Sex Differences in Attitudes & Behavior of College Students Following a College Level Course on Human Sexuality

Abstract

Students on a Connecticut College campus were studied in 1973 using a 26 item questionnaire concerning sexual attitudes and behavior. The same questionnaire was administered in January of 1976 to a control group of students in a general psychology course and to an experimental group consisting of students in a psychology course in human sexuality. The questionnaire was readministered to both groups at the end of the semester, in May. The 1973 responses and the pre-test of both groups showed sex differences on several items. These differences were generally caused by responses on the part of about 15 to 20% of the males surveyed which endorsed the traditional dual standard. While the responses for the control group on the post-test remained unchanged, the sex differences apparent on the pre-test disappeared on the post-test for the experimental group. It was concluded that college level courses in human sexuality can be effective in changing attitudes on human sexuality especially vis-a-vis male attitudes concerning the traditional dual standard.