Exploring the associations among relationship-related attitudes, affection deprivation, and faking orgasm among heterosexual women in the United States

Abstract

The present study explored the associations among relationship-related (RR) attitudes, feeling deprived of affectionate touch, and the frequency of faking orgasm among a sample of 723 heterosexual women in the United States (M_age = 39.63, 60.9% White) who were single at the time of survey completion. Contrary to the study hypotheses, the results revealed that RR attitudes (i.e., interest in seeking a committed relationship, preference for sex in a committed relationship, and readiness for a relationship) were not associated with a greater frequency of faking orgasm, and feeling deprived of affection did not moderate these associations. Further, a greater preference for sex within a committed romantic relationship was associated with faking orgasm less frequently, contrary to what was predicted. Post hoc analyses revealed that feeling deprived of affectionate touch was associated with more frequently faking orgasm. Additionally, among a restricted sample of women who had been single for the prior year, no significant associations emerged between RR attitudes and faking orgasm. The findings provide support for aspects of affection exchange theory and suggest that affection deprivation may be a more meaningful predictor of heterosexual women's tendencies to fake orgasm than their RR attitudes.