undergraduates in the U.S. suggest that individuals vary in the degree to which gendered sexual scripts guide their sexual behavior (Epstein et al 2009;Masters et al 2013). One potential influence on the development of sexual scripts that may forecast later compliance with casual partners is an individual's experience of first partnered sex.…”

Section: Compliant Casual Sex and First Partnered Sexmentioning

confidence: 98%

(Hetero)sexual Compliance with Unwanted Casual Sex: Associations with Feelings about First Sex and Sexual Self-Perceptions

Katz

Schneider

2015

Sex Roles

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Sexual compliance involves willing consent to unwanted sex. The current study examined experiences and correlates of compliant sex with casual partners. Guided by sexual script theory, feelings about first partnered sex and sexual self-perceptions were identified as possible correlates of compliance. Potential moderating effects of gender also were explored. Sexually active heterosexual undergraduates (N=258) in the northeastern U.S. responded to self-report measures of desire, pleasure, and emotional discomfort associated with first partnered sex, sexual self-awareness, sexual refusal efficacy, and compliance with vaginal and oral sex. About a third of the sample reported complying with casual sex at least once. Overall, very few participants who complied with a casual partner also complied with a committed partner. More women than men complied with giving oral sex to a casual partner; there were no gender differences in compliance with either vaginal sex or receiving oral sex. Emotional discomfort with first partnered sex was positively associated with compliant casual sex only among women. Although women reported less desire and pleasure associated with first partnered sex than men, neither desire nor pleasure from first sex were associated with casual compliance for either gender. Refusal efficacy was negatively associated with compliant casual sex for both women and men. The implications of these findings for future research and educating college students about compliance and its correlates are discussed.

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“…Modifying or maintaining sexual scripts is an active process involving significant human effort [17]. Today, breaking away from traditional sexual scripts can contribute to increased gender equity and offer more opportunities for sexual satisfaction [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Internet Pornography Use and Cyber Infidelity in the Associations between Personality, Attachment, and Couple and Sexual Satisfaction

Ferron¹,

Lussier²,

Sabourin³

et al. 2017

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Although adults in romantic relationships currently show more openness to online sexual behaviors [1], these behaviors can nevertheless increase couple conflicts and instability [2]. In the current study, we assess the mediating role of Internet pornography use and cyber infidelity in the relationship between 1) personality and attachment, and 2) couple and sexual satisfaction. A total of 779 participants in couple relationships (average age = 29.9 years) completed a series of online questionnaires. According to their responses, 65% of participants visited an adult site at least once during the six months preceding the study, while 16.3% did so multiple times per week. Path model results showed that Internet pornography use and cyber infidelity were sequential mediators between, on the one hand, personality and attachment, and on the other hand, couple and sexual satisfaction. The discussion highlights the importance of properly documenting the correlates of online sexual behavior to better understand new couple realities and dynamics.

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Sexual Scripts among Young Heterosexually Active Men and Women: Continuity and Change

Cited by 219 publications

References 32 publications

Daily diary study of adult men’s and women’s event-level sexual motivations and sexual behaviour

Daily diary study of adult men’s and women’s event-level sexual motivations and sexual behaviour

(Hetero)sexual Compliance with Unwanted Casual Sex: Associations with Feelings about First Sex and Sexual Self-Perceptions

The Role of Internet Pornography Use and Cyber Infidelity in the Associations between Personality, Attachment, and Couple and Sexual Satisfaction

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