1. Chapter 4
Self-Esteem & Sex

2. Self-Esteem One’s feeling of high or low self worth
High SE associated (r) with more sex
Why?
SE -> sex?
Sex -> SE?
3rd V?

3. Sociometer We all need to belong
Social support: Perception that others are available to offer help (church attendance)
SS reduces morbidity & mortality rates
Risk level same as smoking, exercising

4. Sociometer SE is a meter that tracks social success (SS)
Social success (popularity) causal (3rd) V SE
Social success
(popularity)
Dating
(SEX)

5. Anxiety, Inhibition
Women - high SE associated w/ fellatio & masturbation
High SE associated w/ less inhibitions, anxiety SE
Anxiety
Sex

6. Conquest Mentality Sex may increase SE (~social desirability)
Gender difference & social exchange
Women give sex to men
Ego loss for women gain for men
Men compete for # of ‘Conquests’(Spur Posse)
Paul Reiser on SNL
Reservoir Dogs

7. Conquest Mentality SE +r w/ # partners for men, -r for women
The more partners they have:
Men feel better & women feel worse
Stud v. Slut
Class Data (N = 103 , females = 74 )
r between self-esteem, # partners
Males r = .16, ns
Females r = .07, ns

8. Conquest Mentality Some studies show no r for females
Quality of partner more closely linked to SE
Females SE increases by having sex w/ high quality (and not just many) partners

9. What causes this mentality?
Conquest Mentality
What causes this mentality?
Evolution
Genetic success ~# partners for males
Genetic success ~partner quality for females
Social Exchange
Female maximize sex value by giving it rarely to high quality partners
Males obtain as much resource as possible

10. Sex Appeal
SE associated with self-perceived sex appeal (but not actual attractiveness)
Class Data
r between self-esteem, perceived attractiveness
Males r = .53, p < .01
Females r = .40, p < .001

11. Sex Appeal Men ~> women on SE Body image (women less positive)
Women highly critical of bodies

12. American Thinness Craze
Changing standards
Models
Playboy
Miss America
Pornography w/ plump models popular elsewhere

15. American Thinness Craze: Causes
Men
Not totally
Women want to be thinner than men want them

16. Fallon & Rozin (1985) Thinnest Women’s ideal Women’s current
body image
Heaviest
What women
believed men
preferred
What men
actually
preferred

17. American Thinness Craze: Causes
Media
Feeds public interest
Less Power to change us

18. American Thinness Craze: Causes
Females competing for mates
Males - status
Females - physical attraction
Plastic surgery (expensive, dangerous)
Weight (easy to control)

19. Conclusion
How we see ourselves has impact on and is impacted by our sexuality
Nature of impact depends on gender, social and other factors