The
International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation
Sex Differences in Sex Attitudes AmongHispanic College
Findings From aTexas University Mexico
Russell Eisenman
Department of Psychology
University of Texas-Pan American
Edinburg , Texas 78541-2999 , USA
e-mail: eisenman@panam.edu
M. L. Dantzker
Department of Criminal Justice
University of Texas-Pan American
Edinburg , Texas 78541-2999 , USA
e-mail: mldantz@panam.edu
Citation:
Eisenman
Findings From a Texas University Near Mexico. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation. 9, 17-21.
Sex Differences in Sex Attitudes Among
Findings From a
Russell Eisenman
Department of Psychology
University of Texas-Pan American
e-mail: eisenman@panam.edu
M. L. Dantzker
Department of Criminal Justice
University of Texas-Pan American
e-mail: mldantz@panam.edu
Citation:
Eisenman
Findings From a Texas University Near Mexico. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation. 9, 17-21.
Several studies
by the authors have looked at differences in sexual attitudes between
Hispanic
males and Hispanic females. All the
studies, using a 42- or 38-item sex attitudes scale, designed by the
authors to
cover a wide variety of sexual attitudes, find many sex differences. The Hispanic males come across as wanting
sexual freedom for themselves, while the Hispanic females come across
as
conservative regarding sex. Several
implications are discussed, including possible behavior vs. attitude
differences.
Introduction
Recently, M. L.
Dantzker and R. Eisenman developed a sex attitudes scale, designed to
cover a
wide variety of sexual attitudes.
Published studies with this sexual attitudes scale show
consistent but
small differences between Hispanic males and females (Dantzker &
Eisenman,
2003; Eisenman & Dantzker, 2003, 2004).
The scale has been pared down from the original 42 items to 38
items,
after finding 4 items which failed to show sex differences or to fit,
via
factor analysis, with other items. We
have given this scale several times to students at the Univesity of
Texas-Pan
American, (located in Edinburg , Texas United States United States Florida International University Miami , Florida
In one of the currently unpublished studies that we did, there were 56 males and 70 females in the sample. Most, 114, identified themselves as Hispanic, 8 as non-Hispanic, and 4 did not answer this question. Thus, the sample was overwhelmingly Hispanic. The 126 surveys were analyzed using a2x5 Chi Square
In one of the currently unpublished studies that we did, there were 56 males and 70 females in the sample. Most, 114, identified themselves as Hispanic, 8 as non-Hispanic, and 4 did not answer this question. Thus, the sample was overwhelmingly Hispanic. The 126 surveys were analyzed using a
The
Findings
A statistically
significant difference
for 19 of the 38 statements was found.
Among the 19 statistically significant differences, 8 found
males to be
more agreeable to the statement than females. The statements were rated
on a
1-to-5 scale, with 1 indicating “strongly disagree” and 5 indicating
“strongly
agree.” Thus, the higher the score, the
more the agreement with the statement.
