Gender Differences

Toward an Understanding of Toward an Understanding of Gender Differences in Inferring Gender Differences in Inferring

Sexual InterestSexual Interest

Reviewed byReviewed by

Melissa Book Rebecca EitnerMelissa Book Rebecca Eitner

Nida Hussain Devery McDonaldNida Hussain Devery McDonald

Meg SmithMeg Smith

UMBCUMBC

PSYC 357PSYC 357

IntroductionIntroduction• Previous studies have shown Previous studies have shown

men think more often about men think more often about sex than women (e.g. Jones & sex than women (e.g. Jones & Barlow, 1990)Barlow, 1990)

• Men express and have greater Men express and have greater desire for sex than women desire for sex than women (Baumeister, Catanese and (Baumeister, Catanese and Vohls, 2001)Vohls, 2001)

• Men oversexualize Men oversexualize interactions with women interactions with women (Abbey, 1982, Abbey & Melby, (Abbey, 1982, Abbey & Melby, 1986, Harnish , Abbey & 1986, Harnish , Abbey & DeBono, 1990)DeBono, 1990)

• Men misread friendliness cues Men misread friendliness cues from women (Abbey et from women (Abbey et al.,1987; Abbey Melby , 1986)al.,1987; Abbey Melby , 1986)

• However men do differentiate between friendly However men do differentiate between friendly and sexually interested behaviors in and sexually interested behaviors in experiments where actors intentionally experiments where actors intentionally displayed friendliness in video-taped displayed friendliness in video-taped interactions (Shotland and Craig, 1988)interactions (Shotland and Craig, 1988)

• Men oversexualize despite the ability to Men oversexualize despite the ability to differentiate behaviors because they may have differentiate behaviors because they may have a lower threshold than women for perceiving a lower threshold than women for perceiving sexual interest (Threshold hypothesis)sexual interest (Threshold hypothesis)

• Abbey and colleagues more recent hypothesis Abbey and colleagues more recent hypothesis suggests that differences in gender sexual suggests that differences in gender sexual schemas may account for the lower threshold in schemas may account for the lower threshold in some men. some men.

IntroductionIntroduction

IntroductionIntroduction

• Rationale for current studyRationale for current study– Prior studies to evaluate Prior studies to evaluate

oversexualization are limited because oversexualization are limited because they use descriptions of behavior, they use descriptions of behavior, pictures or video instead of live pictures or video instead of live interactions . interactions .

– Interaction methodology allows for Interaction methodology allows for examination of other facets of sexual examination of other facets of sexual judgments such as reciprocity and judgments such as reciprocity and accuracyaccuracy

• HypothesisHypothesis– After brief opposite-gender interactions, After brief opposite-gender interactions,

men perceive women more sexually men perceive women more sexually than women perceive men .than women perceive men .

IntroductionIntroduction

• ParticipantsParticipants– NN =86; 43 men, 43 women =86; 43 men, 43 women

• ProcedureProcedure– Participants were told study concerned Participants were told study concerned

conversational smoothness conversational smoothness – In first session, groups completed the Bem Sex In first session, groups completed the Bem Sex

Role Inventory (BSRI) to determine who is Role Inventory (BSRI) to determine who is gender-schematic or gender-aschematic .gender-schematic or gender-aschematic .

– Women session held first; they set a day and Women session held first; they set a day and time for an interaction session time for an interaction session

– At first session, after BRSI completion, men At first session, after BRSI completion, men signed up for an interaction session with a signed up for an interaction session with a woman they had not metwoman they had not met

MethodsMethods

MethodsMethods• Procedure (continued)Procedure (continued)

– Interaction session occurred one Interaction session occurred one week from first sessionweek from first session

– Participants interact one-on-one Participants interact one-on-one with member of opposite gender with member of opposite gender for 5 minutesfor 5 minutes

– Participants reminded that study Participants reminded that study was about conversation was about conversation smoothness and encouraged to smoothness and encouraged to introduce themselvesintroduce themselves

– Experimenter monitored for prior Experimenter monitored for prior acquaintance while instructing acquaintance while instructing participants (experimenter not in participants (experimenter not in the room during the interaction.the room during the interaction.

