Abstract
Definitions of promiscuity include a wide range of behaviors, including premarital sexual behaviors, having a high number of lifetime sexual partners, or any casual sexual behavior. The spectrum of behaviors that may relate to the concept of promiscuity may lead to our inability to compare the various findings and draw general conclusions on the topic. The purpose of the present study was to examine how adults define the term promiscuity and what associations they make with the term. Two hundred and five participants answered one open-ended question: “What is promiscuity? What type of person, personality characteristics, and behaviors come to mind when you hear the word promiscuity?” Participants’ responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. The most common theme was related to behavioral aspects of sexual behavior such as a high number of sexual partners and casual sexual relationships. When pronouns were used, they were mostly feminine. In general, people tend to negatively describe promiscuity, and the negative association may be more strongly associated with women.
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We would like to thank Erin Vogel, Rebecca Koessler and Shealyn Tomlinson for their feedback on earlier drafts.
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First author contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection was performed by the first author. Analysis was performed by the second, third and fourth authors. The first draft of the manuscript was written by first and second authors and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Zaikman, Y., Longoria, N., Bennett, B. et al. ‘Kind of a Mix Between Kinky and Slutty’: Describing Promiscuity Using Qualitative Analysis. Sexuality & Culture (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10191-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10191-y