Interpersonal Perceptions of Desired Frequency of Sexual Behaviours (Survey‪)‬

Abstract: This study explored gender differences in interpersonal perceptions of desired frequency of sexual behaviours and their association with the sexual satisfaction of dating couples. Both partners from 92 heterosexual couples reported how frequently they had engaged in a range of sexual behaviours and how frequently they would ideally have done so. Participants also reported their perceptions of their partners' ideal sexual frequency for different behaviours. The results showed that the men's ideal frequency for engaging in sexual behaviours was greater and the women's, both partners perceived each other's ideal frequencies to be more dissimilar than they actually were, and the women perceived greater dissimilarity between their own and their partner's ideal frequencies than did the men. The women overestimated their partner's ideal sexual frequency for different behaviours whereas the men were accurate in their understanding of their partner's in this regard. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that the more frequently partners engaged in sexual activities and the more similar men perceived their own and their partner's ideal sexual frequency to be, the higher the sexual satisfaction of both partners. We consider the role of stereotypes, the content of perceptions, and the effects of relationship type in interpreting these results. Introduction