Personality Predictors and Hypersexuality in College Women

Indianapolis, IN

The aims of this study were to examine gender differences in the association patterns of externalizing personality traits and hypersexuality. Previous research has indicated there are associations linking externalizing personality traits, such as antisocial tendencies, sensation seeking, and impulsivity, to hypersexuality. However, these associations have mainly been found in various samples of men (e.g. Reid & Carpenter, 2009). There is a lack of literature surrounding hypersexuality in samples of women. The association patterns may differ between the genders because of the evolutionary and cultural differences men and women have experienced (e.g. Aubrey, Harrison, Karmer, & Yellin, 2003; Flood, 2013). In this particular study, data is currently in collection. So far, 17 participants have responded to questions about their sexuality, experience of hypersexuality, and externalizing personality traits using the following self-report questionnaires: the Sexual Preoccupation Subscale, Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction Scale, Antisocial Behavior Scale, and I7 Impulsivity Subscale (Snell & Papini, 1989; Tellegen & Ben-Porath, 2008; Eysenck, Pearson, Easting, & Allsopp, 1985). Preliminary correlational analyses were used to determine if there were smaller associations between hypersexuality and externalizing personality traits in women compared to men. No significant results have been found at this time. However, differences may have been masked due to a lack of power. There was an overall trend for the associations between hypersexuality and all assessed externalizing personality traits to be stronger in men than in women (N=3 and N=14 for men and women, respectively). If additional data collected continues to support this trend, the results of this study have implications for understanding the way hypersexuality manifests in women versus men.