If you’re not interested in settling down or getting into a committed relationship, casual sex might very well be up your alley. And now new research knows exactly the type of person who wants the same.
According to a study published in The Journal of Sex Research, people with pathological personality traits tend to be more interested in casual sex.
Researchers quizzed 702 undergraduate students about their pathological traits, life history and sociosexuality. Interestingly, participants with more cathartic personality traits tended to be more sociosexually free.
“There is a considerable amount of research on how ‘normal’ personality traits relate to various aspects of sex and relationship preferences, but there is much less on how ostensible pathologies of personality relate to them,” says study author Peter Karl Jonason of Western Sydney University.
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“The work that does exist is limited by sample size, a narrow range of traits under investigation, and a tendency to pathologise sex. We wanted to provide a more robust account of this important area of research and human existence and do so with a paradigm — evolutionary psychology — that does not make moral judgments about the kinds of relationships people wish to engage in.”
“Generally speaking, people with personality pathologies are interested in casual sex more than serious relationships,” adds Jonason, speaking to PsyPost.
“Men are more interested in casual sex than women are and women are more interested in long-term relationships than men are, but the sexes do not differ in the amount prior sexual experiences they have had.”
But if you’re after casual sex, it’s important to know the risks. STI rates have been on the rise recently so make sure you’re always using protection.