Gender-specific variances in sexual fantasy

Six sexual fantasy categories were derived by inductive content analysis, based upon the starting criterion that fantasy is a dynamic and interactional event. Detailed narrative descriptions of sexual fantasy in three conditions, including 'Daydream,' 'masturbatory,' and "During Sex Relations' were obtained from 48 male and 45 female volunteer graduate students. Detailed narrative descriptions of sexual fantasies were collected by administration of sexual fantasy questionnaires. While the intention was to empirically derive sexual fantasy categories which could be used for personality assessment of gender identity, the hypothesis predicted gender-specific variances in fantasy productions according to derived fantasy categories. Results indicated that significantly more females than males fantasized themselves as recipients of sexual activity from fantasized sexual objects, while males fantasized the sexual object as recipients of sexual activity. Marginal tendencies toward reversal of this gender pattern occurred in the 'Mastubatory' condition for males, and in the 'Daydream' sexual fantasy condition for females.