Five personality factors and sex: preliminary findings by Patrick C.L. Heaven*, Jean Fitzpatrick, Fiona L. Craig, Peter Kelly,Gareth Sebar
| Title | Five personality factors and sex: preliminary findings |
| Author(s) | Patrick C.L. Heaven*, Jean Fitzpatrick, Fiona L. Craig, Peter Kelly, Gareth Sebar |
| Overview | This article explores the relationship between the Big Five personality traits—Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N), Openness to Experience (O), Conscientiousness (C), and Agreeableness (A)—and attitudes toward sex, as well as specific sexual behaviors. The study involved 123 undergraduate students from the University of Wollongong, comprising 51 males and 72 females. The research sought to identify how these personality dimensions predict attitudes and behaviors related to sex. Key findings include significant gender differences in sexual curiosity, excitement, and satisfaction, with men scoring higher on curiosity and excitement and women higher on satisfaction. Neuroticism and Extraversion emerged as the most influential predictors of sexual attitudes, while Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness were linked to sexual behaviors. The study also touches on earlier research by Eysenck, who found that extraverts were more likely to engage in various sexual activities and experience higher sexual satisfaction, while neurotics exhibited greater sexual anxiety and lower satisfaction. Additionally, the article discusses the relevance of other personality-related factors, such as erotophobia-erotophilia and self-monitoring, in understanding sexual behaviors. Erotophilics were found to engage more in sexual activities, while high self-monitors were more inclined towards casual sex and sexual fantasies. Despite extensive research on personality and sex, the study highlights a gap in literature specifically focusing on the Big Five model, which has gained prominence in personality research over the past decades. The findings offer preliminary insights and suggest directions for future research on the interplay between personality traits and sexual behaviors. |
| Download Link | click here to download |