Sleeping With Younger Men: Women’s Accounts of Sexual Interplay in Age-Hypogamous Intimate Relationships

References

• Alarie, M. (2018). Vieillissement, sexualité et le mythe de la femme “cougar”. In V. Billette, P. Marier, & A.-M. Séguin (Eds.), Les vieillissements sous la loupe: Entre mythes et réalités (pp. 143–150). Québec, Canada: Les Presses de l’Université Laval.
   Google Scholar
• Alarie, M., & Carmichael, J. T. (2015). The “cougar” phenomenon: An examination of the factors that influence age-hypogamous sexual relationships among middle-aged Women. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77, 1250–1265. doi:10.1111/jomf.2015.77.issue-5
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Allyn, D. (2000). Make love, not war: The sexual revolution, an unfettered history. Boston, Mass: Routledge.
   Google Scholar
• Alterovitz, S. S., & Mendelsohn, G. A. (2009). Partner preferences across the life span: Online dating by older adults. Psychology and Aging, 24, 513–517. doi:10.1037/a0015897
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Andrews, M. (2003). Calendar ladies: Popular culture, sexuality and the middle-class, middle-aged domestic woman. Sexualities, 6, 385–403. doi:10.1177/136346070363007
   Google Scholar
• Aoun, R. (2013). Facebook et le phénomène des cougars: De « mamies » à MILF. Recherches Féministes, 26, 89–103. doi:10.7202/1022773ar
   Google Scholar
• Armstrong, E. A., England, P., & Fogarty, A. C. K. (2012). Accounting for women’s orgasm and sexual enjoyment in college hookups and relationships. American Sociological Review, 77, 435–462. doi:10.1177/0003122412445802
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Armstrong, E. A., England, P., & Fogarty, A. C. K. (2015). Orgasm in college hookups and relationships. In B. J. Risman & V. E. Rutter (Eds.), Families as they really are (2nd ed., pp. 280–296). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
   Google Scholar
• Atkinson, M. P., & Glass, B. L. (1985). Marital age heterogamy and homogamy, 1900 to 1980. Journal of Marriage and Family, 47, 685–691. doi:10.2307/352269
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Backstrom, L., Armstrong, E. A., & Puentes, J. (2012). Women’s negotiation of cunnilingus in college hookups and relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 49, 1–12. doi:10.1080/00224499.2011.585523
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Barr, A., Bryan, A., & Kenrick, D. T. (2002). Sexual peak: Socially shared cognitions about Desire, frequency, and satisfaction in men and women. Personal Relationships, 9, 287–299. doi:10.1111/pere.2002.9.issue-3
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Barrett, B., & Levin, D. (2014). What’s love got to do with it? A qualitative grounded theory content analysis of romance narratives in the PG era of world wrestling entertainment (WWE) programming. Sexuality & Culture, 18, 560–591. doi:10.1007/s12119-013-9211-4
   Google Scholar
• Birnbaum, G. E., Cohen, O., & Wertheimer, V. (2007). Is it all about intimacy? Age, menopausal status, and women’s sexuality. Personal Relationships, 14, 167–185. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2006.00147.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Boyd, M., & Li, A. (2003). May-December: Canadians in age-discrepant relationships. Canadian Social Trends, 70, 29–33.
