Abstract
People with sexual problems are more likely to attribute negative sexual experiences to themselves, in contrast to sexually functional individuals who attribute negative sexual experiences to external factors such as the circumstance or partner. We investigated attribution patterns in 820 men and 753 women, some of whom reported an orgasmic problem, to assess differences between the sexes and those with and without an orgasmic difficulty. Specifically, using an Internet-based approach, we compared attribution responses to four sexual scenarios, one representing a positive sexual experience and three representing negative sexual experiences. Women were more likely to attribute positive outcomes to their partner than men. Women were also more likely to attribute negative outcomes to themselves than men, but they more readily blamed their partner and circumstances for negative outcomes than men as well. Those with orgasmic problems were less willing to take credit for positive outcomes and more willing to accept blame for negative outcomes. Interaction effects between sex and orgasmic problems further highlighted differences between men’s and women’s attribution patterns. These results are interpreted in the context of traditional notions that men’s attributions tend to be more self-serving and women’s attributions more self-derogatory.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
These men showed symptoms of premature ejaculation (PE), “including ejaculating before desired” (wording borrowed from DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association, 2013), but were not formally diagnosed as such.
These women showed signs of female orgasmic disorder (FOD) but did not necessarily meet the DSM-5 criteria and were not diagnosed as such.
Analyses were run both with and without this variable, as its inclusion eliminated some participants who were not currently or recently in a relationship. The overall results (significant covariates) did not differ between analyses.
“Interest in sex” correlated positively with “importance of sex” (r [1571] = .63), and “overall relationship quality” correlated positively with “sexual relationship quality” (r [1571] = .70).
Interpretation of partial η2, 0.01 = small, 0.06 = medium, 0.14 = large (Draper, 2018). http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/best/effect.html.
References
Abramson, L. Y., Metalsky, G. I., & Alloy, L. B. (1989). Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression. Psychological Review, 96, 358–372. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.96.2.358.
Althof, S. E., McMahon, C. G., Waldinger, M. D., Serefoglu, E. C., Shindel, A. W., Adaikan, P. G., … Torres, L. O. (2014). An update of the International Society of Sexual Medicine guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). Journal of Sexual Medicine, 11, 1392–1422. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12504.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Aubin, S., & Heiman, J. R. (2004). Sexual dysfunction from a relationship perspective. In J. H. Harvey, A. Wenzel, & S. Sprecher (Eds.), The handbook of sexuality in close relationships (pp. 477–517). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Bach, A. K., Brown, T. A., & Barlow, D. H. (1999). The effects of false negative feedback on efficacy expectancies and sexual arousal in sexually functional males. Behavior Therapy, 30, 79–95.
Bandura, A. (1989). Regulation of cognitive processes through perceived self-efficacy. Developmental Psychology, 25, 729–735. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.25.5.729.
Barlow, D. H. (1986). Causes of sexual dysfunction: The role of anxiety and cognitive interference. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.54.2.140.
Beck, A. T. (1987). Cognitive models of depression. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 1, 5–37.
Bradley, W. G. (1978). Self-serving biases in the attribution process: A reexamination of the fact or fiction question. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 56–71. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.36.1.56.
Brophy, M., & Kruger, G. (2013). Sex differences in the attribution of shame and guilt. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 23, 251–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2013.10820621.
Catania, J. A., Dolcini, M. M., Orellan, R., & Narayanan, V. (2015). Non-probability and probability-based sampling strategies in sexual science. Journal of Sex Research, 52, 396–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2015.1016476.
Catania, J. A., Gibson, D. R., Chitwood, D. D., & Coates, T. J. (1990). Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: Influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 339–362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.108.3.339.
Chadwick, S. B., & van Anders, S. M. (2017). Do women’s orgasms function as a masculinity achievement for men? Journal of Sex Research, 54, 1141–1152. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1283484.
Dawood, K., Kirk, K. M., Bailey, J. M., Andrews, P. W., & Martin, N. G. (2005). Genetic and environmental influences on the frequency of orgasm in women. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 8, 27–33. https://doi.org/10.1375/1832427053435427.
Draper, S. (2018). Effect size. Retrieved Feb 27, 2018 from http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/best/effect.html.
Fichten, C. S., Spector, I., & Libman, E. (1988). Client attributions for sexual dysfunction. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 14, 208–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/00926238808403919.
