Men’s Preference for Women Who Like Women: The Effects of Desire for Sexual Variety and Willingness to Have Sex Without Commitment

Heterosexual men, as opposed to heterosexual women, desire mates who experience same-sex attractions and are willing to have same-sex sexual contacts. Yet not all men share such desires, and the current study aims to examine whether the male preferences for same-sex attraction and contact are predicted by desires for sexual variety and having sex without commitment. Using an online sample of 1,277 Greek-speaking participants, we found that men and women who experienced same-sex attractions and desired sexual variety and sex without commitment were more likely to prefer same-sex attraction and contact in a partner. Moreover, we found that a considerable proportion of heterosexual men, but only a small proportion of heterosexual women, preferred same-sex attraction and contact in partner. This sex-difference was statistically significant even after the desire for sexual variety and sociosexual orientation were controlled for.

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The Evolution of Same-Sex Attraction in Women

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000281 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 104-110 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Menelaos Apostolou

Keyword(s):

Strong Support ◽

Considerable Proportion ◽

Heterosexual Men ◽

High Tolerance ◽

Same Sex ◽

Short Term ◽

Men And Women ◽

Sex Attraction ◽

Opposite Sex

Abstract. A considerable proportion of the population experiences varying degrees of same-sex attraction. It has been proposed that men exhibit high tolerance to their partner’s same-sex infidelity, which allows such predispositions to exist in a relative high frequency in the population. On this basis, the hypothesis was tested that heterosexual men and women would differ in their tolerance level, with men exhibiting higher tolerance to same-sex infidelity than women. Evidence from an online sample of 590 heterosexual Greek-speaking participants provided strong support for this hypothesis. In particular, the vast majority of women exhibited low tolerance, while about one in two men exhibited high tolerance to same-sex infidelity. Furthermore, men and women exhibited higher tolerance to the same-sex infidelity of their long-term than of their short-term partners, with men exhibiting higher tolerance in the latter case. In addition, women exhibited low tolerance to opposite-sex and same-sex infidelity, but men exhibited low tolerance to opposite-sex infidelity, but much higher tolerance to same-sex infidelity.

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Male Tolerance to Same-Sex Infidelity: A Cross-Cultural Investigation

Evolutionary Psychology ◽

10.1177/1474704919843892 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 147470491984389

Author(s):

Yan Wang ◽

Menelaos Apostolou

Keyword(s):

Cross Cultural ◽

Heterosexual Men ◽

Same Sex ◽

Short Term ◽

Men And Women ◽

Cultural Contexts ◽

Sex Attraction ◽

Female Partners ◽

Opposite Sex

There is accumulating evidence that heterosexual men exhibit tolerance to their partners’ same-sex infidelity. The current study examined such tolerance in the Chinese ( N = 949) and the British ( N = 305) cultural contexts. Consistent with the predictions derived from an evolutionary framework, across different cultural settings, men exhibited higher tolerance than women to their partners’ same-sex infidelity. In addition, if they had to choose, men were considerably more likely than women to prefer their partners to cheat with an individual of the same than of the opposite sex. Participants were also more tolerant of infidelity involving their short-term than their long-term partners. Moreover, men who preferred same-sex attraction in women were more tolerant to the same-sex infidelity of their female partners than men who did not share these preferences. Finally, men and women who experienced same-sex attractions indicated higher tolerance to infidelity. The implications of these finding for the evolution of same-sex attraction in women were further discussed.

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Sexual identity, sexual attraction and sexual experience: the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships

Sexual Health ◽

10.1071/sh14117 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 451 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

Juliet Richters ◽

Dennis Altman ◽

Paul B. Badcock ◽

Anthony M. A. Smith ◽

Richard O. de Visser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Identity ◽

Female Sexuality ◽

Sexual Attraction ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Sexual Experience ◽

Participation Rate ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Same Sex ◽

Men And Women ◽

Sex Attraction

Background Behavioural and other aspects of sexuality are not always consistent. This study describes the prevalence and overlap of same-sex and other-sex attraction and experience and of different sexual identities in Australia. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 20 094 men and women aged 16–69 years recruited by landline and mobile phone random-digit dialling with a response rate (participation rate among eligible people) of 66.2%. Respondents were asked about their sexual identity (‘Do you think of yourself as’ heterosexual/straight, homosexual/gay, bisexual, etc.) and the sex of people with whom they had ever had sexual contact and to whom they had felt sexually attracted. Results: Men and women had different patterns of sexual identity. Although the majority of people identified as heterosexual (97% men, 96% women), women were more likely than men to identify as bisexual. Women were less likely than men to report exclusively other-sex or same-sex attraction and experience; 9% of men and 19% of women had some history of same-sex attraction and/or experience. Sexual attraction and experience did not necessarily correspond. Homosexual/gay identity was more common among men with tertiary education and living in cities and less common among men with blue-collar jobs. Many gay men (53%) and lesbians (76%) had some experience with an other-sex partner. More women identified as lesbian or bisexual than in 2001–02. Similarly, more women reported same-sex experience and same-sex attraction. Conclusion: In Australia, men are more likely than women to report exclusive same-sex attraction and experience, although women are more likely than men to report any non-heterosexual identity, experience and attraction. Whether this is a feature of the plasticity of female sexuality or due to lesser stigma than for men is unknown.

