Browsing by Subject "Sexual double standard"
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Item Feelin’ Myself: The Sexual Double Standard and Perceived Sexualities of Hypothetical Men and Women Engaging in Masturbation(2018) Haus, KatherineDespite the well documented benefits, women report masturbating less frequently than do men. This gender difference may be a behavioral response to the Sexual Double Standard (SDS; the tendency to judge women’s sexual behavior more severely than men’s) in which women participate in masturbation less than men due to fears of social repercussions. However, no research has examined the SDS with respect to masturbation. Therefore, this study investigated (1) endorsement of the SDS when evaluating hypothetical targets engaging in masturbation, (2) gender differences in self-reported frequency of masturbation, and (3) whether relationship status influenced the SDS and frequency of masturbation. US adults have been recruited and randomly assigned to read one of four vignettes describing a hypothetical man/woman engaging in masturbation (while also manipulating relationship status). Participants then rated the target’s morality and completed a demographic questionnaire. Preliminary results revealed that women masturbators were perceived as being more moral than were men. Although relationship status did not influence endorsement of the SDS, it did influence gender differences in self-reported frequency of masturbation, in which single men reported masturbating more frequently than did men in committed relationships (relationship status did not influence women’s masturbatory habits). Contrary to our expectations, these findings indicate the existence of a reverse SDS when judging others and that these judgments do not appear to impact behavior, in which men reported masturbating more frequently than did women (particularly when single). It is unclear why men were judged more harshly than women, however, these results may be a reaction to the current prominence of men’s sexual misconduct in the media and the tendency to judge their sexual behavior more harshly as a result. As it is well-known that men masturbate more than do women, it is also possible that participants judged male targets more severely in accordance with their perceived masturbatory frequency in accordance with existing stigma.Item The “Sextual” Double Standard: An Experimental Examination of Variations in Judgments of Men and Women Who Engage in Computer-Mediated Sexual Communication(2018-09) Harvey, Carissa AAlthough computer-mediated sexual communication (i.e., sexting) is a common behavior, research indicates that perceptions of sexting are generally negative. However, no research has attempted to quantitatively examine how perceptions of sexting vary according to the gender of the individuals involved. Thus, the current study investigated the endorsement of the sexual double standard (i.e., the tendency to judge women more harshly than men for engaging in comparable sexual behavior) when evaluating hypothetical individuals who engage in sexting. A total of 663 U.S. adults (347 men, 316 women) participated in a between-subject experimental paradigm, in which they were randomly assigned to read one of 16 vignettes depicting a hypothetical sexting scenario and evaluate one of the individuals involved. The results revealed that, although participants reported neutral perceptions of sexting overall, hypothetical men were judged as less moral for their involvement in sexting than were women. Morality judgments of those who sext were also influenced by the target's role in the interaction (sender/receiver, requester/non-requester) and the familiarity of those involved (casual/committed partners). Overall, these results indicate that the traditional sexual double standard has given way to an egalitarian standard, perhaps due to recent societal shifts. Implications for investigators, educators, and practitioners are discussed.