The Ethics of Sexual Activity

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The Ethics of Sexual Activity

• Dylan Selterman, Ph.D.
• Sena Koleva, Ph.D.
• Amy C. Moors, Ph.D.

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Sexual Ethics

• Promiscuity
• Cheating/Infidelity
• Lying/Secrets

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Sexual Ethics

• Why harshly judge these behaviors?
• Harm caused?
• Disgusting?
• Disloyal?
• Others?

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Background

• Moral Foundations Theory 1
• Harm/Care
• Fairness/Injustice
• Liberty/Oppression
• Loyalty/Betrayal
• Authority/Disrespect
• Purity/Degradation

1 Haidt (2012)
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Background

• Moral Foundations Theory 1
• Harm/Care
• Fairness/Injustice
• Liberty/Oppression
• Loyalty/Betrayal
• Authority/Disrespect
• Purity/Degradation

1 Haidt (2012)
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Background

• Purity/Sanctity
• Disgust sensitivity ? att. toward homosexuality1
• Bad smell ? same effect, but not for non-sexually
  stigmatized groups (e.g., African Americans,
  elderly)2

1 Inbar, Pizarro, Knobe, Bloom (2009) 2 Inbar,
Pizarro, Bloom (2012)
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Background

• Loyalty
• Promotes dyadic well-being,1 maintenance2
• Associated with sexual monogamy3
• Prioritize loyalty as partner trait gtgt warmth,
  kindness4

1 Rusbult, Zembrodt, Gunn (1982) 2 Finkel,
Rusbult, Kumashiro, Hannon (2002) 3 Conley,
Ziegler, Moors, Matsick, Valentine (2013)
Tsapelas, Fisher, Aron (2011) 4 Koleva (2011)
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Relationship norms

• Moral judgment of relationship behaviors1
• Sexual Threat (watching others have sex)
• Emotional Threat (keeping romantic memorabilia)
• Friendship Boundaries (dating a close friends
  ex-partner)
• Privacy (snoop in pockets/email)
• Digital Infidelity (sexting)
• Purity gtgt other moral foundations

1 Selterman Koleva (2015)
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Experimental data

• Scenario Character breaks up with partner.
  Sleeps with someone before or after breakup.
• Ex-partner does not find out in either case.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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Sanctity (95 CI -.20, -.09 Sobel z -5.03, p
lt .001) Loyalty 95 CI -.35, -.17 Sobel z
-6.63, p lt .001) Honesty (95 CI -.17, -.01
Sobel z -2.43, p .015)
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Experimental data

• Casual sex/promiscuity
• Use vignettes based on Clark Hatfield (1989)

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Method

• Imagine that youre talking to your friend, who
  tells you the following
• "Youre 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 surprisedthis 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.

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Results




ns
ns
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Discussion

• Sexual ethics not always about harm
• Purity/disgust, loyalty concerns are salient

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Future directions

• Pluralistic perspectives help understand moral
  concerns ethics regarding sexual activity
• Could they help boost sexual satisfaction?
  Emotional health wellness?

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Thank you!!

• Questions?