Physical Attractiveness and Sexual Activity of College Students

Abstract

This study was conducted to ascertain the role attractiveness plays in the sexual behaviors of women. A convenience sample of 101 white female college students from a large midwestern university responded to an 18-item questionnaire on attractiveness and sexual behavior developed by the researchers; Cronbach alpha = .73. These women were also rated on their physical attractiveness by three male peers and categorized as attractive, average, or unattractive. The attractive and unattractive women's perceptions of their physical attractiveness were at variance with those of the three male raters, women rated average tended to rate themselves correctly. Attractiveness was not associated with the self-reported ages at which subjects began dating, the age of first sexual intercourse, or the quality, type, or frequency of contraceptive use. The attractive women were significantly more likely to engage in sexual intercourse and oral sex than either of the other two groups. Both the attractive and unattractive women had significantly more sexual partners than those rated average in attractiveness. Replication with a larger group is recommended.