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Sexual regret: evidence for evolved sex differences.

Andrew Galperin1, Martie G Haselton, David A Frederick

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1563, USA, andrewgalperin@gmail.com.

Archives of Sexual Behavior
|November 27, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Men and women experience sexual regret differently, with women regretting sexual actions more and men regretting inaction more, reflecting evolutionary pressures.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Human Sexuality
  • Decision-Making Psychology

Background:

  • Regret, including anticipated regret, improves decision-making by preventing errors.
  • Sexual decisions are a significant source of intense regret for many individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate hypothesized evolved sex differences in the experience of sexual regret.
  • To examine whether women regret sexual actions (especially casual sex) more than men.
  • To determine if men regret sexual inactions more than women, linked to reproductive fitness costs.

Main Methods:

  • Three studies were conducted with diverse participants (N = 24,825 total), including varied sexual orientations.
  • Methods included free responses, written scenarios, and detailed checklists.
  • Internet sampling was utilized to ensure broad participant diversity.

Main Results:

  • Findings supported the hypotheses regarding sex differences in sexual regret.
  • These differences were most pronounced in the context of casual sex.
  • Women reported greater regret over sexual actions, while men reported greater regret over sexual inactions.

Conclusions:

  • Psychological sex differences in sexual regret are consistent with evolutionary theories.
  • The experience of sexual regret appears to be shaped by long-term, sex-specific selection pressures.
  • These findings contribute to understanding the evolutionary basis of human sexual psychology.