Sociosexual orientation
Encyclopedia
Sociosexual orientation in social psychology
refers to individual differences in the tendency to prefer either unrestricted sex
(without the necessity of love
) or restricted sex (only in the context of a long term loving relationship).
: "unrestricted people, although more willing to engage in sex without love and commitment, still prefer being involved in stable, serially monogamous relationships (unlike promiscuous people)" (Simpson, Wilson & Winterheld, 2004). Also, in it is possible one could have a high score on the Sociosexuality Orientation Inventory (indicating an unrestricted strategy), without having had a large number of partners or any short-term relationships, which are key aspects of "promiscuity".
That the difference within sexes is greater than that between the sexes has led to substantial debate, and extensive theorising regarding the causes of such differences.
Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
refers to individual differences in the tendency to prefer either unrestricted sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
(without the necessity of love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
) or restricted sex (only in the context of a long term loving relationship).
Unrestricted is different than being promiscuous
Note that an 'unrestricted' sexual strategy is not equated to promiscuityPromiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
: "unrestricted people, although more willing to engage in sex without love and commitment, still prefer being involved in stable, serially monogamous relationships (unlike promiscuous people)" (Simpson, Wilson & Winterheld, 2004). Also, in it is possible one could have a high score on the Sociosexuality Orientation Inventory (indicating an unrestricted strategy), without having had a large number of partners or any short-term relationships, which are key aspects of "promiscuity".
Sex Differences
While generally, males show a more unrestricted strategy relative to females, substantial overlap exists between the sexes. For example, approximately 30% of men are less willing to engage in casual sex than the median score of female populations .That the difference within sexes is greater than that between the sexes has led to substantial debate, and extensive theorising regarding the causes of such differences.
Measurement
Sociosexuality is measured by the Sociosexual Orientation InventoryLinks
The revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R)Further reading
- Penke, L., & Asendorpf, J. B. (2008). Beyond global sociosexual orientations: A more differentiated look at sociosexuality and its effects on courtship and romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 1113-1135.Full text
- Schmitt, D.P. (2005). Sociosexuality from Argentina to Zimbabwe: A 48-nation study of sex, culture, and strategies of human mating. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28, 247-311. Full text