Personality Characteristics of Women With Negative Sexual Attitudes

• Published in: Rossijskij psihologičeskij žurnal. Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 58 - 72
• Main Authors: Надежда И. Чернецкая, Инна А. Зырянова, Елена А. Кедярова, Вера В. Монжиевская, Маргарита Ю. Уварова
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: ООО "КРЕДО" 01.07.2020
• Subjects: гендерная индивидуальность; женская сексуальность; нормативность поведения; отношение к сексу; секс; сексуальное поведение; сексуальность; сексуальные установки; установка; фемининность
• ISSN: 1812-1853; 2411-5789
• DOI: 10.21702/rpj.2020.2.4

Introduction. Conceptual issues in studying personality characteristics of women that contribute to their successful self-realization as a subject of sexual behaviors are especially important today. A decrease in sexual segregation should have led to women’s satisfaction with the significant easing of moral standards related to manifestations of their sexuality. However, there is an increase in the number of women seeking help for their sexual problems. This study examines a sample of women with negative sexual attitudes and investigates their specific personality characteristics. Methods. A sample of 152 women (clients of crisis and counseling centers in Irkutsk) took part in this study. The study used the following techniques: (a) Eysenk Inventory of Attitudes to Sex (EIAS) to examine women’s sexual attitudes and (b) Cattell Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF, Form C) to identify personality profiles of women with different sexual attitudes. Fisher’s F test was used to test the significance of differences. Results. Six groups of women with positive and negative attitudes towards various aspects of the sexual sphere were identified. Sexual aversion was observed in 15.38 % of the respondents. Significant differences between women with negative and positive attitudes towards physical sexual contact were determined using the ‘femininity/masculinity’ factor. This factor is responsible for the severity of traditional female sexual behaviors, adherence to strict moral standards, which is consistent with low scores on the EIAS (‘permissiveness’, ‘impersonal sex’, ‘sexual excitability’, and ‘sexual libido’). Discussion. Traditional feminine views of sexuality, desire to save a marriage, and intolerant attitudes towards everything shameful are prevalent among women with negative sexual attitudes. Rigidity in thinking, high-normative behaviors, subordination, shyness, self-restraint in emotional manifestations, and flight into internal illusions are prevalent in personal profiles of women with negative sexual attitudes.