– Following interaction Following interaction participants completed post-participants completed post-interaction questionnaire packet interaction questionnaire packet in separate rooms in separate rooms

MethodsMethods• Post-interaction RatingsPost-interaction Ratings

– Participants rated themselves and their partners on Participants rated themselves and their partners on extroversion and agreeableness, physical extroversion and agreeableness, physical attractiveness, sexual traits and interaction attractiveness, sexual traits and interaction behaviors on scale of 1(not at all) to 7 (extremely)behaviors on scale of 1(not at all) to 7 (extremely)

– Rated perceptions of interaction behavior: Rated perceptions of interaction behavior: attentiveness, humor, friendliness, talkativeness attentiveness, humor, friendliness, talkativeness and cheerfulness on similar 1-7 scaleand cheerfulness on similar 1-7 scale

– Participants also rated whether they would want Participants also rated whether they would want future interactions with partner, were they future interactions with partner, were they attractedattracted

– Rated conversation smoothness, extent of Rated conversation smoothness, extent of agreement and overall enjoyment agreement and overall enjoyment

• OversexualizationOversexualization– Men gave higher ratings on sexual index than did Men gave higher ratings on sexual index than did

womenwomen

– Regardless of gender, people rated themselves Regardless of gender, people rated themselves higher on sexual traits than their partners, higher on sexual traits than their partners, however no general response bias was foundhowever no general response bias was found

ResultsResults

ResultsResults• Gender SchemasGender Schemas

– Feminine men rated partner Feminine men rated partner significantly less sexy relative to significantly less sexy relative to androgynous and androgynous and undifferentiated menundifferentiated men

– Ratings given by masculine men Ratings given by masculine men did not differ from any other did not differ from any other groupgroup

– Women’s ratings were Women’s ratings were unaffected by their BRSI unaffected by their BRSI classificationclassification

– Results do not support that Results do not support that masculine men oversexualize masculine men oversexualize more then other gender-role more then other gender-role classifications classifications

• Results support the hypothesis that men Results support the hypothesis that men oversexualize brief interactions with womenoversexualize brief interactions with women

• Misperception of friendliness by men is not supported Misperception of friendliness by men is not supported by the current study, however men did associate by the current study, however men did associate conversation smoothness with sexual interestconversation smoothness with sexual interest

• For men perceiving women: physical attraction For men perceiving women: physical attraction strongly correlated with sexual index ratings and strongly correlated with sexual index ratings and desire for future interactions.desire for future interactions.

• Women demonstrated a greater “what is beautiful is Women demonstrated a greater “what is beautiful is good” stereotype than mengood” stereotype than men

• Masculine women are perhaps somewhat freer in Masculine women are perhaps somewhat freer in general from traditional societal stereotypes and general from traditional societal stereotypes and restrictions and thus rate men higher in terms of restrictions and thus rate men higher in terms of sexual traits. sexual traits.

DiscussionDiscussion

• Some study limitationsSome study limitations– Live interactions not video recordedLive interactions not video recorded– No independent assessment of physical No independent assessment of physical

attractivenessattractiveness– Small number of dyads limit the power of Small number of dyads limit the power of

comparisons across BSRI typescomparisons across BSRI types

DiscussionDiscussion

Levesque, Maurice J., Nave, Christopher S., & Lowe, Charles A. Levesque, Maurice J., Nave, Christopher S., & Lowe, Charles A. (2006). Toward an Understanding of Gender Differences in (2006). Toward an Understanding of Gender Differences in Inferring Sexual Interest. Inferring Sexual Interest. Psychology of Women QuarterlyPsychology of Women Quarterly. . 3030, , 150-158. 150-158.

ReferencesReferences