It was previously believed, and periodically claimed by various experts, that the average man thinks about sex every seven seconds. However, a new study has proven that men are actually much less interested in sex.
American researchers from Duke University conducted a new study that found that men are often overestimated in terms of the amount of time they spend thinking about sex, as well as how often they engage in it. The researchers believe this misconception stems from gender stereotypes that hold that men are much more interested in sex than women.
The study involved 101 men and 101 women. The researchers asked all participants to complete an online survey about their sexual health, including their level of sexual activity, interest in sex, discomfort, dysfunction, and satisfaction. More than half of the respondents reported chronic illnesses, including hypertension, arthritis, depression, diabetes, and cancer. The remaining participants did not report any serious health conditions.
All two hundred participants kept a daily online diary of their “sex life.” For example, for a month, they were asked to record how many times a day they thought about sex. Volunteers were also asked to rate this sexual function on a five-point scale. Then, after a month, all participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their sex life over the past 30 days.
The researchers then compared the answers to the questions in the daily questionnaire with the final version. They found that all participants were able to accurately assess their sexual activity over the course of the month. However, as the scientists clarified, the accuracy of the assessment could have been affected by various factors, particularly the respondent's mood.
Furthermore, when assessing their interest in sex on a five-point scale, survey participants often overestimated it by almost one point in the final questionnaire compared to their daily assessments. Furthermore, the researchers found that when in a good mood, people tend to exaggerate their sexual activity and believe their sex life is much more fulfilling than it actually is. However, when in a bad mood, people believe they hardly think about sex.
According to the final survey results, both men and women overestimated their interest in sex in the final survey. Moreover, men overestimated it more than women. The researchers hypothesized that men likely relied on older memories when taking the final test.