Gender differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors: A review of meta-analytic results and large datasets

Journal of Sex Research

Volumn 48, Issue 2-3, 2011, Pages 149-165

  Petersen, Jennifer L ^a   Hyde, Janet Shibley ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ATTITUDE; FEMALE; HUMAN; MALE; META ANALYSIS; REVIEW; SEX DIFFERENCE; SEXUAL BEHAVIOR;

ATTITUDE; FEMALE; HUMANS; MALE; SEX FACTORS; SEXUAL BEHAVIOR;

EID: 79952764708     PISSN: 00224499     EISSN: 15598519     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2011.551851     Document Type: Review

References (123)

1. Alexander, M. G., & Fisher, T. D. (2003). Truth and consequences: Using the bogus pipeline to examine sex differences in self-reported sexuality. Journal of Sex Research, 40, 27-35. (Pubitemid 36514643)
2. Allen, M., Emmers-Sommer, T., DeAlessio, D., Timmerman, L., Hanzal, A., & Korus, J. (2007). The connection between the physiological and psychological reactions to sexually explicit materials: A literature summary using meta-analysis. Communication Monographs, 74, 541-560.
3. Apperloo, M. J., Van der Stege, J. G., Hoek, A., & Weijmar Schultz, W. (2003). In the mood for sex: The value of androgens. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 29, 87-102. (Pubitemid 36278731)
4. Arafat, I. S., & Cotton, W. L. (1974). Masturbation practices of males and females. Journal of Sex Research, 10, 293-307.
5. Baldwin, J. D., & Baldwin, J. I. (1997). Gender differences in sexual interest. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 26, 181-210. (Pubitemid 27155067)
6. Bancroft, J., Graham, C., Janssen, E., & Sanders, S. A. (2009). The Dual Control Model: Current status and future directions. Journal of Sex Research, 46, 121-142.
7. Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
8. Banks, A., & Gartrell, N. (1995). Hormones and sexual orientation: A questionable link. Journal of Homosexuality, 28, 247-268.
9. Banse, R., Schmidt, A. F., & Clarbour, J. (2010). Indirect measures of sexual interest in child sex offenders: A multimethod approach. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 37, 319-335.
10. Baumeister, R. F., Catanese, K. R., & Vohs, K. D. (2001). Is there a gender difference in strength of sex drive? Theoretical views, conceptual distinctions, and a review of relevant evidence. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5, 242-273. (Pubitemid 33307587)
11. Betzig, L. L. (1986). Despostism anddifferentialreproduction: A Darwinian view ofhistory. New York, NY: Aldine.
12. Blanchard, R. (1997). Birth order and sibling sex ratio in homosexual versus heterosexual males and females. Annual Review of Sex Research, 8, 27-67.
13. Bogle, K. A. (2008). Hooking up: Sex, dating, and relationships on campus. New York, NY: New York University Press.
14. Buss, D. M. (1994). The evolution of desire: Strategies for human mating. New York, NY: Basic Books.
15. Buss, D. M. (1995). Evolutionary psychology: A new paradigm for psychological science. Psychological Inquiry, 6, 1-30.
16. Buss, D. M. (1998). Sexual strategies theory: Historical origins and current status. Journal of Sex Research, 35, 19-31. (Pubitemid 28243978)
17. Buss, D. M. (2009). The great strugglesof life: Darwinand theemergence of evolutionary psychology. American Psychologist, 64, 140-148.
18. Buss, D. M., & Schmitt, D. P. (1993). Sexual strategies theory: An evolutionary perspective on human mating. Psychological Review, 100, 204-232.
19. Bussey, K., & Bandura, A. (1999). Social cognitive theory of gender development and differentiation. Psychological Review, 106, 676-713.
20. Canli, T., & Gabrieli, J. D. (2004). Imaging gender differences in sexual arousal. Nature Neuroscience, 7, 325-326. (Pubitemid 38429167)
21. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2001). YRBSS: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study. Atlanta, GA: Author. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm
22. Chia, S. (2006). How peers mediate media influence on adolescents' sexual attitudes and behavior. Journal of Communication, 53, 585-606. (Pubitemid 44138399)
23. Chivers, M. L., Seto, M. C., & Blanchard, R. (2007). Gender and sexual orientation differences in sexual response to activities versus gender of actor in sexual films. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 6, 1108-1121.