These 8 statements where males scored statistically
significantly higher
(more agreement) than females included the idea that:
Premarital sex
acceptable for males
(male mean score=3.23, female mean score=2.70)
Oral sex before marriage is acceptable (male mean score=3.27, female mean score=2.69)
Males should have sexual experience prior to marriage (male mean score=2.85, female mean score=2.43)
Forcing person to have sex if spouse is OK (male mean score=1.59, female mean score=1.23)
Marriage should not stop person from having sex with other people (male mean score=1.79, female mean score=1.31)
“Topless clubs” are acceptable places for adult entertainment (male mean score=3.41, female mean score=2.60)
Condoms interfere with the pleasures of sex (male mean score=3.11, female mean score=2.21)
Prostitution should be legalized in all states (male mean score=2.61, female mean score=1.83)
Oral sex before marriage is acceptable (male mean score=3.27, female mean score=2.69)
Males should have sexual experience prior to marriage (male mean score=2.85, female mean score=2.43)
Forcing person to have sex if spouse is OK (male mean score=1.59, female mean score=1.23)
Marriage should not stop person from having sex with other people (male mean score=1.79, female mean score=1.31)
“Topless clubs” are acceptable places for adult entertainment (male mean score=3.41, female mean score=2.60)
Condoms interfere with the pleasures of sex (male mean score=3.11, female mean score=2.21)
Prostitution should be legalized in all states (male mean score=2.61, female mean score=1.83)
When
growing up, parents told me premarital intercourse unacceptable (female
mean
score=3.75, male mean score=2.98)
When growing up, parents told me any type of sexual behavior before marriage is unacceptable (female mean score=3.83, male mean score=2.84)
When growing up, parents told me any type of sexual behavior before marriage is unacceptable (female mean score=3.83, male mean score=2.84)
Sex should only
occur with a person
you love (female mean score=4.30, male mean score=3.55)
Lust and love are two different emotions (female mean score=4.73, male mean score=4.38)
If I were to have sex, would always practice safe sex (female mean score=4.54, male mean score=3.80)
Clubs that promote all nude dancing should not be allowed to exist (female mean score=3.31, male mean score=2.38)
Magazines such as Playboy are demeaning to women (female mean score=3.43, male mean score=2.66)
Magazines like Playboy are pornographic and should not be published (female mean score=3.32, male mean score=2.50)
Pornographic material causes males to become sexually aggressive (female mean score=3.13, male mean score=2.38)
Masturbation is wrong (female mean score=2.88, male mean score=2.32)
I would be jealous if my partner had sexual intercourse with someone else (female mean score=4.76, male mean score=4.48)
Lust and love are two different emotions (female mean score=4.73, male mean score=4.38)
If I were to have sex, would always practice safe sex (female mean score=4.54, male mean score=3.80)
Clubs that promote all nude dancing should not be allowed to exist (female mean score=3.31, male mean score=2.38)
Magazines such as Playboy are demeaning to women (female mean score=3.43, male mean score=2.66)
Magazines like Playboy are pornographic and should not be published (female mean score=3.32, male mean score=2.50)
Pornographic material causes males to become sexually aggressive (female mean score=3.13, male mean score=2.38)
Masturbation is wrong (female mean score=2.88, male mean score=2.32)
I would be jealous if my partner had sexual intercourse with someone else (female mean score=4.76, male mean score=4.48)
Explaining the Sex
Differences
How are the two
sexes different? The males would seem to
have a
pleasure-oriented viewpoint about sex, in which they should have a lot
of
freedom to do whatever they want. The
females seem to have learned a very conservative approach to sex, in
which many
things are taboo. An important question
is whether the males are as independent and free as their answers seem
to
indicate. Would they really inflict
sexual intercourse upon an unwilling spouse? If yes, perhaps this is
part of
the machismo that the male has learned, and he feels he has a right to
dominate
his spouse and impose his will upon her.
Or, it is possible that the males feel that they should act this
way—either through learning or through biological urges--but would not
necessarily act this way in a real-life relationship. Also, are the
females as
sexually inhibited as their answers imply?
Would they really not have sex outside of love?
In another study (Eisenman & Dantzker, 2004),
we found that our Hispanic female sample was likely to say that if
aroused they
had to have sex. This seems to be a
totally different view than the one presented here, where sex appears
to be
permissible only if in love. Perhaps the Hispanic females feel guilty
about
having sex outside of love or outside of marriage, and want the males
to appear
to take the lead and cause sexual intercourse to happen.
Then, they can say they were swept away, or
that it was the male’s fault. In either
case, if this speculation is correct, they limit their perception of
their own
responsibility or guilt for sexual behavior. Perhaps that is one way
that
people who have guilt about something that they also desire cope with
the
conflicting emotions: by finding a way to do something but to limit
their own
self perceptions of responsibility.
Attitudes
vs. Behavior
It may be that the
attitudes that people
have do not always correspond to their behavior. Behavior
and attitudes are two different
things, and while they may often be in harmony, there is no necessity
that such
is always the case. In some instances, where there is conflicted
feelings/thoughts about something, a person may have an attitude that
one way
is correct, but may also have urges that take them in the opposite
direction. If they act on those urges,
then their attitude and behavior about the event are in conflict with
each
other.
Small
Differences
In all of our
studies with the sex
attitudes scale, we find two things:
1. consistent sex differences in our samples of Hispanic students
2. small differences between the Hispanic males and females, even when the items are statistically significantly different.
