MEN and women have different reasons for 'sexting', with females giving a host of driving factors for why they choose to send a nude image, a study has found.
The researchers from Arizona State University looked at the dating phenomenon among young people and found women are four times more likely than men to send a nude image in order to stop the recipient losing interest.
The findings also reveal women sometimes find the process both liberating and empowering.
Doctoral student Morgan Johnstonbaugh asked more than 1,000 college students to explain why they sent sexually-explicit material via text.
To get these results, the study participants – from seven different American universities – were asked to describe the last time they sent sexually-explicit material via text.
Given 23 multiple-choice answers, they were then asked to detail their motivation.
The results suggest that women are four times more likely to 'sext' in order to maintain a monopoly on the recipient's interest.
Johnstonbaugh claims this could be the result of a 'persistent double-standard'.
However, her take doesn't explain why women described the practice as both positive and negative.
“Women might find sexting to be really empowering because you can create a space where you feel safe expressing your sexuality and exploring your body,” she says.
“The fact that women are more likely to feel both empowered and disempowered – that they’re selecting both of these options when thinking about the same event – highlights the fact that women have more to gain from a potentially beneficial interaction, but they also have more to lose,” Johnstonbaugh says.
Previous studies have found the complete opposite to be true.
In a 2012 study of 3,447 men and women aged 18-24, University of Michigan researchers found that half of all young people – both male and female – send explicit messages voluntarily and reciprocally.
Their behaviour was also completely unconnected to risky sexual behaviour. Nor did it link to depression, anxiety or low self-esteem.
That study was performed by the Sexuality and Health Lab and the Prevention Research Centre of Michigan. It was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Johnstonbaugh presented her research during the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in New York City. – Daily Mail