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Gender differences in sexuality: a meta-analysis

M B Oliver1, J S Hyde

  • 1Department of Communication Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061.

Psychological Bulletin
|July 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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This meta-analysis reveals significant gender differences in sexual behaviors, with men reporting higher masturbation rates and more permissive attitudes toward casual sex. However, attitudes toward homosexuality and sexual satisfaction showed no gender disparity.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Human Sexuality

Background:

  • Understanding gender differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors is crucial for public health and social policy.
  • Previous research has yielded mixed results, necessitating a comprehensive synthesis of existing data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically analyze and quantify gender differences across a wide range of sexual attitudes and behaviors.
  • To examine trends in these differences over time and discuss theoretical explanations.

Main Methods:

  • A meta-analysis of 177 studies reporting data on 21 distinct measures of sexual attitudes and behaviors.
  • Calculation of effect sizes (d) to quantify the magnitude of gender differences.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • The largest gender differences were observed in masturbation incidence (d = .96) and attitudes toward casual sex (d = .81), with men scoring higher/more permissive.
  • No significant gender differences were found in attitudes toward homosexuality or sexual satisfaction.
  • Most other observed gender differences were small to moderate in magnitude.

Conclusions:

  • While significant gender differences exist in certain sexual behaviors and attitudes, they are not universal across all domains.
  • A narrowing of gender differences was observed for many variables between the 1960s and 1980s.
  • Findings are discussed in relation to various psychological and sociological theories, including social role theory and sociobiology.