Norms of premarital sexual behavior: a cross-cultural study

Ethos • Vol/Iss. 3 (3) • Published In • Pages: 381-402 •
By Broude, Gwen J.

Abstract

This article examines correlates of premarital sexual norms cross-culturally. Several explainations of restrictiveness of premarital sex are reviewed, and results indicate that accessibility of caretakers in childhood, class stratification and cultural complexity are all related to premarital sexual norms.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
OtherOther Researchers

Hypotheses (5)

HypothesisSupported
"If norms of premarital sexual behavior are related to sex anxiety, they would be expected to correlate highly with a scale measuring degree of sex anxiety in childhood" (386)Supported
There is a relationship between premarital sex norms and sex anxiety in adulthood as measured by the Minturn, Grosse and Haider (1969) scale (387, 388)Not Supported
"Societies characterized by high accessibility of caretakers [child care] will have permissive premarital sex norms. Societies characterized by low accessibility of caretakers will ave restrictive premarital sex norms" (393)Supported
No significant relationships were found between premarital sex norms and the following caretaking-anxiety variables: display of affection, age of independence training, ease of independence training, age of weaning, number of caretakers (395, 396)Not Supported
"When each independent variable is tested against premarital sex norms while holding the others constant, only three [i.e., accessibility of caretakers, class stratification, and cultural complexity] retain their power to predict permissiveness and restrictiveness with statistical certainty" (398)Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: mas  Amelia Piazza