Transcript The Ethics of Sexual Activity

The Ethics of Sexual
Activity
Dylan Selterman, Ph.D.
Sena Koleva, Ph.D.
Amy C. Moors, Ph.D.
Sexual Ethics
 Promiscuity
 Cheating/Infidelity
 Lying/Secrets
Sexual Ethics
 Why harshly judge these behaviors?




Harm caused?
Disgusting?
Disloyal?
Others?
Background
 Moral Foundations Theory 1

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
Harm/Care
Fairness/Injustice
Liberty/Oppression
Loyalty/Betrayal
Authority/Disrespect
Purity/Degradation
1 Haidt (2012)
Background
 Moral Foundations Theory 1






Harm/Care
Fairness/Injustice
Liberty/Oppression
Loyalty/Betrayal
Authority/Disrespect
Purity/Degradation
1 Haidt (2012)
Relationship norms
 Moral judgment of relationship behaviors1
1) Sexual Threat (watching others have sex)
2) Emotional Threat (keeping romantic memorabilia)
3) Friendship Boundaries (dating a close friend’s expartner)
4) Privacy (snoop in pockets/email)
5) Digital Infidelity (“sexting”)
 Purity >> other moral foundations
1 Selterman
& Koleva (2015)
Experimental data
 Scenario: Character breaks up with partner.
Sleeps with someone before or after breakup.
 Ex-partner does not find out in either case.
Study 3
 Condition 1 (Breakup First). We would like you to imagine
Adam and Jessica, who are in an exclusive (monogamous)
and committed romantic relationship. Adam is unhappy with
the relationship and is planning to break up. Adam meets
someone new named Amy, whom he feels very attracted to.
Immediately Adam ends his relationship with Jessica (they
talk and he breaks up with her). Adam does not tell Jessica
about Amy. The next day, Adam and Amy decide to have sex.
Jessica never discovers this.
Study 3
 Condition 1 (Breakup First). We would like you to imagine
Adam and Jessica, who are in an exclusive (monogamous)
and committed romantic relationship. Adam is unhappy with
the relationship and is planning to break up. Adam meets
someone new named Amy, whom he feels very attracted to.
Adam and Amy decide to have sex. The next day Adam ends
his relationship with Jessica (they talk and he breaks up with
her). Adam does not tell Jessica that he had sex with Amy.
Jessica never discovers this.
Outcomes
 (a) How pure/disgusting is this person?
 (b) How loyal is this person?
 (c) How much harmed did this person cause?
 (d) How moral is this person?
 (e) How moral are the actions of this person?
7
Breakup First
Infidelity
6
5
4
3
3.81
2
4.03
3.99
4.01
2.79
2.03
4.24
4.31
2.14
2.19
Loyalty
Honesty
1
Moral
Judgment
Harm
Caused
Sanctity
Sanctity
-.41***
Infidelity
-.61***
.33***
Loyalty
.41***
-.61***
.14*
Honesty
-.55*** (-.08+)
Sanctity (95% CI [-.20, -.09]; Sobel z = -5.03, p < .001)
Loyalty 95% CI [-.35, -.17]; Sobel z = -6.63, p < .001)
Honesty (95% CI [-.17, -.01]; Sobel z = -2.43, p = .015)
Moral
Judgment
Experimental data
 Casual sex/promiscuity
 Use vignettes based on Clark & Hatfield (1989)
Method
 Imagine that you’re talking to your friend, who
tells you the following:
 "You’re not gonna believe what happened to
me yesterday! This guy [Justin] from my English
class came up to me and said he thought I was
really cute, then asked me to go have sex with
him! I was so surprised—this never happens!
But he was sooooo hot. I said, 'Sure.' We went
back to his place and stayed there all night.”
 “…But I had to say no. It was really random.”
Results
7
***
***
***
***
ns
ns
6
5
4
3
5.12
5.475.64
4.98
4.83
4.14
3.98
3.25
2
3.2
2.64
2.3
1.96
1
Ethical
Pure
Disgusting
Loyal
Harm
Caused
Honest
Accept
Reject
Discussion
 Sexual ethics – not always about harm…
 Purity/disgust, loyalty concerns are salient
Future directions
 Pluralistic perspectives help understand moral
concerns & ethics regarding sexual activity
 Could they help boost sexual satisfaction? Emotional
health & wellness?
Thank you!!
 Questions?