Lauren Jensen
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Terri Conley
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychology / LSA
Program: UROP
Session: Session 4 (1:40pm – 2:30pm)
Authors: Lauren Jensen, Lillian Barber, Elena Fernandez, Yi-Ting Kao, Ariel Yang, Jennifer Piemonte, Terri Conley
Abstract
Although there has been a significant amount of psychological research on sex, many of the findings that have been established may just be representative of evolutionary and biological assumptions. Overall, the notion that most people believe is that women find less enjoyment in sex, and men have more sexual agency. This research seeks to challenge the narrative and account for why gender differences in casual sex occur; if they even occur. To achieve an updated perspective on women’s and men’s sexual encounters, this study aimed to survey 75 heterosexual men and 75 heterosexual women about a hypothetical casual sex offer with a potential match on a dating app. After the data is collected from the surveys – as data collection is still ongoing – it is hypothesized that there is a gender difference in regards to casual sex, but that gender difference disappears once we factor in anticipation of orgasm. These results suggest that both genders are engaging in casual sex for pleasure. Both men and women benefit from sex, challenging the societal norm that men are the primary pleasure-receivers and resisting the stigma that comes along with women who act on their sexual agency. This study will contribute to both fields of psychology and women and gender studies, advancing the outdated idea that women have lesser interest in sex and further contributing to current research on this topic.
