Sexual behavior, responsiveness, and attitudes among women: a test of two theories

This study tests two theories regarding the attitude and behavioral determinants of women's coital and masturbatory orgasmic responsiveness. Data from 115 sexually active women were analyzed using latent-variable structural equation models. Twenty-one variables are used to represent seven latent constructs: Parent Sexual Attitudes, Sexual Latency, Sexual Behavior, Dating Competence, Social Assertiveness, Subjective Masturbatory Responsiveness, and Subjective Coital Responsiveness. Two specific theories are tested with these constructs. Each theory predicts a different structural arrangement among these latent factors with the fundamental difference being whether behavior predicts responsiveness or vice-versa. Two alternate models were found to reflect the data adequately. In both instances, attitudes predicted behavior and, in general, orgasmic responsiveness tended to be a function of behavior.