24. Chivers, M. L., Seto, M. C., Lalumiere, M. L., Laan, E., & Grimbos, T. (2010). Agreement of self-report and genital measures of sexual arousal in men and women: A meta-analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 5-56.
25. Cohen, J. (1977). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Academic
26. Crawford, M., & Popp, D. (2003). Sexual double standards: A review and methodological critique of two decades of research. Journal of Sex Research, 40, 13-26. (Pubitemid 36514642)
27. Darwin, C (1871). The descent ofman, and selection in relation to sex. London, England: John Murray.
28. De Beauvoir, S. (1968). The second sex. New York, NY: Modern Library.
29. Dekker, J., & Everaerd, W. (1988). Attention effects on sexual arousal. Psychophysiology, 25, 45-54.
30. Diamond, L. (1998). Development of sexual orientation among adolescent and young adult women. Developmental Psychology, 34, 1085-1095.
31. Diamond, L. (2008). Sexual fluidity: Understanding women's love and desire. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
32. Dreznick, M. T. (2003). Sexual and emotional infidelity: A meta-analysis. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: Sciences and Engineering, 63(9b), 4415.
33. Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (1999). The origins of sex differences in human behavior: Evolved dispositions versus social roles. American Psychologist, 54, 408-423.
34. Eliot, L. (2009). Pink brain, blue brain: How small differences grow into troublesome gaps-and what we can do about it. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt.
35. Ellis, L., & Cole-Harding, S. F. (2001). The effects of prenatal stress and of prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure on human sexual orientation. Physiology andBehavior, 74, 213-226. (Pubitemid 32879380)
36. Feingold, A., & Mazella, R. (1998). Gender differences in body image are increasing. Psychological Science, 9, 190-195.
37. Fisher, T. D. (2009). The impact of socially conveyed norms on the reporting of sexual behavior and attitudes by men and women. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 567-572.
38. Frayser, S. (1985). Varieties of sexual experience: An anthropological perspective on human sexuality. New Haven, CT: Human Relations Area Files Press.
39. Frohlich, P., & Meston, C (2002). Sexual functioning and self-reported depressive symptoms among college women. Journal of Sex Research, 39, 321-325. (Pubitemid 36055792)
40. Gangestad, S. W., & Thornhill, R. (1997). Human sexual selection and developmental stability. In J. A. Simpson & D. T. Kenrick (Eds.), Evolutionary social psychology (pp. 169-195). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
41. Geer, J. H., & Robertson, G. G. (2005). Implicit attitudes in sexuality: Gender differences. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34, 671-677. (Pubitemid 41803664)
42. Gorski, R. A., Gordon, J. H., Shryne, J. E., & Southam, A. M. (2007). Evidence for a morphological sex difference with the medial preoptic area of the rat brain. In G. Einstein (Ed.), Sex and the brain (pp. 311-319). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
43. Graham, C A., Sanders, S. A., Milhausen, R., & McBride, K. (2004). Turning on and turning off: A focus group study of the factors that affect women's sexual arousal. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 33, 527-538. (Pubitemid 39382622)
44. Graziottin, A. (2004). Sexual arousal: Similarities and differences between men and women. Journal of Men's Health and Gender, 1, 215-223. (Pubitemid 40486048)
45. Greenwald, A. G., & Banaji, M. R. (1995). Implicit social cognition: Attitudes, self-esteem, and stereotypes. Psychological Review, 102, 4-27.
46. Greenwald, A. G., Banaji, M. R., Rudman, L. A., Farnham, S. D., Nosek, B. A., & Mellott, D. S. (2002). A unified theory of implicit attitudes, stereotypes, self-esteem, and self-concept. Psychological Review, 109, 3-25.
47. Greenwald, A. G., Nosek, B. A., & Banaji, M. R. (2003). Understanding and using the Implicit Association Test: I. An improved scoring algorithm. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 197-216. (Pubitemid 37394958)
48. Greenwald, A. G., Poehlman, T. A., Uhlmann, E. L., & Banaji, M. R. (2009). Understanding and using the Implicit Association Test: III. Meta-analysis of predictive validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 17-41.
