Personal and perceived partner orgasm pursuit: A daily diary study about the gendered orgasm gap

Abstract

Interdependence theory reveals the robust influence romantic partners have on each other’s outcomes. However, research on “the orgasm gap”—that men orgasm significantly more often than women in partnered (hetero) sex—relies largely on women-only samples and ignores gendered interpersonal influences. We apply interdependence theory and investigate how gendered interpersonal orgasm goal pursuit (OGP) underlies orgasm inequity in relationships. With a 21-day diary study of heterosexually partnered individuals (N = 127, 18–40 yrs), we tested a novel experience sampling assessment of interdependent OGP that measures event-level personal OGP, partner OGP, and perceived partner OGP. Results from multi-level models on 566 sex events revealed that men were 15x more likely to orgasm, and were more satisfied, than women. Men reported higher personal and perceived partner OGP, and lower partner OGP than women during sex. Higher levels of personal and perceived partner OGP during sex were associated with greater orgasm likelihood and satisfaction. Moreover, perceived partner OGP moderated the link between personal OGP and satisfaction, such that personal OGP was associated with greater satisfaction at high, but not low, levels of perceived partner OGP. Personal OGP is thus unlikely to yield satisfying orgasms and sex without (perceived) collaboration from a partner. This research exposes an orgasm pursuit gap, in favor of men’s orgasm, that contributes to inequity in partnered sex between men and women. We discuss how sexual pleasure equity requires symmetric pursuit of orgasm goals and interdependent strategies, rather than dwelling on women’s individual level barriers to orgasm.