Have you ever wondered why there’s a gap between men’s and women’s sexual pleasure? A recent study published in Sex Roles investigates the societal beliefs and relationship contexts that contribute to this disparity. The researchers found that the endorsement of the Madonna-whore dichotomy plays an important role in the devaluation of women’s sexual pleasure.
The concept of the Madonna-whore dichotomy, a term coined by Sigmund Freud, refers to the polarized way in which women are often viewed: either as pure and virtuous “Madonnas” or as sexually promiscuous “whores.” This binary perception has long been criticized for its detrimental effects on women’s sexual autonomy and satisfaction.
Motivated by a desire to understand the modern implications of this dichotomy, researchers embarked on a study to examine how such entrenched beliefs influence the devaluation of women’s sexual pleasure and how relationship context—casual versus committed relationships—plays a role in this dynamic.
“We came across how men discussed treating women they meet on dating apps differently, focusing solely on their sexual pleasure in a way they wouldn’t in a relationship,” explained study co-authors Verena Klein, an associate professor at the University of Southampton, and Rotem Kahalon, an assistant professor at Bar-Ilan University. “This sparked our curiosity about the underlying reasons for these disrespectful behaviors towards women in the sexual context. It seemed compelling to explore how the Madonna-whore dichotomy, which highlights the polarized perceptions of women as either virtuous and pure or as promiscuous and immoral leads to those behaviors.”
To explore this, the researchers first focused on the virtual realm of dating apps, a context where sexual intentions and expectations are often explicitly communicated. They enlisted 509 German male participants, utilizing a platform called Clickworker for recruitment. Participants were presented with a fictitious dating profile of a woman ostensibly using the app for either finding a committed relationship or seeking a casual hookup.
Following the exposure to the dating profile, participants underwent a series of assessments. They answered questions designed to measure their perceptions of the target woman, including her sexual intentions and desirability, and their own inclinations towards devaluing her sexual pleasure, exhibiting disrespectful behavior, and their stance on condom use, which was interpreted as an indicator of respectful sexual conduct.
The endorsement of the Madonna-whore Dichotomy was assessed using a specialized scale designed to measure individuals’ tendencies to view women’s nurturance and sexuality as mutually exclusive and to hold negative views towards women perceived as sexually liberal. Participants completed a 9-item questionnaire, which included statements such as “A sexy woman is usually not a good mother” and “Women who are interested in and very liberal about sex are often problematic in terms of their personality.”
The results were telling: men with a higher endorsement of the Madonna-whore dichotomy viewed women on the hookup app as less moral, perceived them as dirtier, showed less interest in fulfilling the women’s sexual desires, demonstrated less respect, and were less inclined to practice safe sex. These findings illustrate how deep-seated beliefs about women’s sexuality can lead to negative attitudes and behaviors towards women, regardless of the context of the relationship.
Building on the insights from the first study, the researchers conducted a second study to broaden the scope to include both women and men’s perspectives, including 1,124 participants. This time, rather than using dating apps, the study employed hypothetical scenarios of casual sex versus sex within a committed relationship.
The aim was to examine whether the Madonna-whore dichotomy and relationship context would differently influence men and women’s interest in their partner’s orgasm and their own sense of sexual entitlement. In addition to replicating measures of the Madonna-whore dichotomy endorsement, this study introduced new measures to assess participants’ interest in their partner’s orgasm and their own sexual entitlement.
Contrary to what might be expected, men reported a greater interest in their partner’s orgasm than women did, suggesting that men may perceive a vested interest in their partner’s sexual satisfaction. However, among men who endorsed the Madonna-whore dichotomy more strongly, there was a noticeable trend towards feeling more entitled to their own orgasm, indicating a discrepancy between expressed interest in their partner’s pleasure and their prioritization of their own sexual satisfaction.
Interestingly, women who strongly endorsed the Madonna-whore dichotomy were more likely to prioritize their partner’s sexual pleasure over their own. This indicates that women internalize these dichotomous beliefs to the extent that it affects their sense of entitlement to sexual pleasure. Such internalization reflects broader societal pressures that valorize female chastity and self-sacrifice, even in the realm of sexual relationships.
“The study underlines the importance of Madonna-whore dichotomy stereotypes, among both women and men, in shaping sexual experiences,” Klein told PsyPost. “Our findings suggest that these stereotypes contribute to gender inequality in sexual pleasure, with women reporting fewer positive experiences than men. We hope that our findings will stimulate nuanced discussions about the influence of sexist attitudes on intimate lives. This awareness can challenge traditional beliefs, fostering more equitable and satisfying sexual relationships.”
Another significant finding from the study was the role of relationship context in shaping sexual dynamics. While the Madonna-whore dichotomy had a pronounced impact across both casual and committed relationships, the context of the relationship itself was found to influence perceptions of sexual entitlement differently for men and women.
Women perceived their partner as more entitled to orgasm within a committed relationship, aligning with traditional views that associate women’s sexuality with relational intimacy and caregiving. In contrast, men’s perceptions of sexual entitlement did not significantly differ between casual and committed contexts, suggesting that men’s attitudes towards sexual pleasure may be less influenced by the nature of the relationship.
“The average person should take away from this study the importance of challenging Madonna-whore dichotomy stereotypes, among both women and men, in shaping sexual experiences,” Kahalon told PsyPost. “The findings suggest that these stereotypes contribute to gender inequality in sexual pleasure, with women reporting less positive experiences than men.”
“Individuals, especially those working with young adults, should engage in more nuanced discussions about sexuality, recognizing the impact of societal constructs on sexual scripts. This awareness can empower individuals to challenge traditional beliefs, fostering more equitable and satisfying sexual relationships.”
While the study offers significant insights, it also comes with limitations. The research was conducted in Germany, raising questions about the generalizability of the findings across different cultures. Moreover, the study focused exclusively on heterosexual relationships and did not include LGBTQ+ perspectives, which could provide a more comprehensive understanding of how societal beliefs about sexuality affect diverse sexual experiences.
Future research could expand to cross-cultural studies to explore variations in the endorsement of the Madonna-whore dichotomy and its impact on sexual dynamics in different societies. Additionally, including a broader range of sexual orientations and gender identities would enrich the understanding of how patriarchal beliefs influence sexual minority individuals.
The study, “Devaluation of Women’s Sexual Pleasure: Role of Relationship Context and Endorsement of the Madonna-Whore Dichotomy“, was authored by Verena Klein, Eden Kosman, and Rotem Kahalon.
