Posted June 3, Reviewed by Gary Drevitch. A series of studies published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology in sought to examine the relationship between gender , regret in a sexual relationship, and regret in a romantic relationship.
The difference between the responses of men and women was considerable. In the first study, nearly participants who were recruited from advanced college science classes were asked to recall the last one-night stand in which they had sex. Participants disclosed how long ago the incident had occurred and rated their sexual partner on the following characteristics: funny, kind, stingy, physically attractive, wealthy, and honest. Interestingly, the characteristic of stinginess was included because it measures not only wealth but also the ability to share that worth with others, which is assumed to be of value in a mate.
Participants were also asked to describe the last time that they believed they could have had a one-night stand but chose not to or didn't pursue the opportunity sufficiently. Questions about the incident included how long ago this had occurred and the characteristics of the individual with whom they believed they could have become intimate.
Participants were asked to rate how much they regretted not having had this sexual encounter as well as the traits mentioned previously funny, kind, stingy, physically attractive, wealthy, and honest. The results identified who regretted passing up an opportunity for casual sex and found that the reasons they gave were divided along gender lines. Men reported physical attractiveness as most important in a one-night stand, although a woman with a good sense of humor was also appealing.
Men also reported physical attraction as the reason they most regretted not having taken advantage of an opportunity to have a one-night stand. Another reason men regretted not having had a one-night stand is if the woman was kind. Overall, women were more comfortable passing on the opportunity to have casual sex. But declining to engage in a sexual encounter with someone who was honest, attractive, or a man of means also caused pangs of regret.
