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Perception of sexual experience: The impact of nonverbal behavior

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Abstract

A study was conducted to determine if nonverbal displays of masculinity and femininity can lead subjects to make inferences about the sexual experience of a person. It was predicted that male and female stimulus persons who displayed nonverbal masculine expressions would be seen as more sexually experienced, and more sexual in general, than those who exhibited feminine expressions. The results strongly supported this prediction. It was also expected that the stimulus persons displaying sex-appropriate behaviors would be evaluated more positively. This prediction was supported only for male stimulus persons.

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The authors wish to acknowledge Carole Meyer and Andrea Rosenfeld, who assisted in the collection of the data, and Vivian Mamelak and Lee Molotsky, who served as the stimulus persons.

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Garcia, L.T., Derfel, B. Perception of sexual experience: The impact of nonverbal behavior. Sex Roles 9, 871–878 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289960

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