The DOI matches its Crossref record; 26 of the 26 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The sexual double standard and gender differences in attitudes toward casual sex among U.S. university students
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUNDA significant portion of premarital sexual activity is casual rather than in relationships, and commentators disagree on whether this is what women prefer. OBJECTIVEWe examine gender differences in attitudes toward casual sex.We also assess whether there is a double standard whereby women are judged more harshly for casual sex. METHODSWe use a large online survey of U.S. university students to examine gender differences with regard to attitudes and reports of sexual behavior. RESULTSWhile distributions overlap, the average man looks more favorably on casual sex than the average woman.Both sexes show substantial openness to relationships.We find evidence of a double standard: men are more judgmental toward women than toward men who have casual sex.Men appear to over-report and/or women to under-report intercourse and fellatio, suggesting that men see these acts as enhancing and/or women see them as diminishing their status. CONCLUSIONSWomen face more negative judgment than men when they are known to engage in casual sex, and they also report less interest in casual sex than men.Our analysis does not permit us to assess whether the double standard we find evidence of explains why women have less interest in casual sex, but we hypothesize that this is the case.
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“Sociologists and feminists argue that gender differences in romantic partnering preferences may result from, cause, or be reinforced by cultural double standards and social norms that result in women receiving negative social sanctions for engaging in casual sex while men receive social rewards (Armstrong, Hamilton, Armstrong, & Seeley, 2014; England & Bearak, 2014; Hamilton & Armstrong, 2009; K”
From The role of culture in explaining college students’ selection into hookups, dates, and long-term romantic relationships (2016) · cites this paper as England & Bearak, 2014
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“Men generally were less interested than women of the same ages in settling down in stable relationships, had more permissive attitudes toward sex and casual sex, and were more likely to regret sexual inaction, while women were more likely to regret sexual action and to pursue sex within a relationship (England & Bearak, 2014; Galperin et al., 2013 ; Laumann et al., 2004; Regnerus & Uecker, 2011).”
From The role of culture in explaining college students’ selection into hookups, dates, and long-term romantic relationships (2016) · cites this paper as England & Bearak, 2014
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“Men may also be conforming to societal expectations that they be more interested in casual sex”
From The role of culture in explaining college students’ selection into hookups, dates, and long-term romantic relationships (2016) · cites this paper as England & Bearak, 2014
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Cites
Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures
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The social organization of sexuality: sexual practices in the United States
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Baumeister, R. F., Catanese, K. R., & Vohs, K. D. (2001) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr0503_5 · Cited by 862
Sexual double standards: A review and methodological critique of two decades of research
Crawford, M., & Popp, D. (2003) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224490309552163 · Cited by 860
Hooking up: sex, dating, and relationships on campus
(2008) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.46-1191 · Cited by 543
Surkyn, J., & Lesthaeghe, R. (2004) · Demographic Research · doi:10.4054/demres.2004.s3.3 · Cited by 502
Gendered Sexuality in Young Adulthood: Double Binds and Flawed Options
Hamilton, L., & Armstrong, E. A. (2009) · Gender & Society · doi:10.1177/0891243209345829 · Cited by 471
Accounting for Women’s Orgasm and Sexual Enjoyment in College Hookups and Relationships
Armstrong, E. A., England, P., & Fogarty, A. C. K. (2012) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.1177/0003122412445802 · Cited by 425
Self-citationDarroch, J., Singh, S., & Frost, J. (2001) · Family planning perspectives · doi:10.2307/3030191 · Cited by 396
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Powell, A., & Henry, N. (2016) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260516672055 · Cited by 318
The Double Standard at Sexual Debut: Gender, Sexual Behavior and Adolescent Peer Acceptance
Kreager, D. A., Staff, J., Gauthier, G. R., Lefkowitz, E. S., & Feinberg, M. E. (2016) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-016-0618-x · Cited by 148
Kuperberg, A., & Padgett, J. E. (2016) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407515616876 · Cited by 86
The Nature, Patterns and Consequences of Technology-Facilitated Domestic Abuse: A Scoping Review
Afrouz, R. (2021) · Trauma Violence & Abuse · doi:10.1177/15248380211046752 · Cited by 93
Emotional Outcomes of Casual Sexual Relationships and Experiences: A Systematic Review
Wesche, R., Claxton, S. E., & Waterman, E. A. (2020) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2020.1821163 · Cited by 75
Metadata
- Authors
- England, P., & Bearak, J.
- Affiliations
- New York University (US)
- Venue
- Demographic Research
- Published
- 2014-04-29
- Volume
- 30
- Pages
- 1327-1338
- ISSN
- 1435-9871 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2111964210
- Cited by
- 101
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 21.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Demographic Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- sexual double standard, gender differences, casual sex, premarital sex, university students, female sexual behavior
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