Back to Top

Paper Title

Sex differences in sexual fantasy: An evolutionary psychological approach

Authors

BRUCE J. ELLIS
BRUCE J. ELLIS
Donald Symons
Donald Symons

Keywords

  • Sexual Fantasy
  • Sex Differences
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Visual Imagery
  • Touching
  • Contextualization
  • Personalization
  • Emotion
  • Partner Variety
  • Partner Response
  • Fantasizer Response
  • Inward Focus
  • Outward Focus
  • Pornography
  • Romance Fiction
  • Human Sexuality

Article Type

Research Article

Issue

Volume : 27 | Issue : 4 | Page No : 527-555

Published On

March, 1990

Downloads

Abstract

The nature and frequency of men's and women's sexual fantasies were investigated by surveying 307 students (182 females, 125 males) at a California state university or junior college via a paper‐and‐pencil questionnaire. The questionnnaire was inspired by modern evolutionary theory and was designed to investigate sex differences in sexual fantasies. Substantial sex differences were found in the salience of visual images, touching, context, personalization, emotion, partner variety, partner response, fantasizer response, and inward versus outward focus. These data, the scientific literature on sexual fantasy, the historically‐stable contrasts between male‐oriented pornography and female‐oriented romance novels, the ethnographic record of human sexuality, and the ineluctable implications of an evolutionary perspective on our species, taken together, imply the existence of profound sex differences in sexual psychologies.

View more >>

Uploded Document Preview