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Stereotypes and Personal Beliefs about Women Physical Education Teachers

Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal ◽

10.1123/wspaj.6.1.49 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 49-83 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mary B. Harris ◽

Joy Griffin

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Physical Education Teachers ◽

Heterosexual Men ◽

Physical Educators ◽

Personal Beliefs ◽

Cultural Stereotypes ◽

Negative Stereotypes ◽

Men And Women ◽

Heterosexual Women ◽

Status Of Women

In order to assess their cultural stereotypes and personal beliefs about women physical education teachers, we surveyed 196 individuals attending the 1995 American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) convention. Respondents felt that most Americans stereotyped women physical educators as masculine, aggressive, athletic, lesbian, and unintellectual. Their personal views were less extreme. Some differences in personal beliefs were found between men and women, and between lesbians, heterosexual men and heterosexual women. Occupation, age, and education were not importantly related to stereotyping. Open ended questions revealed both positive and negative aspects of physical education as a profession for women. Based upon the continued existence of some negative stereotypes, coupled with the low status of women physical educators, we suggest that the profession needs to increase its educational efforts and its appreciation of diversity.

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Cultural and Sex Differences in Rating the Self and an Hypothetical Well-Adjusted Person on Jack's Divided Self and Care as Self-Sacrifice Subscales

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1999.84.1.67 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 84 (1) ◽

pp. 67-83 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Koutrelakos ◽

A. J. Baranchik ◽

N. Damato

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Sex Difference ◽

The Self ◽

Same Sex ◽

Men And Women ◽

Divided Self ◽

The Usa

Ratings of the self and of an hypothetical well-adjusted man and woman on the Divided Self and Care as Self-sacrifice subscales of the Silencing the Self Scale were obtained for samples of men and women in the USA and Greece. Factor analysis confirmed the items' assignment to subscales for each of the three sets of ratings. Generally, Greeks scored higher than Americans on both subscales. While men usually scored higher than women on the Care subscale in both countries, they only did so in Greece for the Divided Self. Women had greater discrepancies than men between their self and well-adjusted same-sex rating on both subscales in each country, with this sex difference being greater in Greece than the USA and greater on the Care subscale in both countries.

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Heterosexual couples and homosexual rivals: Sex differences in romantic jealousy when the rival is the same sex as your partner

10.31234/osf.io/fbzwk ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Martin Voracek ◽

Jeff Ward ◽

Phoebe Proudfoot

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Hypothesis Testing ◽

Heterosexual Men ◽

Heterosexual Couples ◽

Sexual Infidelity ◽

Testing Strategy ◽

Same Sex ◽

Romantic Jealousy ◽

Sexual Jealousy ◽

Heterosexual Women

Research testing hypotheses derived from evolutionary psychology about sex differences in romantic jealousy has been hampered by a confirmationist hypothesis testing strategy. We report three studies conducted in Austria and Australia that employ a conditional hypothesis testing strategy to investigate variations in sex differences in jealousy under different relationship conditions, namely opposite-sex and same-sex infidelity among heterosexual individuals. In Study 1, heterosexual women found a same-sex sexual infidelity more aversive than heterosexual men did, and this difference persisted after adjusting for other likely predictors of this difference. In Studies 2 and 3, enhanced sexual jealousy in heterosexual men was not observed when the rival was the same sex as his partner. This effect was reversed for women, who were more distressed by sexual versus emotional infidelity when the rival was the same sex as her partner. An explanation for this set of findings, based on sex differences in sexual and attachment motivation, is proposed.

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Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders Among Heterosexual Identified Men and Women Who Have Same-Sex Partners or Same-Sex Attraction: Results from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions

Archives of Sexual Behavior ◽

10.1007/s10508-012-9910-1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 1185-1197 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Maurice N. Gattis ◽

Paul Sacco ◽

Renee M. Cunningham-Williams

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Use ◽

Epidemiological Survey ◽

Mental Health Disorders ◽

Sex Partners ◽

Same Sex ◽

Men And Women ◽

Sex Attraction ◽

Health Disorders

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Precarious Sexuality: How Men and Women Are Differentially Categorized for Similar Sexual Behavior

American Sociological Review ◽

10.1177/0003122418759544 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 83 (2) ◽

pp. 305-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Trenton D. Mize ◽

Bianca Manago

Keyword(s):

Sexual Behavior ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Sexual Experience ◽

Sexual History ◽

Heterosexual Men ◽

Sexual Encounter ◽

Same Sex ◽

Heterosexual Woman ◽

Men And Women ◽

Survey Experiments

Are men and women categorized differently for similar sexual behavior? Building on theories of gender, sexuality, and status, we introduce the concept of precarious sexuality to suggest that men’s—but not women’s—heterosexuality is an especially privileged identity that is easily lost. We test our hypotheses in a series of survey experiments describing a person who has a sexual experience conflicting with their sexual history. We find that a single same-sex sexual encounter leads an observer to question a heterosexual man’s sexual orientation to a greater extent than that of a heterosexual woman in a similar situation. We also find that a different-sex sexual encounter is more likely to change others’ perceptions of a lesbian woman’s sexual orientation—compared to perceptions of a gay man’s sexual orientation. In two conceptual replications, we vary the level of intimacy of the sexual encounter and find consistent evidence for our idea of precarious sexuality for heterosexual men. We close with a general discussion of how status beliefs influence categorization processes and with suggestions for extending our theoretical propositions to other categories beyond those of sexual orientation.

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