   Google Scholar
• Bridges, S. K., Lease, S. H., & Ellison, C. R. (2004). Predicting sexual satisfaction in women: Implications for counselor education and training. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82, 158–166. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00297.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Buunk, B. P., Dijkstra, P., Kenrick, D. T., & Warntjes, A. (2001). Age preferences for mates as related to gender, own age, and involvement level. Evolution and Human Behavior, 22, 241–250. doi:10.1016/S1090-5138(01)00065-4
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cameron, A., & Tomlin, M. (2007). The effect of male erectile dysfunction on the psychosocial, relationship, and sexual characteristics of heterosexual women in the United States. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 33, 135–149. doi:10.1080/00926230601098464
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Carpenter, L. M. (2010). Gendered sexuality over the life course: A conceptual framework. Sociological Perspectives, 53, 155–177. doi:10.1525/sop.2010.53.2.155
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Carpenter, L. M., Nathanson, C. A., & Kim, Y. J. (2006). Sex after 40?: Gender, ageism, and sexual partnering in midlife. Journal of Aging Studies, 20, 93–106. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2005.06.003
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Chevret, M., Jaudinot, E., Sullivan, K., Marrel, A., & De Gendre, A. S. (2004). Impact of erectile dysfunction (ED) on sexual life of female partners: Assessment with the Index of Sexual Life (ISL) questionnaire. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 30, 157–172. doi:10.1080/00926230490262366
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Collard, R.-C. (2012). Cougar figures, gender, and the performances of predation. Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, 19, 518–540. doi:10.1080/0966369X.2011.610179
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Conway, J. R., Noë, N., Stulp, G., & Pollet, T. V. (2015). Finding your soulmate: Homosexual and heterosexual age preferences in online dating. Personal Relationships, 22, 666–678. doi:10.1111/pere.12102
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
   Google Scholar
• DeLamater, J. D., & Carpenter, L. M. (2012). Sexualities over the life course: The development of a perspective. In L. M. Carpenter & J. D. DeLamater (Eds.), Sex for life: From virginity to Viagra. How sexuality changes throughout our lives (pp. 1–21). New York: New York University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Donat, P. L. N., & White, J. W. (2000). Re-examining the issue of nonconsent in acquaintance rape. In C. B. Travis & J. W. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society, and feminism (pp. 355–376). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
   Google Scholar
• Drummond, J. D., Brotman, S., Silverman, M., Sussman, T., Orzeck, P., Barylak, L., & Wallach, I. (2013). The impact of caregiving: Older women’s experiences of sexuality and intimacy. Affilia - Journal of Women and Social Work, 28, 415–428. doi:10.1177/0886109913504154
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Dworkin, S. L., & O’Sullivan, L. (2005). Actual versus desired initiation patterns among a sample of college men: Tapping disjunctures within traditional male sexual scripts. Journal of Sex Research, 42, 150–158. doi:10.1080/00224490509552268
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• England, P., & McClintock, E. A. (2009). The gendered double standard of aging in US marriage markets. Population and Development Review, 35, 797–816. doi:10.1111/padr.2009.35.issue-4
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• England, P., Shafer, E. F., & Fogarty, A. C. K. (2008). Hooking up and forming romantic relationships on today’s college campuses. In M. S. Kimmel & A. Aronson (Eds.), The gendered society reader (3rd ed., pp. 531–547). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Fahs, B. (2011). Performing sex: The making and unmaking of women’s erotic lives. Albany: State University of New York Press.
   Google Scholar
• Fishman, J. R., & Mamo, L. (2001). What’s in a disorder: A cultural analysis of medical and pharmaceutical constructions of male and female sexual dysfunction. Women and Therapy, 24, 179–194. doi:10.1300/J015v24n01_20
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Friedman, A., Weinberg, H., & Pines, A. M. (1998). Sexuality and motherhood: Mutually exclusive in perception of women. Sex Roles, 38(9/10), 781–800. doi:10.1023/A:1018873114523
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Gagnon, J. H., & Simon, W. (1973). Sexual conduct; the social sources of human sexuality. Chicago, IL: Aldine Pub. Co.
   Google Scholar
• Gewirtz-Meydan, A., Hafford-Letchfield, T., Ayalon, L., Benyamini, Y., Biermann, V., Coffey, A., … Zeman, Z. (2018). How do older people discuss their own sexuality? A systematic review of qualitative research studies. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 1–16. doi:10.1080/13691058.2018.1465203
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hall, D. R., & Zhao, J. Z. (1995). Cohabitation and divorce in Canada: Testing the selectivity hypothesis. Journal of Marriage and Family, 57, 421–427. doi:10.2307/353695
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hawton, K., Gath, D., & Day, A. (1994). Sexual function in a community sample of middle-aged women with partners: Effects of age, marital, socioeconomic, psychiatric, gynecological, and menopausal factors. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 23, 375–395. doi:10.1007/BF01541404
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Heldman, C., & Wade, L. (2010). Hook-up culture: Setting a new research agenda. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 7, 323–333. doi:10.1007/s13178-010-0024-z
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hinchliff, S., Gott, M., & Ingleton, C. (2010). Sex, menopause and social context: A qualitative study with heterosexual women. Journal of Health Psychology, 15, 724–733. doi:10.1177/1359105310368187
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hite, S. (1976). The Hite report: A nationwide study on female sexuality. New York, NY: Macmillan.
