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Running head: SEX AND SEXUAL REPUTATION
Does the Number of Sexual Partners Affect the Way Different
Sexes Perceive a Person’s Attractiveness?
Kristen M. Biscoe-Miller and Natalie M. Cowden
Longwood University
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SEX AND SEXUAL REPUTATION
Abstract
The difference between how heterosexual males and heterosexual females perceive a negative
sexual reputation was examined. Participants read a scenario that either referred to a student’s
sexual reputation or mentioned nothing about sexual reputation. After the participants finished
reading the scenario, they answered a Likert Scale questionnaire. A two-way Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA) indicated that males were significantly more likely to approach and initiate
sexual activity with females. Participants who knew nothing of the student’s sexual reputation
were also significantly more likely to find the student attractive.
Keywords: sex, attractiveness, reputation, sexual activity, approachability, sexual partners
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SEX AND SEXUAL REPUTATION
Does the Number of Sexual Partners Affect the Way Different Sexes Perceive a Person’s
Attractiveness?
________________________________________________________________________
____________________
Hypothesis
We believed there would be a potential main effect for sex for each target question/ level of
attractiveness
We predicted significant interactions between sex and condition as well… Kristen--- look up
what a significant interaction is and pick maybe one or two to describe what we “thought might
occur”
Method
Participants
Longwood University students (54 women, 40 men, M age = 20 years, age range: 17-22
years) signed up to participate in the research study using an online sign-up system under the
deceptive title “Do First Impressions Affect the Way Different Sexes Perceive a Person’s
Attractiveness?” In order to be eligible to partake in our study, we required that participants were
heterosexual males or females. Participants included 28 freshmen, 37 sophomores, 16 juniors, 11
seniors, and 2 others. By signing up, the participants gave their informed consent to partake in
the study and many received one extra credit point in a psychology class for their involvement.
We explained the purpose of the research to the participants and informed them that they were
free to withdraw at any time without penalty.
Materials and Procedure
Participants read a scenario and then answered a questionnaire. The scenario that each
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SEX AND SEXUAL REPUTATION
participant received depended on the sex of the participant and whether they were in the control
or experimental group. For the control group, we distributed the scenario for the males and
females. The scenario for the males included a brief description of a girl named Victoria and
explained that not much knowledge about Victoria was known (see Appendix C). The female
version of the scenario was identical except the name James replaced the name Victoria (see
Appendix D). For the experimental group, the same process followed; however, the scenarios
were slightly changed. In the male version, the scenario indicated that Victoria had slept with 15
men previously (see Appendix A). The female scenario was identical except for the name was
changed to James (see Appendix B). After each participant finished reading the scenario, they
then filled out the questionnaire. In the questionnaire, we asked questions about how attractive
the participant felt the student to be based on a Likert scale (see Appendix E). It took from 2 to 3
minutes for the participants to read the scenario and answer the questionnaire. Once the task was
completed, the participants turned over their papers and we began the debriefing process.
Results
Analyses focused on the participants’ answers to the 10-question Likert Scale. We
identified five of the questions as target questions used towards our data analyses and examined
the differences in the participants’ answers using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The
two-way ANOVA divulged several main effects for sex (male or female) and condition (control
or experimental). There were no significant interactions between sex and condition.
The first target question referred to whether the participants would approach and talk to
the student in the scenario. We ran a two-way ANOVA and found a significant main effect for
both the sex F(1, 90) = 8.649, p = .004, and the condition F(1, 90) = 4.751, p = .032. It was
significantly more likely that males (M = 4.025, SD = .832) would approach and talk to the
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student than the females (M = 3.463, SD = .985). Participants in the control condition with no
reference to sexual reputation (M = 3.935, SD = .879) were also more likely to approach the
student than those in the experimental condition (M = 3.479, SD = .989) who believed the
student had a negative sexual reputation (see Figure 1).
As depicted in Figure 2, we also found a significant main effect between the males (M =
3.9, SD = .982) and the females (M = 2.796, SD = 1.203), F(1, 90) = 31.054, p < .001, when we
asked the participants if the student could be a potential sexual partner. This means that the
males were more likely to consider the student a potential sexual partner than the females. A
main effect also existed between the conditions, F(1, 90) = 40.292, p < .001. The experimental
group (M = 2.645, SD = 1.082) was less likely than the control group (M = 3.913, SD = 1.05) to
view the student as a potential sexual partner.
