Abstract
The association among sexual daydreaming and sexual attitudes and activity was examined in a cross-sectional life-span sample of women (N = 117, 26 to 78 years). Sexual daydreaming was measured using the Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI) while sexual history measures of sexual activity, sexual drive, and sexual attitudes were derived from a comprehensive personal interview. A factor analysis and varimax rotation of the sexual history variables, age, and the Sexual Daydream Scale of the IPI revealed three primary factors representing dimensions of sexual activity and drive, attitudes toward sexual activity, and sexual satisfaction. Age was associated with less sexual daydreaming, less sexual drive, less sexual activity, and more negative sexual attitudes. Sexual daydreaming varied directly with sexual drive and sexual activity and with a positive sexual attitude.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brecher, E. M, and The Editors of Consumer Reports Books. (1984).Love, Sex and Aging Little, Brown, Boston.
Brown, J. J., and Hart, D. H. (1977). Correlates of females' sexual fantasies.Percept. Motor Skills 45: 819–825.
Chick, D., and Gold, S. R. (1987–1988). A review of influences on sexual fantasy: Attitudes, experience, guilt, and gender.Imagination Cognit. Pers. 7: 61–76.
Crooks, R., and Bauer, K. (1987).Our Sexuality Benjamin/Cummings, Reading, MA.
George, L. K., and Weiler, S. J. (1981). Sexuality in middle and late life.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 38: 919–923.
Giambra, L. M. (1979–1980). Sex differences in daydreaming and related mental activity from the late teens to the early nineties.Int. J. Aging Hum. Dev. 10: 1–34.
Giambra, L. M. (1983). Daydreaming in 40- to 60-year-old women: Menopause, health, values, and sexuality.J. Clin. Psychol. 39: 11–21.
Giambra, L. M., and Martin, C. E. (1977). Sexual daydreams and quantitative aspects of sexual activity: Some relations for males across adulthood.Arch. Sex. Behav. 6: 497–505.
Giambra, L. M. and Singer, J. L. (1988). The sexual daydreaming scale of the Imaginal Processes Inventory. In Davis, C. L., Yarber, W. L., and Davis, S. L. (eds.),Sexuality-Related Measures Graphic, Lake Mills,IA.
Hallstrom, T. (1973).Mental Disorder and the Climacteric Scandinavian University Books, Goteburg, Sweden.
Hallstrom, T. (1977). Sexuality in the climacteric.Clin. Obstet. Gynecol. 4: 227–239.
Hariton, E. B., and Singer, J. L. (1974). Women's fantasies during marital intercourse: Normative and theoretical implications.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 42: 313–322.
Hudson, W. H., Murphy, G. J., and Nurius, P. S. (1983). A short-form scale to measure liberal vs. conservative orientations toward sexual expression.J. Sex Res. 19: 258–272.
Hunt, M. (1974).Sexual Behavior in the 1970's, New York.
Jayne, C. (1981). A two-dimensional model of female sexual response.J. Sex Marital Ther. 7: 3–30.
Keller, J. F., Eakes, E., Hinkle, D., and Hughston, G. A. (1978). Sexual behavior and guilt among women: A cross-generationals comparison.J. Sex Marital ther. 4: 259–265.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., and Gebhard, P. H. (1953).Sexual Behavior in the Human Female W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA.
Klinger, E. (1971).Structure and Functions of Fantasy Wiley-Interscience, New York.
Laws, J. L. (1980). Female sexuality through the life span.Life-Span Dev. Behav. 3: 207–252.
Leiblum, S., Bachman, G., Kemman, E., Colburn, D., and Swartzman, L. (1983). Vaginal atrophy in the postmenopausal woman. The importance of sexual activity and hormones.J. Am. Med. Assoc. 249: 2195–2198.
Pelletier, L. A., and Herold, E. S. (1988). The relationship of age, sex guilt, and sexual experience with female sexual fantasies.J. Sex. Res. 24: 250–256.
Pfeiffer, E., Verwoerdt, A., and Wang, H. S. (1968). Sexual behavior in aged men and women.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 19: 753–758.
Pfeiffer, E., and Davis, G. (1972). Determinants of sexual behavior in middle and old age.J. Am. Geriat. Soc. 20: 151–158.
Pomeroy, W. B., Flax, C. C., and Wheeler, C. C. (1982).Taking a Sex History Free Press, New York.
Pope, K. S., Singer, J. L., and Rosenberg. L. C. (1984). Sex, fantasy and imagination: Scientific research and clinical applications. In Sheikh, A. A. (ed.),Imagination and Healing Baywood, Farmingdale, New York.
Shock, N. W., Greulich, R., Andres, D., Arenberg, D., Costa, P. T., Lakatta, E., and Tobin, J. D. (1984).Normal human aging: The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (NIH Publication No. 84-2450), U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Singer, J. L., and Antrobus, J. S. (1970).Manual for the Imaginal Processes Inventory Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ.
Story, M. D. (1988a). Sexual Attitudes for Self and Others Questionnaire. In Davis, C. L., Yarber, W. L., and Davis, S. L. (eds.),Sexuality-Related Measures Graphic, Lake Mills, IA.
Story, M. D. (1988b). Body Attitudes Questionnaire. In Davis, C. L., Yarber, W. L., and Davis, S. L. (eds.),Sexuality-Related Measures Graphic, Lake Mills, IA.
Verwoerdt, A., Pfeiffer, E., and Wang, H. S. (1969). Sexual behavior in senescence, II. Patterns of sexual activity and interest.Geriatrics 24: 137–154.
Whitley, M. P. (1988). Sexual Satisfaction Inventory. In Davis, C. L., Yarber, W. L., and Davis, S. L (eds.),Sexuality-Related Measures Graphic, Lake Mills, IA.
Woody, J. D. (1989). Sexual and intimacy problems of older clients.J. Sex Educ. Ther. 15: 175–186.
Zimmer, D., Borchardt, E., and Fishle, C. (1983). Sexual fantasies of sexually distressed and nondistressed men and women: An empirical comparison.J. Sex Marital Ther. 9: 38–50.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Purifoy, F.E., Grodsky, A. & Giambra, L.M. The relationship of sexual daydreaming to sexual activity, sexual drive, and sexual attitudes for women across the life-span. Arch Sex Behav 21, 369–385 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01542026
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01542026