   Google Scholar
• Huntley, R. (2000). Sexing the belly: An exploration of sex and the pregnant body. Sexualities, 3, 347–362. doi:10.1177/136346000003003004
   Google Scholar
• Jonason, P. (2007). A mediation hypothesis to account for the sex difference in reported number of sexual partners: An intrasexual competition approach. International Journal of Sexual Health, 19, 41–49. doi:10.1300/J514v19n04_05
   Google Scholar
• Jonason, P., & Fisher, T. (2009). The power of prestige: Why young men report having more sex partners than young women. Sex Roles, 60, 151–159. doi:10.1007/s11199-008-9506-3
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kaklamanidou, B. (2012). Pride and prejudice: Celebrity versus fictional cougars. Celebrity Studies, 3, 78–89. doi:10.1080/19392397.2012.644722
   Google Scholar
• Kamen, P. (2000). Her way: Young women remake the sexual revolution. New York: New York University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Koch, P. B., Mansfield, P. K., Thurau, D., & Carey, M. (2005). “Feeling frumpy”: The relationships between body image and sexual response changes in midlife women. Journal of Sex Research, 42, 215–223. doi:10.1080/00224490509552276
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Koedt, A. (1973). The myth of the vaginal orgasm. In A. Koedt, E. Levine, & A. Rapone (Eds.), Radical feminism (pp. 198–207). New York, NY: Quadrangle Books.
   Google Scholar
• Kurth, S. B., Spiller, B. B., & Travis, C. B. (2000). Consent, power, and sexual scripts: Deconstructing sexual harassment. In C. B. Travis & J. W. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society, and feminism (pp. 323–354). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
   Google Scholar
• Lang, M.-È., Lebel, E., Lebel, E., Beaulieu, E., & Rousseau, S. (2011). L« agentivité sexuelle » des adolescentes et des jeunes femmes: Une définition. Recherches Féministes, 24, 189–209. doi:10.7202/1007759ar
   Google Scholar
• Laumann, E. O., Paik, A., & Rosen, R. C. (1999). Sexual dysfunction in the United States: Prevalence and predictors. Journal of the American Medical Association, 281, 537–544.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lavigne, J., Auger, A.-M., Lévy, J. J., Engler, K., & Fernet, M. (2013). Les scripts sexuels des femmes de carrière célibataires dans les téléséries québécoises. Études de cas: Tout sur moi, Les hauts et les bas de Sophie Paquin et C.A. Recherches Féministes, 26, 185–202. doi:10.7202/1016903ar
   Google Scholar
• Leiblum, S. R. (1990). Sexuality and the midlife woman. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 14, 495–508. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1990.tb00226.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lévy, J. J. (2008). Conduites sexuelles. In J. J. Lévy & A. Dupras (Eds.), Questions de sexualité au Québec (pp. 46–52). QC, Canada: Liber.
