Almost Half Of Women Interviewed In New Study
Have Negative Feelings About 1-Night Stands
June 26, 2008
The sexual and feminist revolutions were supposed to free women to enjoy casual
sex just as men always had. Yet according to Professor Anne Campbell from Durham
University in the UK, the negative feelings reported by women after one-night
stands suggest that they are not well adapted to fleeting sexual encounters. Her
findings (1) are published online in the June issue of Springer's journal, Human
Nature.
Men are more likely to reproduce and therefore to benefit from numerous
short-term partners. For women, however, quality seems to be more important than
quantity. Also for women, finding partners of high genetic quality is a stronger
motivator than sheer number, and it is commonly believed that women are more
willing to have casual sex when there is a chance of forming a long-term
relationship.
Professor Campbell looked at whether women have adapted to casual sex by
examining their feelings following a one-night stand. If women have adapted,
then although they may take part in casual sex less often than men because of
their stricter criteria when selecting partners, they should rate the experience
positively. To test the theory, a total of 1743 men and women who had
experienced a one-night stand were asked to rate both their positive and
negative feelings the following morning, in an internet survey.
Overall women's feelings were more negative than men's. Eighty per cent of men
had overall positive feelings about the experience compared to 54 per cent of
women. Men were more likely than women to secretly want their friends to hear
about it and to feel successful because the partner was desirable to others. Men
also reported greater sexual satisfaction and contentment following the event,
as well as a greater sense of well-being and confidence about themselves.
The predominant negative feeling reported by women was regret at having been
"used". Women were also more likely to feel that they had let
themselves down and were worried about the potential damage to their reputation
if other people found out. Women found the experience less sexually satisfying
and, contrary to popular belief, they did not seem to view taking part in casual
sex as a prelude to long-term relationships.
According to Professor Campbell, although women do not rate casual sex
positively, the reason they still take part in it may be due to the menstrual
cycle changes influencing their sexual motivation. Indeed, during the ovulatory
phase (between days 10 to 18 of their cycle), women report increased sexual
desire and arousal, with a preference for short-term partners.
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Reference
1. Campbell A (2008). The morning after the night before. Affective reactions to
one-night stands among mated and unmated women and men. Human Nature. DOI
10.1007/s12110-008-9036-2
Source: Renate Bayaz
Springer
Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
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