49. Gregersen, E. (1996). The world of human sexuality: Behaviors, customs, and beliefs. New York, NY: Irvington.
50. Hamann, S., Herman, R., & Nolan, C (2004). Men and women differ in amygdala response to visual sexual stimuli. Nature Neuroscience, 7, 411-416. (Pubitemid 38429182)
51. Hedges, L., & Nowell, A. (1995). Sex differences in mental test scores, variability, and number of high scoring individuals. Science, 269, 41-45.
52. Heiman, J. (2008). Treating low sexual desire\New findings for testosterone in women. New England Journal of Medicine, 359, 2047-2049.
53. Hendrick, C., Hendrick, S. S., & Reich, D. A. (2006). The BriefSexual Attitudes Scale. Journal of Sex Research, 43, 76-86.
54. Hendrick, S., & Hendrick, C (1987). Multidimensionality of sexual attitudes. Journal of Sex Research, 23, 502-526.
55. Hiller, J. (2004). Speculations on the link between feelings, emotions, and behavior: Are vasopressin and oxytocin involved? Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 19, 393-429.
56. Hogarth, H., & Ingham, R. (2009). Masturbation among young women and association with sexual health: An exploratory study. Journal of Sex Research, 46, 558-567.
57. Hurlbert, D. F., & Whittaker, K. E. (1991). The role ofmarital and sexual satisfaction: A comparison study of female masturbators and nonmasturbators. Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, 17, 272-282.
58. Hyde, J. S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60, 158-192.
59. Hyde, J. S., Mezulis, A. H., & Abramson, L. Y. (2008). The ABCs of depression: Integrating affective, biological, and cognitive models to explain the emergence of the gender difference in depression. Psychological Review, 115, 291-313.
60. Janssen, E., & Bancroft, J. (2007). The Dual Control Model: The role of sexual excitation and inhibition in sexual arousal and behaviors. In E. Janssen (Ed.), The psychophysiology of sex (pp. 197-222). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
61. Janssen, E., Carpenter, D., & Graham, C (2003). Selecting films for sex research: Gender differences in erotic film preferences. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32, 243-251. (Pubitemid 38090839)
62. Jonason, P. K., & Fisher, T. D. (2009). The power of prestige: Why young men report having more sex partners than young women. Sex Roles, 60, 151-159.
63. Kinsey, A., Pomeroy, W., & Martin, C (1948). Sexual behavior in the human male. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.
64. Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C E., & Gebhard, P. (1953). Sexual behavior in the human female. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.
65. Kite, M. E., & Whitley, B. E. (1996). Sex differences in attitudes toward homosexual persons, behaviors, and civil rights: A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 336-353.
66. Kitzinger, C., & Wilkinson, S. (1995). Transitions from heterosexuality to lesbianism: The discursive production of lesbian identities. Developmental Psychology, 31, 95-104.
67. Koch, P., Mansfield, P., Thurau, D., & Carey, M. (2005). Feeling frumpy: The relationships between body image and sexual response cycles in mid-life women. Journal of Sex Research, 42, 215-223. (Pubitemid 41129189)
68. Krapf, J., & Simon, J. (2009). The role of testosterone in the management of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in postmenopausal women. Maturitas, 63, 213-219.
69. Kreager, D. A., & Staff, J. (2009). The sexual double standard and adolescent peer approval. Social Psychology Quarterly, 72, 143-164.
70. Kunkel, D., Eyal, K., Biely, E., Cope-Farrar, K., Donnerstein, E., & Fandrich, R. (2003). Sex on TV 3: A biennial report to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser Family Foundation.
71. Laumann, E. O., Gagnon, J. H., Michael, R. T., & Michaels, S. (1994). The social organization of sexuality. Sexual practices in the U.S. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
72. LeVay, S. (1991). A difference in hypothalamic structure between heterosexual and homosexual men. Science, 30, 1034-1037. (Pubitemid 21917252)
73. LeVay, S. (1993). The sexual brain. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
74. Lipsey, M. W., & Wilson, D. B. (2001). Practical meta-analysis. London, England: Sage.
75. Lu, A., Zhang, J., & Zhang, Q. (2006). Meta-analysis of adolescent sexology in China. Chinese Mental Health Journal, 20, 472-475.
