ETHNIC AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SEXUALITY - VARIATIONS IN SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR BETWEEN ASIAN AND NON-ASIAN UNIVERSITY-STUDENTS

Seven hundred and two (346 non-Asian 356 Asian) undergraduate voluntee rs were assessed in a confidential laboratory setting on levels of int erpersonal sexual behavior (eg, petting intercourse), intrapersonal se xual behavior (eg, fantasy, masturbation), and sociosexual restrictive ness (eg, lifetime number of partners, number of ''one-night stands'') . The purpose was to examine possible differences in sexual behavior b etween Asian and non-Asian Canadian university students and to determi ne the association between North American residency and the sexual beh avior of Asians The role of gender on sexual behavior both across and within ethnic groups was also examined Statistical analyses revealed t hat Asian students were significantly more conservative than non-Asian students on all measures of interpersonal sexual behavior and sociose xual restrictiveness Significant differences were also noted between A sian and non-Asian students on most measures of intrapersonal sexual b ehavior. With the exception of two fantasy items; length of residency in Canada was unrelated to interpersonal sexual behavior, intrapersona l sexual behavior, or sociosexual restrictiveness among Asians. Althou gh gender differences were substantial for intrapersonal sexual behavi ors such as fantasy and masturbation, no significant gender difference s were found for measures of interpersonal sexual experience, with the exception of reported number of one-night stands.