Gender Differences in Sexual Fantasy: Incidence vs. Frequency

Incidence vs. Frequency

Definitions

• Incidence: Have you ever engaged in a particular behavior (even once)? A single occurrence results in a "yes." If someone has engaged in the behavior even once, they are marked as 'yes.'
• Frequency: How often do you engage in a particular behavior?

It is generally assumed that people are more accurate regarding incidence rather than frequency due to the ease of recalling a single occurrence versus tracking multiple occurrences.

Study Overview

A review article examined studies on sexual fantasy, comparing genders (men & women) concerning the incidence and frequency of sexual fantasies during:

• Masturbation
• Intercourse
• Non-sexual activity

Incidence of Sexual Fantasy (Have you ever…)

During Masturbation

• Men > Women

During Intercourse

• Men = Women

During Non-Sexual Activity

• Men = Women

Frequency of Sexual Fantasy (How often…)

During Masturbation

• Men > Women

During Intercourse

• Men = Women

During Non-Sexual Activity

• Men > Women

Key Findings Summary

• During masturbation, men are more likely to have engaged in sexual fantasy at least once and do so more frequently than women.
• During intercourse, the incidence and frequency of sexual fantasy are roughly equal between men and women.
• During non-sexual activities, the incidence is equal, however, men have sexual fantasies more frequently than women.