Forbes, M. K., & Schniering, C. A. (2013). Are sexual problems a form of internalizing psychopathology? A structural equation modeling analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42, 23–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-9948-0.
Frank, D. I., & Maass, A. (1985). Relationship factors as predictors of causal attribution about sexual experiences. Sex Roles, 12, 697–711. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287864.
Frieze, I. H., Whitley, B. E., Hanusa, B. H., & McHugh, M. C. (1982). Assessing the theoretical models for sex differences in causal attributions for success and failure. Sex Roles, 8, 333–343. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287273.
Frith, H. (2013). Labouring on orgasms: Embodiment, efficiency, entitlement and obligations in heterosex. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 15, 494–510.
Garcia, J., Reiber, C., Massey, S. G., & Merriwether, A. M. (2012). Sexual hookup culture: A review. Review of General Psychology, 16, 161–176.
Graham, C. (2014). Orgasm disorders in women. In Y. M. Binik & K. S. K. Hall (Eds.), Principles and practice of sex therapy (5th ed., pp. 89–111). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Heider, F. (1958). The psychology of interpersonal relations. New York: Wiley.
Hendrickx, L., Gijs, L., Janssen, E., & Enzlin, P. (2016). Predictors of sexual distress in women with desire and arousal difficulties: Distinguishing between personal, partner, and interpersonal distress. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13, 1662–1675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.09.016.
Kelley, H. H. (1973). The processes of causal attribution. American Psychologist, 28, 107–128. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034225.
Laan, E., & Both, S. (2011). Sexual desire and arousal disorders in women. Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine, 31, 16–34. https://doi.org/10.1159/000328806.
Lewis, R. W., Fugl-Meyer, K. S., Corona, G., Hayes, R. D., Laumann, E. O., Moreira, E. D., … Segraves, T. (2010). Definitions/epidemiology/risk factors for sexual dysfunction. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7, 1598–1607. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01778.x.
Loos, V. E., Bridges, C. F., & Critelli, J. W. (1987). Weiner’s attribution theory and female orgasmic consistency. Journal of Sex Research, 23, 348–361. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224498709551372.
Maass, A., & Volpato, C. (1989). Gender differences in self-serving attributions about sexual experiences. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 19, 517–542. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1989.tb00071.x.
Manzo, A. N., & Burke, J. M. (2012). Increasing response rate in web-based/internet surveys. In L. Gideon (Ed.), Handbook of survey methodology for the social sciences (pp. 327–343). New York, NY: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3876-2_19.
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2006). Designing qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
McCabe, M., Althof, S. E., Assalian, P., Chevret-Measson, M., Leiblum, S., Simonelli, C., & Wylie, K. (2010). Psychological and interpersonal dimensions of sexual function and dysfunction. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7, 327–336. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01618.x.
Meana, M. (2012). Sexual dysfunction in women. Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe Publishing.
Mezulis, A. H., Abramson, L. Y., Hyde, J. S., & Hankin, B. L. (2004). Is there a universal positivity bias in attributions? A meta-analytic review of individual, developmental, and cultural differences in the self-serving attributional bias. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 711–747. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.5.711.
Nobre, P. J., & Pinto-Gouveia, J. (2008). Cognitions, emotions, and sexual response: Analysis of the relationship among automatic thoughts, emotional responses, and sexual arousal. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37, 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9258-0.
Ong, A. D., & Weiss, D. J. (2000). The impact of anonymity on responses to sensitive questions. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 30, 1691–1708. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2000.tb02462.x.
Patrick, D. L., Althof, S. E., Pryor, J. L., Rosen, R., Rowland, D. L., Ho, K. F., … Jamieson, C. (2005). Premature ejaculation: An observational study of men and their partners. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2, 358–367.
Rosen, R., Brown, C., Heiman, J., Leiblum, S., Meston, C., Shabsigh, R., … D’Agostino, R. (2000). The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): A multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 26, 191–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/009262300278597.
Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General & Applied, 80, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0092976.
Rowland, D. L., Adamski, B. A., Neal, C. J., Myers, A. L., & Burnett, A. L. (2015). Self-efficacy as a relevant construct in understanding sexual response and dysfunction. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 41, 60–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2013.811453.
Rowland, D. L., de Gouvea Brazao, C., Strassberg, D., & Slob, A. K. (2000). Ejaculatory latency and control in men with premature ejaculation: A detailed analysis across sexual activities using multiple sources of information. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 48, 69–77.