If there were no statistically significant differences, we would conclude that Hispanics males and females think pretty much alike regarding sex attitudes. However the statistically significant differences suggest that they may be different in their attitudes. But, the differences are not huge at all. They are often less than 1 scale point difference. For example, the Hispanic males are not strongly endorsing forcing your spouse to have sex even if she does not want to, but they are endorsing it to a statistically greater extent than the Hispanic females, with a mean score of 1.59 for males vs. 1.23 for females, where 5=strongly agree and 1=strongly disagree. In other words, one could say that both males and females tend to disagree with the idea of forcing your spouse to have sex. However, the difference of 0.36 between males and females is statistically significant, as the males disagree less with the idea than do the females. Perhaps the differences are minor, and talk of sex differences is basically unjustified.
Or, perhaps the differences are really greater than is shown on the sex attitude scale, but is not fully revealed by a questionnaire, or at least not by our sex attitude questionnaire. Perhaps in-depth interviews could reveal more of the sex differences than is shown by getting people to answer a sex attitudes questionnaire. People will not always reveal risky behaviors or attitudes on their part. For example, Hispanics have a high rate of AIDS, compared to Anglo-Americans, apparently due in part to failure of many Hispanics to practice safe sex (Fierros-Gonzalez & Brown, 2002; Selik, Castro, & Pappaioanou, 1988). But, there might be reluctance on the part of some Hispanics to admit to these practices, at least on a general sex attitudes questionnaire, especially if the questionnaire seemed to be calling for the admission of unacceptable behaviors. Either the questions on a questionnaire have to appear unthreatening to the participant, or some other means of assessment may be needed, to get at the true attitudes and behaviors.
However, there appear to be cultural aspects too, to the findings of sex differences. Males and females are brought up differently in Hispanic cultures, where the male is typically taught to be a strong person and to be in charge of things, while the female learns many inhibitory lessons about what it means to be a proper girl/woman. Thus, the sex differences in sex attitudes found here could reflect the differential upbringing of Hispanic males and females. Of course, it is quite possible that the results reflect both cultural and biological realities.
Buss, D. M. (2004). Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind.Boston
Dantzker, M. L., & Eisenman, R. (2003). Sexual attitudes among Hispanic college students: Differences between males and females. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 11, 79-89.
Eisenman, R. (2003). Why evolutionary psychology is not mere speculation or “just so” stories: With examples from human sexuality and from narratives. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 24, 128-135.
Eisenman, R., & Dantzker, M. L. (2003, Summer). Possible conflict in human sexuality attitudes between males and females in a Hispanic-serving university: Factor analysis of sexual attitudes. Sincronia: A Journal of Cultural Studies.
Available at: http://sincronia.cucsh.udg.mx/eisenman203.htm.
Eisenman, R., & Dantzker, M. L., (2004). Permissiveness and male vs. female privileges in Hispanic college students: Factor analysis of a sex attitudes scale. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 25, 2-9.
Fierros-Gonzalez, R., & Brown, J. M. (2002). High risk behaviors in a sample of Mexican-American college students. Psychological Reports, 90, 117-130.
Palmer, J. A., & Palmer, L. K. (2002). Evolutionary psychology: The ultimate origins of human behavior.Boston
Selik, R. M., Castro, K. G., & Pappaioanou, M. (1988). Race/ethnic differences in risk of AIDS in theUnited States
Shackelford, T. K., Buss, D. M., & Bennett, K. (2002). Forgiveness or breakup: Sex differences in responses to a partner’s infidelity. Cognition and Emotion, 16, 299-307.
1. consistent sex differences in our samples of Hispanic students
2. small differences between the Hispanic males and females, even when the items are statistically significantly different.
