GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SEXUALITY - A METAANALYSIS

This meta-analysis surveyed 177 usable sources that reported data on g ender differences on 21 different measures of sexual attitudes and beh aviors. The largest gender difference was in incidence of masturbation : Men had the greater incidence (d = .96). There was also a large gend er difference in attitudes toward casual sex: Males had considerably m ore permissive attitudes (d = .81). There were no gender differences i n attitudes toward homosexuality or in sexual satisfaction. Most other gender differences were in the small-to-moderate range. Gender differ ences narrowed from the 1960s to the 1980s for many variables. Chodoro w's neoanalytic theory, sociobiology, social learning theory, social r ole theory, and script theory are discussed in relation to these findi ngs.