A Mixed-methods Exploration of Young Adults’ Views of the Sexual Double Standard

Abstract

The traditional sexual double standard occurs when men and women are evaluated differently for the same sexual behaviours. Typically, women are judged more punitively than their male counterparts regarding promiscuous behaviour. There is much research surrounding this double standard. However, there has been less investigation into what factors individuals consider responsible for this phenomenon. The present study aimed to use qualitative and quantitative methods to examine young adults’ attitudes to this double standard. Three main themes were observed and are discussed across this article. These themes include, Theme (1) Attitudes from the past, Theme (2) (Un)acceptability of behaviour and Theme (3) Media portrayal.

Sexual (double) standards revisited: Similarities and differences in the societal evaluation of male and female sexuality

“…For decades, the SDS has shaped researchers' and laypeople's thinking about the standards that society presumably applies to men's and women's sexuality (Crawford & Popp, 2003;Reiss, 1956). The belief that there is a strong SDS may pressure women to be sexually passive and men to be sexually active beyond their natural inclinations (Crawford & Popp, 2003;Wesson, 2022) and may explain the more negative emotional reactions following sexual activity for women than for men (McKeen et al, 2022). Therefore, communicating the similarities between male and female sexual standards alongside the differences may not only contribute to a more accurate understanding of sexual norms, but may also work against the perpetuation of established stereotypes and help to increase sexual well-being more generally.…”