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Sexual double standard debunked: promiscuous men are judged more harshly than women, study claims
- Promiscuous men are often admired as ‘players’, while women are seen as ‘sluts’
- But a new study says this “sexual double standard” is actually a myth
It’s an idea that has prevailed for decades – promiscuous men are admired as “players,” while women with several previous partners are condemned as “sluts.”
But a new study claims that this so-called sexual double standard is actually a myth.
Contrary to popular belief, scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology say that sexually promiscuous men are judged harsher than women.
“We have not found that women are subjected to the traditional double standard,” said Professor Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, an author of the study.
It’s an idea that has prevailed for decades – promiscuous men are admired as “players,” while women with several previous partners are condemned as “sluts.” But a new study claims this so-called sexual double standard is actually a myth (stock image)
In their study, the team sought to understand how men and women are perceived to have numerous sexual partners.
“Everyone believes that women are exposed to a greater degree of social control than men,” says Professor Mons Bendixen, co-author of the study.
‘But that’s not what we found when we asked people how they rate the sexual behavior of women and men.
“People themselves are much more liberal than they think society is.”
The study included 900 heterosexual men and women, who were surveyed about how they rate potential partners for someone else, based on their sexual history.
Participants were told how many previous sexual partners the potential partners had, their history of jealousy, infidelity, controlling behavior and masturbatory practices.
Based on this knowledge, they were asked to what extent they would recommend the potential partners to someone else.
The results showed that people were generally judged more harshly when it came to long-term relationships, although there was no difference between the sexes.
However, when it came to short-term relationships, men with multiple previous partners were judged more harshly than women.
The study also found that women who masturbate regularly are viewed less negatively than men.
“Instead of condemning the use of masturbation by women, men were very open to it, especially in short-term contexts,” said Andrew Thomas, an author of the study from Swansea University.
When it came to short-term relationships, men with multiple previous partners were judged more harshly than women (stock image)
“This is exactly what we would expect based on the theory of evolution which states that men will be interested in cues of sexual access.”
However, a history of cheating or controlling behavior proved off-putting to both sexes.
“Prospective partners with a history of infidelity, jealousy and controlling behavior are seen as strongly negative for both sexes,” said Professor Bendixen.
“This applies equally to male and female partners.”
The researchers highlight an important caveat: The findings only apply to people we don’t know.
“We tend to be stricter with family and close relatives than with strangers,” the team explained.
“We want them to find particularly good partners, and that has both biological and cultural explanations.”