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Sexual Partner Age Preferences of Homosexual and Heterosexual Men and Women

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Abstract

The sexual age preferences of 192 adults (equal groups of heterosexual men, heterosexual women, homosexual men, and homosexual women) were examined. Participants rated the sexual attractiveness of pictures of 15 male and 15 female faces arranged into five apparent average age categories ranging from 18 to 60 years. It was predicted that homosexual and heterosexual men would prefer younger partners of their preferred sex than would homosexual and heterosexual women and that age preference would not vary with participant age. Both predictions were supported, although homosexual women preferred older partners than expected. Results suggest that age and sex preferences develop independently.

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Silverthorne, Z.A., Quinsey, V.L. Sexual Partner Age Preferences of Homosexual and Heterosexual Men and Women. Arch Sex Behav 29, 67–76 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001886521449

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001886521449

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