GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE INTEGRATION OF CONSERVATISM, SEX URGE, AND SEXUAL BEHAVIORS AMONG COLLEGE-STUDENTS

Separate oblique factor analyses of anonymous questionnaire returns from 224 university undergraduates indicated that females, while generally being more conservative, exhibited greater integration of sexual attitudes and liberal/conservative personality characteristics with their sexual practices than did the males. The liberal-conservative personality/attitude dimension was assessed using measures of authoritarianism, a sex attitude scale, a drug use permissiveness scale, religious attendance, and reported marijuana use. Sexual behaviors measured involved noncoital (necking, petting, heavy petting) and coital frequency, and the total numbers of partners for noncoital and coital behaviors. The males’ reported greater sex urge was posited as a central explanatory variable in the conservatism/sexuality interrelationship. Finally, although the females reported more frequent attendance at religious services, it did not predict conservative attitudes and behaviors as well for them as for the males, indicating probable differences in the meaning of church attendance for each gender. © 1979, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.