   Google Scholar
• Lewis, R., & Marston, C. (2016). Oral sex, young people, and gendered narratives of reciprocity. Journal of Sex Research, 53, 776–787. doi:10.1080/00224499.2015.1117564
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lichtenstein, B. (2012). Dating risks and sexual health among midlife women after relationship dissolution. In L. M. Carpenter & J. D. DeLamater (Eds.), Sex for life: From virginity to Viagra. How sexuality changes throughout our lives (pp. 180–197). New York: New York University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Loshek, E., & Terrell, H. K. (2015). The Development of the Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ): A comprehensive measure of sexual assertiveness for women. Journal of Sex Research, 52, 1017–1027. doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.944970
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Masters, N. T., Casey, E., Wells, E. A., & Morrison, D. M. (2013). Sexual scripts among young heterosexually active men and women: Continuity and change. Journal of Sex Research, 50(5), 409–420. doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.661102
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Meika, L. (2004). Sex and the senior woman: Pleasure and danger in the Viagra era. Sexualities, 7, 303–326. doi:10.1177/1363460704044803
   Google Scholar
• Ménard, A. D., & Offman, A. (2009). The interrelationships between sexual self-esteem, sexual assertiveness and sexual satisfaction. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 18, 35–45.
   Google Scholar
• Montemurro, B., & Gillen, M. M. (2013). Wrinkles and sagging flesh: Exploring transformations in women’s sexual body image. Journal of Women & Aging, 25, 3–23. doi:10.1080/08952841.2012.720179
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Montemurro, B., & Siefken, J. (2012). MILFS and matrons: Images and realities of mothers’ sexuality. Sexuality & Culture, 16, 366–388. doi:10.1007/s12119-012-9129-2
   Google Scholar
• Montemurro, B., & Siefken, J. (2014). Cougars on the prowl? New perceptions of older women’s sexuality. Journal of Aging Studies, 28, 35–43. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2013.11.004
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Morokoff, P. J. (2000). A cultural context for sexual assertiveness in women. In C. B. Travis & J. W. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society, and feminism (pp. 299–319). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
   Google Scholar
• Musial, J. (2014). From ‘Madonna’ to ‘whore’: Sexuality, pregnancy, and popular culture. Sexualities, 17, 394–411. doi:10.1177/1363460713516335
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Pixley, J. E., Feliciano, C., & Robnett, B. (2007). Age preferences for partners among internet daters. Conference Papers – American Sociological Association, 1, 20.
   Google Scholar
• Potts, A., Gavey, N., Grace, V. M., & Vares, T. (2003). The downside of Viagra: Women’s experiences and concerns. Sociology of Health & Illness, 25, 697–719. doi:10.1046/j.1467-9566.2003.00366.x
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Proulx, N., Caron, S., & Logue, M. (2006). Older women/younger men: A look at the implications of age difference in marriage. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 5, 43–64. doi:10.1300/J398v05n04_03
   Google Scholar
• Ramsey, L. R., & Hoyt, T. (2015). The object of desire: How being objectified creates sexual pressure for women in heterosexual relationships. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 39, 151–170. doi:10.1177/0361684314544679
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ramsey, L. R., Marotta, J. A., & Hoyt, T. (2017). Sexualized, objectified, but not satisfied. Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, 34, 258–278. doi:10.1177/0265407516631157
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Reid, J., Elliott, S., & Webber, G. (2011). Casual hookups to formal dates: Refining the boundaries of the sexual double standard. Gender & Society, 25, 545–568. doi:10.1177/0891243211418642
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Richters, J., de Visser, R., Rissel, C., & Smith, A. (2006). Sexual practices at last heterosexual encounter and occurrence of orgasm in a national survey. Journal of Sex Research, 43, 217–226. doi:10.1080/00224490609552320
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rosen, R. C., Fisher, W. A., Eardley, I., Niederberger, C., Nadel, A., & Sand, M. (2004). The multinational Men’s Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) study: I. Prevalence of erectile dysfunction and related health concerns in the general population. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 20, 607–617. doi:10.1185/030079904125003467
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rostosky, S. S., & Travis, C. B. (2000). Menopause and sexuality: Ageism and sexism unite. In C. Brown Travis & J. W. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society, and feminism (pp. 181–209). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
   Google Scholar
• Salisbury, C. M. A., & Fisher, W. A. (2014). “Did you come?” A qualitative exploration of gender differences in beliefs, experiences, and concerns regarding female orgasm occurrence during heterosexual sexual interactions. Journal of Sex Research, 51, 616–631. doi:10.1080/00224499.2013.838934
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sassler, S. (2010). Partnering across the life course: Sex, relationships, and mate selection. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 557–575. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00718.x
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Séguin, L. J., Rodrigue, C., & Lavigne, J. (2018). Consuming ecstasy: Representations of male and female orgasm in mainstream pornography. Journal of Sex Research, 55(3), 348–356. doi:10.1080/00224499.2017.1332152
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Shehan, C. L., Berardo, D. H., Vera, H., & Carley, S. M. (1991). Women in age-discrepant marriages. Journal of Family Issues, 12, 291–305. doi:10.1177/019251391012003003
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Skopek, J., Schmitz, A., & Blossfeld, H.-P. (2011). The gendered dynamics of age preferences–Empirical evidence from online dating. Journal of Family Research, 23, 267–290.
