THE MORNING AFTER - GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ATTRIBUTIONS ABOUT ALCOHOL-RELATED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS

Traditional sex role characteristics suggest that women may be more dissatisfied with casual sex than men. We investigated this notion by examining the reactions of women and men to a hypothetical, first-time sexual encounter. An additional factor that was hypothesized to affect reactions was the presence of alcohol, which may serve as a cue for sexual disinhibition. College students read a scenario depicting a consensual sexual encounter between two people who met at a party, and made judgments about the partners' behavior and characteristics. Four versions of the scenario varied the alcohol consumption of both characters. Results showed that men were more likely than women to find the behavior of each partner socially acceptable, to foresee a positive future for the couple as a result of their sexual encounter, and to predict that they themselves would engage in similar behavior. Although no main effects for alcohol consumption were found, alcohol consumption interacted with gender to influence judgments about the characters' sexuality. Results are discussed in terms of sex role stereotyping and the tendency of both sexes to misunderstand or misperceive each other's sexual feelings.