US-UK survey of college students reinforces stereotype of sex-crazed young men

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2012-01-05 16:28

Vicki Larson, in The Huffington Post, reports a study done by U.S. researcher Eric Anderson at University of Winchester in England. In brief, he studied 120 undergraduate men, and 78 percent of those with a partner cheated, "even though they said that they loved and intended to stay with their partner." According to him, most men aren't cheating because they don't love their partner, but because they just want to have sex with others. And society shouldn't pooh-pooh that.

Funny...the thing that could put me at risk of cheating is finding a woman who never says "Oh, honestly..." or otherwise ridicules something I express.

I don't know if he researches infidelity, but a well-known U.S. divorce researcher, Dr. Gottman, has found that the pattern that most reliably predicts divorce is what he calls the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (FAQ #9):

1. Criticism
2. Contempt (expressed as sarcasm, taunting, yelling, etc.)
3. Defensiveness (no duh, after experiencing the above)
4. Stonewalling (i.e., emotional withdrawal).

Maybe the 78 percent cited in Anderson's study have partners like mine. I'm monogamous, but sex is emotional Russian roulette: if something goes wrong, I'm a clod.

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Comments

First off, humans are at the height of their biologically reproductive potential at around that age, especially men. Can anyone think this does not influence their psychology or behavior? Women supposedly hit their "sexual peak" at around 30 while men, in their late teens and early 20s. Add to that a lack of experience and emotional maturity typically associated with people new to adulthood (people of both sexes) and of course you get a lower fidelity rate. I could have told him that before he started filling out grant money paperwork. Comparing the fidelity rate of young men to young women is apples to oranges. Try comparing the fidelity rate of young men to women in their 30s and see what result you get then!

But let's say for a moment that the overall fidelity rates of men and women are compared to one another without taking into account time of life. What is the result: very comparable rates. (Those seeking more sources can look at Wikipedia here.) This has been discussed here on MANN and on other sites times too numerous to mention. Yet the desire to bash men just for wanting to have sex (yet even if it is with their presumptive monogamous partners, much less people other than presumptive monogamous partners) seems to know no bounds. Do women get this kind of condemnation, much less routine, intense scrutiny? No. In fact they get excuses made for them or are just out-and-out encouraged in this double-standard.

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Submitted by Matt on Fri, 2012-01-06 04:49

A few things I see in this article. It implies that men are sexually misbehaving, when they are acting exactly how nature intended. IMO, it is the females that participate in casual sex that are acting against natures intentions, therefor they are the ones misbehaving. I have never liked how all the focus is on how "bad" the man is when a situation like this comes to light, and the girls get away with no shame (I'm referring to the girls that the man cheats with as they usually are fully aware he has a wife or girlfriend)

The expert being quoted in the article brings up the idea of allowing men to have sex 'on the side' in long term relationships. I have had many in-depth discussions on the topic of open relationships/marriage with my friends and I try to keep an open mind, but to me I think it could only go well until a there is a unintended pregnancy or a disease is passed. I really don't care what people do sexually as long as no one is getting hurt or deceived and any resulting children are cared for; but that is rarely the case, as it usually is a sure-fire way to break up a family.

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Submitted by Kris on Fri, 2012-01-06 06:46

It's a shame when libido causes one to have absolutely no self-respect.

Men's Rights + Women's Rights = HUMAN Rights

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Submitted by Boy Genteel on Sun, 2012-01-08 04:15