Male Cognitive Schemata in the Sexual Perceptions Associated with the Marital Status of Women

Abstract

To compare male perceptions regarding the sexuality of divorced women as compared to single women, a ten-item questionnaire was administered to two matched samples, each containing 30 men. All the subjects in each sample also received a photograph of a woman and a brief description of the individual photographed. The written descriptions, as well as the photographs, were identical for both samples, except one sample received the divorced woman condition and the other sample was given the single woman condition. The t-test was used to determine the equality of means between samples. Significant differences appeared on six of the ten items. Although the single woman was perceived by men as being more “physically attractive” and “sexually exciting”, the divorced woman was perceived as having greater “sexual experience” and “sexual knowledge” and being more “sexually assertive” and “promiscuous”.