A two-way ANOVA indicated a main effect for condition, F(1, 90) = 82.378, p < .001,
such that the participants that knew nothing of the students sexual reputation (M = 3.935, SD =
.646) found the student to be more dateable than those who thought the student had a negative
sexual reputation (M = 2.458, SD = .874). This main effect is depicted in Figure 3.
In the next target question, participants decided if the student would harm the
participant’s reputation by association. There was no main effect for sex; However, there was a
significant main effect between the control group (M = 1.957, SD = .729) and the experimental
group (M = 2.833, SD = 1.173), F(1, 90) = 17.244, p < .001. In other words, participants who
knew the student’s sexual reputation thought that association might harm their reputation more
so than the student’s that were left unknowing (see Figure 4).
A two-way ANOVA yielded a main effect for condition, F(1, 90) = 10.085, p = .002, but
not for sex when participants answered the final target question (see Figure 5). In this question,
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we asked if the participant’s opinion about the student would change if they found out the
student had over 20 sexual partners. Since this was the first time the control group had heard
anything about the student’s sexual reputation, they more often agreed that their opinion would
change (M = 4.217, SD = 1.031) than the experimental group (M = 3.5, SD = 1.185).
Discussion
There are many different ways in which a person may be considered attractive. We
measured attractiveness on several different levels. In our scenarios, we informed the participants
that the student was already attractive based on physical appearance and personality. In our
questionnaire, we measured different aspects of attractiveness in each of our target questions.
These aspects included approachability, date ability, association, and potential as a sexual
partner.
The data indicate there were only two significant differences between males and females.
On average, our results show that males will initiate more contact or view females as psexual
activity than females. This finding may exist for a variety of reasons. In regards to
approachability, some researchers claim that males are characteristically more likely to initiate a
relationship or approach the female because of social norms. It is widely accepted that males
typically initiate most interaction most interactions, whether it is flirting or even asking someone
on a date. Even during a date, it is the male that is normally expected to do the talking, driving,
paying, and even a goodnight kiss (Morr Serewicz & Gale, 2008). Due to these findings, we
suspect that the males may have felt the need to take the first step to initiate contact with the
student, feeling as though the student possibly would not. We believe that social norms play a
role in males finding the female student sexually attractive as well. Social scripts tend to also
promote males as being the initiator of any sexual relationship or sexual activity in addition to
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initial interaction. Researchers have found that although times are changing, women are
supposed to be rather defiant to sexual advances while men incessantly seek out any chance for
sexual activity (Hartwick, Desmarais & Hennig, 2007). Therefore, males may have seen the
female student in the scenario as a potential sexual partner and jumped at the opportunity
regardless of her number of previous partners. Furthermore, since women are not viewed as the
typical initiators of sexual activity, the female participants may have felt hesitant about admitting
that they may differ from this customary script (O’Sullivan & Byers, 1992).
Aside from approachability and potential sexual partners, however, sex played no role in
how the participants viewed the students described in the scenarios. Knowledge of a person’s
sexual reputation, or lack of, however, did change this. As described in the results, participants
who knew nothing of the student’s sexual reputation were more likely to approach the student,
view the student as a potential sexual partner, potentially date the student, and associate with the
student. In other words, a negative sexual reputation (15 sexual partners) overall affected how
the participant’s perceived the student’s attractiveness. Whether male or female, the student with
a negative sexual reputation was less likely to be attractive than the student with no sexual
information provided.
Our final target question, in which we asked if the participant’s opinion of the student
would change if the participant found out that the student had previously slept with 20 people,
was particularly interesting to us. This question is the only time we referred to sexual reputation
for the control group. The results for this question indicate how much of an impact knowledge of
sexual activity and reputation have on people’s perception of attractiveness.
For the future, there are several things that could be done differently. First, to avoid any
possible biases, we could be less specific about the names and the type of class (i.e. English
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class) in our scenario. For example, potential biases might have occurred if the participant
previously had a terrible experience with a person named James or Victoria. We should have
been more specific, however, when we referred to dating in our questionnaire. Dating may mean
different things to different people. It can be used in the general sense, such as dating multiple
people and going on several dates, or it could also be used as an exclusive term, meaning a
person’s boyfriend or girlfriend. This may have altered the way participants responded to the
question, and in the future could be more clearly specified or turned into two questions.
