yet another foregone conclusion in research

12 08 2009

Men are more likely than women to lower their standards for sex. From FOX News, of all places:

The research suggests men are far less choosy about the attractiveness of a potential one-night stand. For women to be tempted into considering casual sex, the guy better be a hottie.

These results, based not on real-life encounters but rather on interviews, match with past research showing that men lower their standards when it comes to one-night stands. And it turns out, from the new study, women raise their standards…

Participants were asked to imagine being approached by a member of the opposite sex, described as either “slightly unattractive,” “moderately attractive,” or “exceptionally attractive,” who asked the student to go out, go to their apartment, or go to bed. Students rated on a scale from 0 (definitely not) to 100 (definitely yes) how likely they would be to accept each request.

Regardless of the opposite sex’s attractiveness, men were more likely than women to accept all three offers. For instance, in response to the sex request, men indicated an average likelihood of 46, a whopping figure compared with women’s average rating of just 4.

Raise your hand if you’re surprised.

First question: are men socialized towards an easier sexuality, or is part of our evolutionary biology?