By Dr. Justin Lehmiller
In determining whether someone is a desirable partner, we appear to take their sexual history into account, according to a recent study in the Journal of Sex Research. However, the way we feel about a given person’s sexual history is complex and depends not only on our gender, but also our personality and relationship goals.
In this study, researchers in Wales surveyed 188 heterosexual adults recruited online and at a college campus regarding their willingness to become sexually or romantically involved with hypothetical persons of the other sex. These prospective partners varied in the number of people they’d had sex with before, ranging from 0 to 60 or greater.