Another potential issue is that in numerous data collections we only had one or two
participants. There is a chance that being the only participant(s) in our study could have made the
participant(s) feel uncomfortable. This may have influenced the way that they answered the
questionnaire, possibly due to the fact that they were concerned about being judged based on
their answers once they turned the papers in. The participants may have also felt rushed, causing
them to not fully comprehend the scenario and answer the questionnaire with decreased
accuracy.
To prevent the participants from feeling hurried, in the future we should inform the
participants that the experiment will be timed, for example, 5 minutes. Since the questionnaire
and scenario took a maximum of 3 minutes to complete, this will ensure that the participants feel
as though they have plenty of time and are not being waited on. Another method we could
develop in order to keep participants relaxed is to ask them to look forward at us when they have
completed their questionnaire instead of turning their papers over. This way, participants are less
likely to become flustered if they realize that their peers are finishing around them.
An incident that we encountered during one of our data collections involved the
experimental group. During the process of reading the scenario and answering the questionnaire,
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several males proceeded to laugh throughout most of the data collection. This may have made
the other participants in the room not take our study seriously, or become distracted from the
task. It may have also indicated that these males were not answering truthfully and accurately.
Due to these possibilities, we felt it was best to throw out that data. To prevent this from
happening in the future, we may want to ask the participants to please take the study seriously in
the opening statement.
There are also some possible experiments that are similar in nature to our study that
would be interesting to conduct. The first of these would be to ask the participant to write down
their number of sexual partners at the end of the questionnaire to determine whether there is a
correlation between the participant’s number and how attractive they viewed the student in the
scenario. Although it would be difficult to ensure that the participant is not bluffing, if this could
be confounded for it would be an interesting experiment to say the least. A second experiment,
given that there were not many results between sexes, would be to discover if there are any main
effects or interactions between sexual reputation and self-esteem. For example, the participants
could answer the same target questions provided in our questionnaire with additional questions
about their confidence level and how they view themselves. This could potentially stir some
great results, adding onto already existing research on these topics.
Our hypothesis was generally not supported. We hypothesized that males would find a
female less attractive if the female had a negative sexual reputation. In fact, on two aspects of
attractiveness, males were more lenient towards females, regardless of their sexual reputation. In
general, we believed that sex would have much more of an effect than it actually did. As our
results indicate, it is more so the negative sexual reputation that leads a person, male or female,
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to be perceived as more unattractive. It is our belief that this may partially be due to the social
stigma that surrounds a sexual reputation.
As our research suggests, it is evident that some social scripts still exist today. It is
possible, however, that they are slowly diminishing over time. __________
References
Backer, C. J., Nelissen, M., & Fisher, M. L. (2007). Let's talk about sex: A study on the recall of
gossip about potential mates and sexual rivals. Sex Roles, 56(11/12), 781-791.
doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9237-x
Buss, D. M., & Duntley, J. D. (2008). Adaptations for exploitation. Group Dynamics: Theory,
Research, and Practice, 12(1), 53-62. doi: 10.1037/1089-2699.12.1.53
DeWall, C. N., & Maner, J. K. (2008). High status men (but not women) capture the eye of the
beholder. Evolutionary Psychology, 6(1), 328-341.
Giordano, P. C., Manning, W. D., & Longmore, M. A. (2010). Affairs of the heart: Qualities of
adolescent relationships and sexual behavior. Journal of Research on Adolescence,
20(4), 983-1013. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00661.x
Lyons, H., Giordano, P. C., Manning, W. D., & Longmore, M. A. (2011). Identity, peer
relationships, and adolescent girls' sexual behavior: An exploration of the contemporary
double standard. Journal of Sex Research, 48(5), 437-449.
doi:10.1080/00224499.2010.506679.
Thao, H., Overbeek, G., & Engels, R. C. (2010). Effects of attractiveness and social status on
dating desire in heterosexual adolescents: An experimental study. Archives of Sexual
Behavior, 39(5), 1063-1071. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9561-z
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Hartwick, C., Desmarais, S., & Hennig, K. (2007). Characteristics of male and female victims of
sexual coercion. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 16(1/2), 31-44.
Morr Serewicz, M., & Gale, E. (2008). First-date scripts: Gender roles, context, and
relationship. Sex Roles, 58(3/4), 149-164. doi: 10.1007/s11199-007-9283-4
O'Sullivan, L. F., & Byers, E. S. (1992). College students' incorporation of initiator and restrictor
roles in sexual dating interactions. Journal of Sex Research, 29(3), 435-446.