   Google Scholar
• Smolak, L., Murnen, S. K., & Myers, T. A. (2014). Sexualizing the self: What college women and men think about and do to be “sexy”. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 38, 379–397. doi:10.1177/0361684314524168
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• South, S. J. (1991). Sociodemographic differentials in mate selection preferences. Journal of Marriage and Family, 53, 928–940. doi:10.2307/352998
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Statistics Canada. (2017). Montréal [Census metropolitan area], Quebec and Canada [Country]. Census profile, 2016 census (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2016001). Ottawa, ON. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMACA&Code1=462&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=montreal&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1
   Google Scholar
• Tally, M. (2006). “She doesn’t let age define her”: Sexuality and motherhood in recent “middle-aged chick flicks”. Sexuality & Culture, 10, 33–55. doi:10.1007/s12119-006-1014-4
   Google Scholar
• Thornton, A., & Young-DeMarco, L. (2001). Four decades of trends in attitudes toward family issues in the United States: The 1960s through the 1990s. Journal of Marriage and Family, 63, 1009–1037. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2001.01009.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Travis, C. B., Meginnis, K. L., & Bardari, K. M. (2000). Beauty, sexuality, and identity: The social control of women. In C. B. Travis & J. W. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society, and feminism (pp. 237–272). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
   Google Scholar
• Trice-Black, S. (2010). Perceptions of women’s sexuality within the context of motherhood. The Family Journal, 18, 154–162. doi:10.1177/1066480710364130
   Google Scholar
• Vannier, S. A., Currie, A. B., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2014). Schoolgirls and soccer moms: A content analysis of free “Teen” and “MILF” online pornography. Journal of Sex Research, 51, 253–264. doi:10.1080/00224499.2013.829795
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Vares, T., Potts, A., Gavey, N., & Grace, M. (2007). Reconceptualizing cultural narratives of mature women’s sexuality in the Viagra era. Journal of Aging Studies, 21, 153–164. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2006.08.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Vera, H., Berardo, D. H., & Berardo, F. M. (1985). Age heterogamy in marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 47, 553–566. doi:10.2307/352258
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wade, L. D., & DeLamater, J. D. (2002). Relationship dissolution as a life stage transition: Effects on sexual attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64, 898–914. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00898.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Warren, C. A. B. (1996). Older women, younger men: Self and stigma in age-discrepant’ relationships. CIinical Sociology Review 14, 62–86.
   Google Scholar
• Weaver, A. D., & Byers, E. S. (2018). Young women’s perceptions of the impact of their body image on their sexual experiences. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 27, 69–78. doi:10.3138/cjhs.2017-0015
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Weitz, R. (2010). Changing the scripts: Midlife women’s sexuality in contemporary U.S. film. Sexuality & Culture, 14, 17–32. doi:10.1007/s12119-009-9057-y
   Google Scholar
• Wiederman, M. W. (2001). Gender differences in sexuality: Perceptions, myths, and realities. The Family Journal, 9, 468–471. doi:10.1177/1066480701094019
   Google Scholar
• Wiederman, M. W. (2005). The gendered nature of sexual scripts. The Family Journal, 13, 496–502. doi:10.1177/1066480705278729
   Google Scholar
• Wolf, N. (1991). The beauty myth: How images of beauty are used against women. New York, NY: W. Morrow.
   Google Scholar