Article Version of Record

Gender Differences in Receptivity to Sexual Offers: A New Research Prototype

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Tappé, Mercedes
Bensman, Lisamarie
Hayashi, Kentaro
Hatfield, Elaine

Abstract / Description

Among the most cited series of experiments in social and evolutionary psychology are those conducted by Clark and Hatfield (1989, 2003). In these studies, college students served as confederates in a simple field experiment. They approached fellow college students of another gender and asked one of three questions: (a) “Would you go out with me tonight?” (b) “Would you come over to my apartment tonight?” or (c) “Would you go to bed with me tonight?” Men and women differed markedly in their receptivity to casual sexual offers. When asked: “Would you go out with me tonight?” both were equally receptive. Yet, when confederates asked, “Would you come over to my apartment” or “Would you go to bed with me?” gender differences were striking. In the following series of experiments we attempted to develop a pencil and paper method to mirror the procedure of the classic study. We think we succeeded. Although cultural and social considerations may have influenced participants’ tendency to accept or reject sexual offers, as predicted by evolutionary perspectives, in all three experiments men were more likely than women to accept sexual offers. The studies also explored some of the reasons men and women gave for refusing a date, apartment visit, or a sexual encounter. We close by itemizing some questions that, given this new set of research materials, may be worth asking.

Keyword(s)

gender casual sex sexual offers receptivity to sexual offers

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-12-20

Journal title

Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships

Volume

7

Issue

2

Page numbers

323–344

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Tappé, M., Bensman, L., Hayashi, K., & Hatfield, E. (2013). Gender Differences in Receptivity to Sexual Offers: A New Research Prototype. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 7(2), 323–344. https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v7i2.121
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Tappé, Mercedes
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Bensman, Lisamarie
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Hayashi, Kentaro
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Hatfield, Elaine
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-12-05T08:44:31Z
  • Made available on
    2018-12-05T08:44:31Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-12-20
  • Abstract / Description
    Among the most cited series of experiments in social and evolutionary psychology are those conducted by Clark and Hatfield (1989, 2003). In these studies, college students served as confederates in a simple field experiment. They approached fellow college students of another gender and asked one of three questions: (a) “Would you go out with me tonight?” (b) “Would you come over to my apartment tonight?” or (c) “Would you go to bed with me tonight?” Men and women differed markedly in their receptivity to casual sexual offers. When asked: “Would you go out with me tonight?” both were equally receptive. Yet, when confederates asked, “Would you come over to my apartment” or “Would you go to bed with me?” gender differences were striking. In the following series of experiments we attempted to develop a pencil and paper method to mirror the procedure of the classic study. We think we succeeded. Although cultural and social considerations may have influenced participants’ tendency to accept or reject sexual offers, as predicted by evolutionary perspectives, in all three experiments men were more likely than women to accept sexual offers. The studies also explored some of the reasons men and women gave for refusing a date, apartment visit, or a sexual encounter. We close by itemizing some questions that, given this new set of research materials, may be worth asking.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Tappé, M., Bensman, L., Hayashi, K., & Hatfield, E. (2013). Gender Differences in Receptivity to Sexual Offers: A New Research Prototype. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 7(2), 323–344. https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v7i2.121
    en_US
  • ISSN
    1981-6472
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1805
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.2171
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v7i2.121
  • Keyword(s)
    gender
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    casual sex
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    sexual offers
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    receptivity to sexual offers
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Gender Differences in Receptivity to Sexual Offers: A New Research Prototype
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    2
  • Journal title
    Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships
  • Page numbers
    323–344
  • Volume
    7
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record