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Mean Liker Scale Scores
5
4
3
Male
Female
2
1
Control
Experimental
Condition
Figure 1. Participants’ mean rating of approachability based on a Likert Scale, indicating a
significant main effect for both sex and condition.
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Mean Likert Scale Scores
5
4
Male
3
Female
2
1
Control
Experimental
Condition
Figure 2. Participants’ mean rating of the student’s potential as a sexual partner based on a
Likert Scale, indicating a significant main effect for both sex and condition.
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Mean Likert Scale Scores
5
4
3
Male
Female
2
1
Control
Experimental
Conditon
Figure 3. Participants’ mean rating of student’s potential as a date based on a Likert Scale,
indicating a significant main effect for condition.
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SEX AND SEXUAL REPUTATION
Mean Likert Scale Scores
5
4
3
Male
Female
2
1
Control
Experimental
Condition
Figure 4. Participants’ mean rating when we asked if associating with the student would harm
their reputation. Rating based on a Likert Scale, and averages indicate a significant main effect
for condition.
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Mean Likert Scale Scores
5
4
3
Male
Female
2
1
Control
Experimental
Condition
Figure 5. Participants’ mean rating when we asked if their opinion of the student would change
if the student had over 20 sexual partners. Rating based on a Likert Scale, and averages indicate
a significant main effect for condition.
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Appendix A
Scenario:
The new girl in your English class, Victoria, is a transfer student. You are immediately attracted
to her; her smile is contagious and she is beautiful. Throughout the class, you also observe how
funny and intelligent she is. Curious about Victoria, you ask your buddy what he knows about
her. He informs you that according to a rumor, Victoria slept with close to 15 guys at her old
school.
Once you have finished reading the scenario, please answer the questionnaire provided in a
truthful and accurate manner.
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Appendix B
Scenario:
The new boy in your English class, James, is a transfer student. You are immediately attracted to
him; his smile is contagious and he is beautiful. Throughout the class, you also observe how
funny and intelligent he is. Curious about James, you ask your buddy what she knows about him.
She informs you that according to a rumor, James slept with close to 15 girls at his old school.
Once you have finished reading the scenario, please answer the questionnaire provided in a
truthful and accurate manner.
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Appendix C
Scenario:
The new girl in your English class, Victoria, is a transfer student. You are immediately attracted
to her; her smile is contagious and she is beautiful. Throughout the class, you also observe how
funny and intelligent she is. Curious about Victoria, you ask your buddy what he knows about
her. He informs you that he knows nothing about her.
Once you have finished reading the scenario, please answer the questionnaire provided in a
truthful and accurate manner.
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Appendix D
Scenario:
The new boy in your English class, James, is a transfer student. You are immediately attracted to
him; his smile is contagious and he is beautiful. Throughout the class, you also observe how
funny and intelligent he is. Curious about James, you ask your buddy what she knows about him.
She informs you that she knows nothing about him.
Once you have finished reading the scenario, please answer the questionnaire provided in a
truthful and accurate manner.
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Appendix E
Questionnaire
Please write your age on the following line:
Age______
Please circle the appropriate answer:
Sex: Male Female
Class rank: Freshman
Sophomore Junior
Senior
Other
After reading the scenario provided, please circle the number that best represents how you
feel if you were not in a relationship:
1. I would approach this person and talk to them.
Strongly
disagree
1
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
2. I want to become friends with this person.
Strongly
disagree
1
3. If I were single, I would consider this person to be potential sexual partner.
Strongly
disagree
1
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
4. If I were single, I might eventually want to date this person.
Strongly
disagree
1
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
5. I would want more information about this person before pursuing any kind of relationship.
Strongly
disagree
1
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
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6. If no one would find out about it, I would possibly engage in a sexual relationship with them.
Strongly
disagree
1
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
7. I will most likely fantasize about this person.
Strongly
disagree
1
8. Associating with this person might harm my reputation.
Strongly
disagree
1
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
9. My opinion about them would change if I found out that they had over 20 sexual partners.
Strongly
disagree
1
10. I would think more highly of them if this person had no Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Strongly
disagree
1
Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree
Strongly
agree
2
3
4
5
When you have completed the reading and questionnaire, please turn the papers over to
indicate you have finished. Please remain seated as a courtesy to your peers until we inform
you that you are free to leave.