76. McBride, K. R., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2010). Heterosexual anal sexuality and anal sex behaviors: A review. Journal of Sex Research, 47, 123-136.
77. Meston, C M., Hull, E., Levin, R. J., & Sipski, M. (2004). Disorders of orgasm in women. Journal of Sex Medicine, 1, 66-68. (Pubitemid 40424668)
78. Meyer-Bahlburg, H. F. L., Ehrhardt, A. A., Rosen, L. R., Gruen, R. S., Veridiano, N. P., Vann, F. H., et al. (1995). Prenatal estrogen and development of homosexual orientation. Developmental Psychology, 31, 12-21.
79. Michael, R., & Zumpe, D. (1988). A review of sexual initiating behavior by male and female cynomolgus monkeys and some species comparisons. Primates, 29, 375-393.
80. Milhausen, R. R., & Herold, E. S. (1999). Does the sexual double standard still exist? Perceptions of university women. Journal of Sex Research, 36, 361-368. (Pubitemid 30026971)
81. Milhausen, R. R., & Herold, E. S. (2001). Reconceptualizing the sexual double standard. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 13, 63-83.
82. Mischel, W. (1966). A social-learning view of sex differences in behavior. In E. E. Maccoby (Ed.), The development of sex differences (pp. 56-81). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
83. Moir, A., & Jessel, D. (1989). Brain sex: The real difference between men and women. New York, NY: Dell.
84. Morrison, J. H., Brinton, R. D., Schmidt, P. J., & Gore, A. C (2006). Estrogen, menopause, and the aging brain: How basic neuroscience can inform hormone therapy in women. Journal of Neuroscience, 26, 10332-10348. (Pubitemid 44564581)
85. Mosher, W. D., Chandra, A., & Jones, J. (2005). Sexual behavior and selected health measures: Men and women 15-44 years of age, United States, 2002. Vital and Health Statistics, 362. Washington, DC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
86. Murnen, S. K., & Stockton, M. (1997). Gender and self-reported sexual arousal in response to sexual stimuli: A meta-analytic review. Sex Roles, 37, 135-153. (Pubitemid 127362335)
87. National Center for Social Research & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine University College London. (2001). National study of sexual lifestyles and attitudes. London, England: Author. Retrieved from http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk/surveys/nssal/nssalintro.htm
88. National Opinion Research Center. (2006). General social survey. Retrieved from http://www.norc.org/GSS+Website/
89. Oliver, M. B., & Hyde, J. S. (1993). Gender differences in sexuality: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 29-51.
90. Park, K., Seo, J. J., Kang, H. K., Ryu, S. B., Kim, H. J., & Jeong, G. W. (2001). A new potential of blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional MRI for evaluating cerebral centers for penile erection. International Journal of Impotence Research, 13, 73-81. (Pubitemid 32506075)
91. Pathela, P., Hajat, A., Schillinger, J., Blank, J., Sell, R., & Motashari, F. (2006). Discordance between sexual behavior and self-reported sexual identity: A population-based survey of New York City men. Annals of Internal Medicine, 145, 416-425. (Pubitemid 46768572)
92. Pedersen, W., Miller, L. C., Putcha-Bhagavatula, A. D., & Yang, Y. (2002). Evolved sex differences in the number of partners desired? The long and the short of it Psychological Science, 13, 157-161. (Pubitemid 41692315)
93. Perry, P., Lund, B., Arnt, S., Holman, T., Bever-Stille, K., Paulsen, J., et al. (2001). Bioavailable testosterone as a correlate of cognitive, psychological status, quality of life, and sexual functioning in aging males: Implications for testosterone replacement therapy. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 13, 75-80. (Pubitemid 32800172)
94. Petersen, J. L., & Hyde, J. S. (2010). A meta-analytic review of research on gender differences in sexuality: 1993 to 2007. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 21-38.
95. Plant, E. A., Hyde, J. S., Keltner, D., & Devine, P. G. (2000). The gender stereotyping of emotions. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 24, 81-92.
