Men like to cuddle?: image via care2.com The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, most renowned for Dr. Alfred Kinsey’s own reports in the 1940’s and 50’s of sexual behaviors of the human male and female, has come out with its newest report on sexuality that finds men like to cuddle and women like the real thing – sex! No, it’s not April Fool’s Day, but there is definitely something askew here….
This time, Kinsey’s subjects are middle aged and older! They were 1,009 persons married (to the same heterosexual mate) for an average of 25 years! (By that time, men are either having sex outside of their marriages, have erectile dysfunction (ED), or both. No wonder they just like to cuddle.)
The study also revealed some interesting cultural information about relationship satisfaction. For example, while Japanese couples were overall happier in their relationships than couples in the U.S., Japanese men are close to three times more satisfied than men in the U.S. American men turned out to be more content in their couplehood than male study participants in Brazil and Spain though.
The main factors predicting satisfaction in relationships for women were the duration of the relationship and their healthy sexual functioning, reported the study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. These correlations are consistent with other studies showing that women’s sexual satisfaction is enhanced with age and length of
relationship. But male sexual desire also raises a woman’s self
esteem, reinforcing her feeling of attractiveness.
For men, the length of their relationships as well as their own good physical health, sexual function, and the sexual satisfaction of their partners corresponded with high relationship satisfaction.
To read more details of the study, check out Sexual Satisfaction and Relationship Happiness in Midlife and Older Couples in Five Countries.
via Time
