Hatfield Gender Differences

The article “Gender Differences in Receptivity to Sexual Offers,” by Dr. Russell D. Clark III and Dr. Elaine Hatfield, establishes the idea that men desire sexual activity more than women by reviewing the work and speculations of popular theorists, presenting experiments and studies between the 1950s and 1980s, and finishes off with two identical experiments done in 1978 and 1982. The article starts off with the sociobiological perspective by mentioning Sigmund Freud’s concept that “interest in sexual activities is determined primarily by genes, anatomy, and hormones” (Clark III, Hatfield). Stripping down men and women to the basic functions of their reproductive systems, the sociobiological perspective suggests that, because men can potentially

A late 1970s study concluded that our “male-dominated society” has shaped sexual activity around male-preferred norms (Clark III, Hatfield). Also, the fear of AIDS has shaped intercourse activity by making, both, males and females more cautious. While both perspectives have reasonable arguments, there is no doubt that males and females are “differentially interested in sexual activities” (Clark III, Hatfield). “Gender Differences” continues with three sections about experiments and studies done to provide insight on men and women’s true sexual desires. Studies performed in 1948, 1953, and 1974 conclude that men become more aroused from erotica literature and tapes compared to women. However, in the early 1980s, researchers began physically testing male and female arousal in response to the literature and “although men and women often report differential interest in erotica, the objective evidence suggests that both are equally aroused” (Clark III, Hatfield). What is even more shocking, women actually rated the arousing effect of audio tapes higher than men