If there were no statistically significant differences, we would conclude that Hispanics males and females think pretty much alike regarding sex attitudes. However the statistically significant differences suggest that they may be different in their attitudes. But, the differences are not huge at all. They are often less than 1 scale point difference. For example, the Hispanic males are not strongly endorsing forcing your spouse to have sex even if she does not want to, but they are endorsing it to a statistically greater extent than the Hispanic females, with a mean score of 1.59 for males vs. 1.23 for females, where 5=strongly agree and 1=strongly disagree. In other words, one could say that both males and females tend to disagree with the idea of forcing your spouse to have sex. However, the difference of 0.36 between males and females is statistically significant, as the males disagree less with the idea than do the females. Perhaps the differences are minor, and talk of sex differences is basically unjustified.
Or, perhaps the differences are really greater than is shown on the sex attitude scale, but is not fully revealed by a questionnaire, or at least not by our sex attitude questionnaire. Perhaps in-depth interviews could reveal more of the sex differences than is shown by getting people to answer a sex attitudes questionnaire. People will not always reveal risky behaviors or attitudes on their part. For example, Hispanics have a high rate of AIDS, compared to Anglo-Americans, apparently due in part to failure of many Hispanics to practice safe sex (Fierros-Gonzalez & Brown, 2002; Selik, Castro, & Pappaioanou, 1988). But, there might be reluctance on the part of some Hispanics to admit to these practices, at least on a general sex attitudes questionnaire, especially if the questionnaire seemed to be calling for the admission of unacceptable behaviors. Either the questions on a questionnaire have to appear unthreatening to the participant, or some other means of assessment may be needed, to get at the true attitudes and behaviors.
Cultural
vs. Biological
The results could be explained in both
cultural and/or biological terms. From a biological standpoint, evolutionary
psychology has presented a description of men as favoring sexual
freedom, in
order to have many sexual partners, and thus to send their genes into
future
generations (by impregnating many women; at least this is the
unconscious
wish). Women, on the other hand, get
pregnant, and so cannot keep having sexual relationships which would,
if
pregnancy occurred, send their genes into future generations. Thus, men and women have derived different
sexual strategies, and these are biologically based, trying to ensure
the
survival of their genes. The male strategy favors having many sexual
partners,
especially young, attractive ones, while the female strategy favors
finding a
male who will have money and high status and will protect the woman and
their
offspring (Buss, 1989, 2004; Eisenman, 2003; Palmer & Palmer, 2002;
Shackelford, Buss, & Bennett, 2002).
However, there appear to be cultural aspects too, to the findings of sex differences. Males and females are brought up differently in Hispanic cultures, where the male is typically taught to be a strong person and to be in charge of things, while the female learns many inhibitory lessons about what it means to be a proper girl/woman. Thus, the sex differences in sex attitudes found here could reflect the differential upbringing of Hispanic males and females. Of course, it is quite possible that the results reflect both cultural and biological realities.
References
Buss, D. M. (1989). Sex differences in
human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses testing in 37 cultures.
Behavioral
and Brain Sciences, 12, 1-49.
Buss, D. M. (2004). Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind.
Dantzker, M. L., & Eisenman, R. (2003). Sexual attitudes among Hispanic college students: Differences between males and females. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 11, 79-89.
Eisenman, R. (2003). Why evolutionary psychology is not mere speculation or “just so” stories: With examples from human sexuality and from narratives. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 24, 128-135.
Eisenman, R., & Dantzker, M. L. (2003, Summer). Possible conflict in human sexuality attitudes between males and females in a Hispanic-serving university: Factor analysis of sexual attitudes. Sincronia: A Journal of Cultural Studies.
Available at: http://sincronia.cucsh.udg.mx/eisenman203.htm.
Eisenman, R., & Dantzker, M. L., (2004). Permissiveness and male vs. female privileges in Hispanic college students: Factor analysis of a sex attitudes scale. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 25, 2-9.
Fierros-Gonzalez, R., & Brown, J. M. (2002). High risk behaviors in a sample of Mexican-American college students. Psychological Reports, 90, 117-130.
Palmer, J. A., & Palmer, L. K. (2002). Evolutionary psychology: The ultimate origins of human behavior.
Selik, R. M., Castro, K. G., & Pappaioanou, M. (1988). Race/ethnic differences in risk of AIDS in the
Shackelford, T. K., Buss, D. M., & Bennett, K. (2002). Forgiveness or breakup: Sex differences in responses to a partner’s infidelity. Cognition and Emotion, 16, 299-307.
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