Study finds the 237 reasons to have sex

[peejay 327]

Study finds the 237 reasons to have sex

UT researchers say it's not so obvious after all

By TODD ACKERMAN

2007 Houston Chronicle

Some said they thought it would be good exercise. Others cited the relief they thought it would provide from boredom. A few admitted they wanted to be more popular, get a promotion or impress friends.

And some confessed they did it for revenge.

Six decades after Alfred Kinsey's findings on sexuality shocked America, two University of Texas at Austin psychologists have found some surprising answers to a question most people don't bother to ask: why people have sex.

"I was driven to do this study because of all the different reasons I hear women give for having sex, but I never expected this richness of answers," said Cindy Meston, an associate professor of psychology and study co-author. "Motivation for sex is not as straightforward as people think."

For instance, headaches and "not tonight, honey" may go together in most people's minds, but respondents of both sexes said they'd had sex "to get rid of a headache." They didn't say whether it worked.

In all, Meston and colleague David Buss catalogued 237 reasons, the most popular of which predictably involved lust and pleasure. But others ranged from "I wanted to feel closer to God" to "I wanted the attention" to "I wanted to keep my partner from straying."

A few respondents even said they wanted to give someone a sexually transmitted disease.

Meston said the study, published in the August issue of Archives of Sexual Behavior, is the first of its kind. She speculated that researchers, like everyone else, probably assumed the motivations for sex were pretty obvious.

Forces of attraction

To come up with the list, Meston and Buss asked 444 men and women, age 17 to 52, to list reasons why they, or people they've known, have had sex. They then had 1,500 undergraduate students at UT-Austin rank the reasons on a one-to-five scale of how often they applied to their experiences.

Twenty of the top 25 reasons given were the same for men and women, and the No. 1 for both was "I was attracted to the person."

"I was surprised there wasn't a great gender difference," said Meston. "Women were more likely to say they wanted to express their love for the person, but they were very quick to also cite physical reasons and out-of-control hormones most people associate with men."

Meston, who is continuing to collect data for follow-up studies, acknowledged that college students' out-of-control hormones tilt the results. Future studies will focus on other age groups, ethnic groups and religious people. Metson said she also wants to find out about the outcome of sex for which people gave particular reasons.

Despite youthful answers like "the person was too hot to resist," Meston said she was struck that the college students gave some reasons that might offer lessons for people of all ages, such as that sex helped them get to sleep.

"For older couples in which the sex drive is mismatched, it might be instructive to learn that not everybody is having sex for pleasure," she said. "Nothing's wrong with you — you just might need to find your own reason for having sex."

Meston stressed the study was not finished, having heard many other reasons since the list came out Tuesday. She urged people to add their own reasons for having — or not having — sex at her Web site at www.mestonlab.com.

WHAT'S YOUR REASON?

Psychology researchers at the University of Texas say they found four major factors for why their subjects had sex:

• Physical: "It seemed like good exercise" "I was curious about sex" "The person was a good dancer"

• Goal-based: "I wanted to have a baby" "I wanted to be popular" "I wanted to give someone a sexually transmitted disease"

• Emotional: "I wanted to feel connected" "I wanted to say 'thank you.'"

• Insecurity-based: "I wanted the attention" "My partner kept insisting" "I wanted to keep my partner from straying"

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5017025.html

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Where does, "It helps me to sleep more soundly" rank on that list?

[mawilson 2,133]

For those who are interested, the PDF with the full list of reasons is available here.

My favorites are:

• I got "carried away"
  
• It just happened
  
• I wanted to make up after a fight
  
• I wanted to get a raise
  
• The person demanded that I have sex with him/her
  
• I wanted to change the topic of conversation
  
• I wanted to get rid of a headache
  
• The person had a lot of money
  
• I wanted to relieve "blue balls"
  
• I wanted to end the relationship
  
• I hadn't had sex for a while
  
• It seemed like good exercise
  
• I wanted to say "thank you"
  

[peejay 327]

I only have one reason...it's 'cause I'm horny. Not very complicated at all. Simple solutions to a growing problem.

[Miranda&James 8]

"I wanted to end the relationship"

So, did they do it really badly or something so the person would wanna leave them? Cause I mean, having sex with someone doesn't usually mean hey, lets break up. Unless it's the same person who said they wanted to pass on an std

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I only have one reason...it's 'cause I'm horny. Not very complicated at all. Simple solutions to a growing problem.

...and if you're spouse isn't?

[raymaga 25]

When my husband and I saw this on t.v. last night, the first thing that popped out of my husband's mouth was..... the obvious!!!!!! He's a Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember, there's a book called Men are from Venus, Women are from Mars (or the other way around, can't remember). I think women have sex for less sexual reasons than men most of the time, namely emotional and "closeness" reasons.

[JelloShotGirl 0]

hmmm maybe i want to have sex, cuz i just feel like it? LOL!

[mawilson 2,133]

"I wanted to end the relationship"

So, did they do it really badly or something so the person would wanna leave them? Cause I mean, having sex with someone doesn't usually mean hey, lets break up.

In "My Super Ex-Girlfriend", Luke Wilson's friend offers some excellent advice -

"if you're going to break up with a girl, have sex with her first - because you know it's going to be problematic afterwards"

[Miranda&James 8]

"I wanted to end the relationship"

So, did they do it really badly or something so the person would wanna leave them? Cause I mean, having sex with someone doesn't usually mean hey, lets break up.

In "My Super Ex-Girlfriend", Luke Wilson's friend offers some excellent advice -

"if you're going to break up with a girl, have sex with her first - because you know it's going to be problematic afterwards"

Lol, well I did like that movie but I forgot that quote I guess if the sex was good you'd wanna get it in one last time before breaking it off! Although, if someone did that to me..well, lets just say he wouldn't be having sex for awhile

[mawilson 2,133]

Lol, well I did like that movie but I forgot that quote I guess if the sex was good you'd wanna get it in one last time before breaking it off! Although, if someone did that to me..well, lets just say he wouldn't be having sex for awhile

[almaty 19]

hmmm maybe i want to have sex, cuz i just feel like it? LOL!

damn, don't get to worked up there jello girl...lol

[Sheriff Uling 3]

Where does, "It helps me to sleep more soundly" rank on that list?

I'm betting somewhere between the top 5 - 10 reasons... hehehehe!!!

hmmm maybe i want to have sex, cuz i just feel like it? LOL!

That's number 2.... hehehehe!!!

I only have one reason...it's 'cause I'm horny...

This is number one.... Yeah Baby Yeah!!!

[Cassandra+Yuibi 0]

147 I wanted to punish myself.

No! ANYTHING BUT THAT!

[peejay 327]

I only have one reason...it's 'cause I'm horny. Not very complicated at all. Simple solutions to a growing problem.

...and if you're spouse isn't?

I reckon I'm SOL (sh*t outa luck). But sometimes you just gotta take matters into your own hands and grab the bull by the horns.