FEMALE ORGASM FROM INTERCOURSE: IMPORTANCE, PARTNER CHARACTERISTICS, AND HEALTH Catherine R. Powers Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2012 APPROVED: Joseph Critelli, Committee Chair Kim Kelly, Committee Member Daniel Taylor, Committee Member Vicki Campbell, Chair of the Department of Psychology Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Powers, Catherine R. Female Orgasm from Intercourse: Importance, Partner Characteristics, and Health. Doctor of Philosophy (Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine), August, 2012, 159 pp., 20 tables, 2 illustrations, references, 130 titles. Previous research indicates that women prefer orgasms triggered by penile- vaginal intercourse (PVI) as compared to those triggered by direct manual stimulation of the clitoris. However, for reasons that are not well understood, most women are unable to reach PVI orgasms as often as they desire. In addition, it is unclear why many women prefer PVI orgasms to those triggered by direct clitoral stimulation. This study developed a more precise measure of PVI orgasm frequency and evaluated key predictors of this frequency, including duration of intercourse, physical and psychological health, and partner traits with implications for either mating quality or relationship quality. The present study also measured PVI orgasm importance and investigated why it is important for many women. The sample consisted of 835 adult women with experience in PVI. Mean PVI orgasm frequency was 50%, with 39.4% of women never or rarely having PVI orgasms, 37.1% sometimes having PVI orgasms, and 23.5% almost always or always having PVI orgasms. As a median response, women believed that PVI orgasm was “very important” and perceived importance was correlated with orgasm frequency (r = .31, p < .001), as were reasons for importance. Duration of intercourse showed a linear relationship with PVI orgasm frequency, but this finding was qualified for women at the low and high extremes of the orgasm frequency distribution. Body esteem, anxiety during intercourse, exercise, and general pain predicted PVI orgasm frequency. Sensitive male traits, although valued by women even more highly than alpha male traits, showed notably weaker relationships with PVI orgasm than did male alpha traits. This is consistent with evolutionary theories of orgasm, and it supports the view that the female orgasm may function to favor some males over others in terms of sire choice. Clinical and theoretical implications of the present findings are discussed. Copyright 2012 by Catherine R. Powers ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is with great pleasure that I thank those who made this dissertation possible, such as my dissertation chair, Dr. Joseph Critelli. He has been a true mentor to me. Without his guidance, knowledge, and flexibility over the years, it would have been next to impossible to write this dissertation. I am so completely indebted to my amazing family who have been supportive and understanding during this process. Specifically, my father, Donald Powers, has always been the rock in my family. My mother, Pamela Powers, who always has positive words of encouragement. My sister, Christine Powers, who has been there for me more times than I could ever count and she has been my role model since day one. Together, they have made me who I am today. I also want to thank my dear friends, Tara Steinberg and Elissa Woodruff, who provided me with endless support and encouragement throughout the years. Their willingness to offer their time and energy to provide suggestions and encouragement will never be forgotten. I cannot extend my gratitude enough for their support through this process. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my wonderful fiancé, Larry James. His understanding, patience, and encouragement have held me together over the past six years. He, along with our dog Bella, have provided me with the emotional strength necessary to finish this project. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ...............................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1 Differences between Types of Orgasm ...................................................... 1 Importance ................................................................................................. 3 Frequency .................................................................................................. 7 Duration ................................................................................................... 13 Health ...................................................................................................... 18 Psychological Health ..................................................................... 18 Physical Health ............................................................................. 21 Partner Characteristics ............................................................................ 24 Statement of Purpose .............................................................................. 30 Research Questions and Hypotheses...................................................... 31 Research Question 1: How Frequently Do Women have Orgasms when Orgasm is Triggered by PVI Alone, Without Additional Simultaneous Direct Clitoral Stimulation? ..................................... 31 Research Question 2: How Important is PVI Orgasm? ................. 31 Hypothesis 1: Duration of Intercourse ........................................... 32 Hypothesis 2: Health Factors ........................................................ 32 Hypothesis 3: Partner Characteristics ........................................... 33 CHAPTER 2 METHOD ...................................................................................... 34 Participants .............................................................................................. 34 Measures ................................................................................................. 35 Demographic Inventory ................................................................. 35 iv Health Scale .................................................................................. 35 Inventory of Desired Partner Qualities and Inventory of Partner Characteristics .............................................................................. 36 Sexual Response Scale (SRS) ..................................................... 37 Measure of Orgasm Importance.................................................... 38 Body Esteem Scale (BES) ............................................................ 38 Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (QIDS- SR-16) ........................................................................................... 39 Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) ................................................... 40 Sex-Guilt Inventory-Revised ......................................................... 41 Procedures .............................................................................................. 41 CHAPTER 3 RESULTS ..................................................................................... 43 Power Analyses ....................................................................................... 44 Missing Data ............................................................................................ 45 Descriptive Statistics for Demographic Information ................................. 46 Research Questions and Hypotheses...................................................... 46 Research Question 1: How Frequently Do Women Have Orgasms when Orgasm is Triggered by PVI Alone, Without Additional Simultaneous Direct Clitoral Stimulation? ..................................... 46 Research Question 2: How Important is PVI Orgasm? ................. 51 Hypothesis 1: Duration of Intercourse ........................................... 55 Hypothesis 2: Health Factors ........................................................ 59 Hypothesis 3: Partner Characteristics ........................................... 64 Major Predictors of PVI Frequency .......................................................... 69 Additional Analyses ................................................................................. 70 CHAPTER 4 DISCUSSION ............................................................................... 73 PVI Orgasm Frequency ........................................................................... 73 Importance of PVI Orgasm ...................................................................... 78 Duration of PVI ........................................................................................ 81 Psychological and Health Factors ............................................................ 86 Partner Characteristics ............................................................................ 91 v Advances and Improvements .................................................................. 93 Limitations and Future Research ............................................................. 95 Summary and Conclusions ...................................................................... 97 APPENDIX A INFORMED CONSENT FORM/CONTACT