First Date Sexual Expectations: The Effects of Who Asked, Who Paid, Date Location, and Gender

Abstract

This investigation examined the effects of who asked, who paid, date location, and gender on first date sexual expectations and related attitudes. Participants from a large southwestern university in the United States reported that men hold higher first date sexual expectations than women, particularly when men asked and paid for the date and the date occurred at an apartment versus the movies or restaurant. When women asked and paid for the date and the date occurred at her apartment, men hold higher rape myth acceptance beliefs than when the man asked and paid for the date or when either sex asked for the date and the partners “went dutch” on expenses. Additional sexual- and gender-related findings, discussion, and implications follow.

Keywords:

• First Date Expectations
• Gender Differences
• Sexual Expectations

Manuscript received a Top 4 paper award for the Interpersonal Division at the 2009 Western States Communication Association conference, Mesa, AZ.

Notes

*p < .05.

*Key for Scale Anchors.

Sexual Expectations (1 = Won't Happen, 7 = Will Happen); Rape Myth Acceptance (1 = Strongly Disagree, 7 = Strongly Agree); Adversarial Sexual Beliefs (1 = Strongly Disagree, 7 = Strongly Agree); Ambivalent Sexism-Overall (0 = Disagree Strongly, 5 = Agree Strongly); Ambivalent Sexism-Hostile (0 = Disagree Strongly, 5 = Agree Strongly).

Muehlenhard, Friedman, and Thomas' (1985) study examined who asked (man/woman/woman hinted) who paid (man paid all/man and woman “went dutch”), and location of the date (movies/religious function/man's apartment to talk).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tara M. Emmers-Sommer

Tara Emmers-Sommer (PhD, Ohio University) is a Professor

Jenny Farrell

Jenny Farrell is a former MA student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Ashlyn Gentry

Ashlyn Gentry is a former MA student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Shannon Stevens

Shannon Stevens is a former MA student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Justin Eckstein

Justin Eckstein is a former MA student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Joseph Battocletti

Joseph Battocletti is an MA student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Carly Gardener

Carly Gardener is a former MA student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.