Yi-Ting Kao
Pronouns:
Research Mentor(s): Terri Conley
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychology / LSA
Program: UROP
Session: Session 7 (4:40pm – 5:30pm)
Authors: Yi-Ting Kao, Elena Fernandez, Lauren Jensen, Lillian Barber, Ariel Yang, Jennifer Piemonte, Terri Conley
Abstract
Despite the extensive psychological research on sex and gender differences, much of it emphasizes biological differences and evolutionary assumptions. This study aims to examine gender differences in the acceptance of casual sex offers by investigating whether orgasm anticipation directly influences people’s decision to accept the offer. The team surveyed 75 heterosexual men and 75 heterosexual women who were Introductory Psychology students through the Sona System. Participants were asked about their first potential match or hypothetical sexual partner on their dating app to understand how orgasm anticipation may play a role in the acceptance of casual sex offers. This research not only hypothesizes that men are more willing than women to accept casual sex offers, but also argues that gender differences disappear when orgasm anticipation is considered. The study’s findings suggest that there are no gender differences in the acceptance of casual sex offers when orgasm anticipation is taken into account. Moreover, this research challenges societal norms about sexuality and contributes to both psychology and gender studies by focusing on social psychology and the desire to accept casual sex offers from both genders rather than biological aspects.