Rowland, D. L., & Kolba, T. N. (2015). Understanding the effects of establishing various cutoff criteria in the definition of men with premature ejaculation. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 12, 1175–1183. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12881.
Rowland, D. L., & Kolba, T. N. (2016). Understanding orgasmic difficulty in women. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13, 1246–1254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.05.014.
Rowland, D. L., & Kolba, T. N. (2017). The burden of sexual problems: Perceived effects on men’s and women’s sexual partners. Journal of Sex Research, 55, 226–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1332153.
Rowland, D. L., Kostelyk, K. A., & Tempel, A. R. (2016a). Attribution patterns in men with sexual problems: Analysis and implications for treatment. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 31, 148–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2015.1126669.
Rowland, D. L., Medina, M. C., & Dabbs, C. R. (2017). Attribution patterns in women with and without orgasmic difficulties. Journal of Sex Research, 55, 692–703. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1400514.
Rowland, D. L., Mikolajczyk, L. C., Pinkston, D. M., Reed, H. M., & Lo, D. M. (2016b). Attribution patterns in men who ejaculate before they desire: An internet survey. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 42, 462–473. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2015.1069432.
Rowland, D. L., Tai, W., & Slob, A. K. (2003). Preliminary exploration of emotional response in men with premature ejaculation: Effects of clomipramine treatment. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32, 145–154. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022452525629.
Salisbury, C. M., & Fisher, W. A. (2014). “Did you come?” A qualitative exploration of gender differences in beliefs, experiences, and concerns regarding female orgasm occurrence during heterosexual interactions. Journal of Sex Research, 51, 616–636. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2013.838934.
Scepkowski, L. A., Wiegel, M., Bach, A. K., Weisberg, R. B., Brown, T. A., & Barlow, D. H. (2004). Attributions for sexual situations in men with and without erectile disorder: Evidence from a sex-specific attributional style measure. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 33, 559–569. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ASEB.0000044740.72588.08.
Serefoglu, E. C., McMahon, C. G., Waldinger, M. D., Althof, S. E., Shindel, A., Adaikan, G., … Torres, L. O. (2014). An evidence-based unified definition of lifelong and acquired premature ejaculation: Report of the Second International Society for Sexual Medicine Ad Hoc Committee for the Definition of Premature Ejaculation. Sexual Medicine, 2, 41–59. https://doi.org/10.1002/sm2.27.
Simkins-Bullock, J., Wildman, B. G., Bullock, W. A., & Sugrue, D. P. (1992). Etiological attributions, responsibility attributions, and marital adjustment in erectile dysfunction patients. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 18, 83–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/00926239208404361.
Snyder, C. R., & Higgins, R. L. (1988). Excuses: Their effective role in the negotiation of reality. Psychological Bulletin, 104, 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.104.1.23.
Sohn, D. (1982). Sex differences in achievement self-attributions: An effect size analysis. Sex Roles, 8, 345–358.
Statista: The Statistics Portal. (2017). Internet usage in the United States: Statistics and facts. Retrieved July 2, 2018 from https://www.statista.com/topics/2237/internet-usage-in-the-united-states/.
Stephenson, K. R., & Meston, C. M. (2016). Heterosexual women’s causal attributions regarding impairment in sexual function: Factor structure and associations with well-being. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45, 1989–2001. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0741-3.
Symonds, T., Perelman, M. A., Althof, S., Giuliano, F., Martin, M., May, K., … Morris, M. (2007). Development and validation of a premature ejaculation diagnostic tool. European Urology, 52, 563–573.
ter Kuile, M. M., Both, S., & van Lankveld, J. J. (2010). Cognitive behavioral therapy for sexual dysfunctions in women. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 33, 595–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.010.
Wade, L. D., Kremer, E. C., & Brown, J. (2005). The incidental orgasm: The presence of clitoral knowledge and the absence of orgasm for women. Women and Health, 42, 117–138. https://doi.org/10.1300/J013v42n01_07.
Wiederman, M. W. (2005). The gendered nature of sexual scripts. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 13, 496–502.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional review board and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rowland, D.L., Dabbs, C.R. & Medina, M.C. Sex Differences in Attributions to Positive and Negative Sexual Scenarios in Men and Women With and Without Sexual Problems: Reconsidering Stereotypes. Arch Sex Behav 48, 855–866 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1270-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1270-z