Differentiating Highly Sexual Women from Less Sexual Women (Report‪)‬

Abstract: There has been limited research on women who are highly sexual. This study sought to identify the specific sexual attitudes and behaviours that characterize highly sexual women in comparison to less sexual women. A final sample of 932 heterosexual women completed an online questionnaire based on 11 multi-item clustering variables of interest (sex drive, sexual communication, sexual adventurism, sexual fantasies and thoughts, sexual esteem, body image, reputation concerns, and attitudes toward all of the following: casual sex, sexually explicit material, masturbation, and sexy clothing). A hierarchical cluster analysis on these 11 clustering variables identified two profile subgroups: highly sexual women and less sexual women. Women characterized as highly sexual had significantly higher scores on each of these constructs and on four behavioural outcome measures. The findings are discussed in relation to the changing sexual scripts for women and other theoretical perspectives on female sexuality. Introduction