The "Body Count" Conundrum: How your sexual history shapes social perceptions

Thursday, July 18, 2024.

I sometimes encounter questions about how past relationships impact present ones. A recent study published in Sexuality & Culture dives deep into how people’s sexual histories affect how others perceive them.

The findings reveal some surprising insights into societal perceptions and the enduring power of the sexual double standard (SDS).

What’s the Big Deal About “Body Count”?

For those unacquainted with the term, “body count” refers to the number of sexual partners a person has had. This study aimed to explore how different sexual histories—whether it’s a high number of partners, casual relationships, or committed ones—affect how people are judged socially and romantically.

How The Study Was conducted

Participants: 853 U.S. adults, aged 18 to 69, recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.

Method: Participants read one of eight fictional scenarios describing a person with varying sexual histories. These scenarios differed by gender (male or female), number of sexual partners (one or twelve), and relationship type (long-term/committed or short-term/casual).

Participants then completed questionnaires assessing their willingness to engage with the fictional person in various social settings, as well as their evaluations of the person’s likability, success, intelligence, and values.

Key Findings

1. Relationship Type Matters:

   • Participants rated those with long-term, committed relationships more favorably than those with short-term, casual ones. This suggests that commitment still holds a high value in our social evaluations.

2. Fewer Partners, Better Perceptions:

   • Folks with only 1 previous sexual partner were evaluated more positively than those with 12. A smaller sexual history was associated with higher willingness to engage socially and romantically.

3. Surprising Gender Differences:

   • Contrary to the expected sexual double standard, men were judged more harshly than women for having a higher number of sexual partners. This reverse sexual double standard indicates a societal bias that favors women in this context.

Evolutionary Psychology Insights

From an evolutionary psychology perspective, these findings can be intriguing.

Historically, behaviors that ensured resource sharing and commitment might have been favored because they helped in raising offspring.

Today, these evolutionary biases could still influence how we perceive commitment and sexual history.

• Questions to Ponder:

  • Why do we still value long-term relationships over casual ones? Could it be an evolutionary holdover that prioritizes stability and resource sharing?

  • Why are men judged more harshly for high body counts in this study? Does this reflect changing societal norms or a unique bias in the sample?

Final Thoughts

Despite its limitations, this study opens up important conversations about how we perceive sexual history, at least in the United States.

It suggests that while societal norms in the USA evolve, certain biases remain strong. My take away is that Americans despise infidelity as a thought concept.

Whether you’re navigating the dating world today or reflecting on your past, it’s worth considering how these perceptions affect how we understand our relationships.

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

REFERENCES:

Busch, T. M., & Saldala-Torres, P. (2024). The Impact of Sexual History and Relationship Type on Social Perceptions. Sexuality & Culture.