96. Pujols, Y., Meston, C M., & Seal, B. N. (2010). The association between sexual satisfaction and body image in women. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7, 905-916.
97. Regelson, W., & Colman, C (1996). The super-hormone promise. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
98. Rosario, M., Schrimshaw, E. W., Hunter, J., & Braun, L. (2006). Sexual identity development among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth: Consistency and change over time. Journal of Sex Research, 43, 46-58.
99. Rosenthal, R. (1979). The file drawer problem and tolerance for null results. Psychological Bulletin, 86, 638-641.
100. Rotundo, M., Nguyen, D., & Sackett, P. R. (2001). A meta-analytic review of gender differences in perceptions of sexual harassment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 914-922. (Pubitemid 33582417)
101. Rowland, D. L. (2006). The psychobiology of sexual arousal and response: Physical and psychological factors that control our sexual response. In R. D. McAnulty & M. M. Burnette (Eds.), Sex and sexuality, Vol 2: Sexual function and dysfunction (pp. 37-66). Westport, CT: Praeger.
102. Rupp, H. A., & Wallen, K. (2008). Sex differences in response to visual sexual stimuli: A review. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37, 206-218. (Pubitemid 351423081)
103. Savin-Williams, R. C., & Diamond, L. M. (2000). Sexual identity trajectories among sexual-minority youths: Gender comparisons. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29, 607-627.
104. Seal, B. N., Bradford, A., & Meston, C M. (2009). The association between body esteem and sexual desire among college women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 866-872.
105. Smith, A., Rissel, C., Richters, J., Grulich, A., & deVisser, R. (2003). Sex in Australia: A guide for readers. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 27, 103-105.
106. Smith, E. A., Udry, J. R., & Morris, N. M. (1985). Pubertal development and friends: A biosocial explanation of adolescent sexual behavior. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 26, 183-192. (Pubitemid 16196513)
107. Stock, W. E., & Geer, J. H. (1982). A study of fantasy-based sexual arousal in women. Archives of Sexual Behaviors, 11, 33-47. (Pubitemid 12152512)
108. Strager, S. (2003). What men watch when they watch pornography. Sexuality and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 7, 50-61. (Pubitemid 36630646)
109. Trivers, R. L. (1972). Parental investment and sexual selection. In B. Campbell (Ed.), Sexual selection and the descent of man, 1871-1971 (pp. 136-179). Chicago, IL: Aldine.
110. Udry, J. R. (1988). Biological predisposition and social control in adolescent sexual behavior. American Sociological Review, 53, 709-722.
111. UNC Population Health. (2003). National longitudinal study of adolescent youth (Add Health). Retrieved from http://www.cpc unc.edu/projects/addhealth
112. United Nations Development Programme. (1995). Human development report 1995. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
113. United Nations Development Programme. (2003). Human development report 2003. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
114. Upchurch, D., Levy-Storms, L., Sucoff, C A., & Aneshensel, C A. (1998). Gender and ethnic differences in the timing of first sexual intercourse. Family Planning Perspectives, 30, 121-127.
115. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1997). National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY). Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/nls/
116. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008). Labor force statistics from the current population survey. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from www.stats.bls.gov
117. Ussher, J. M. (2006). Managing the monstrous female: Regulating the reproductive body. New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
118. Weinberg, M. S. C., Williams, C J., & Pryor, D. W. (1994). Dual attraction: Understanding bisexuality. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
119. Wells, B. E., & Twenge, J. M. (2005). Changes in young people's sexual behavior and attitudes: A cross-temporal meta-analysis. Review of General Psychology, 9, 249-261. (Pubitemid 41375474)
120. Whitley, B. E., & Kite, M. E. (1995). Sex differences in attitudes toward homosexuality: A response to Oliver & Hyde (1993). Psychological Bulletin, 117, 146-154.
121. Wilson, E. A. (2000). Neurological preferences LeVay's study ofsexual orientation. Substance, 91, 23-38.
122. Wood, A. (2007). Social structural origins of sex differences in human mating. In S. W. Gangestad & J. A. Simpson (Eds.), The evolution of mind: Fundamental questions and controversies (pp. 383-390). New York, NY: Guilford.
123. Zilbergeld, B. (1999). The new male sexuality (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Bantam.