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Sexual relationships matter more to men than to women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2026

Sierra Peters  and
Jon Maner Open the ORCID record for Jon Maner [Opens in a new window]
Sierra Peters
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, USA peters@rhodes.edu
Jon Maner*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA  maner@psy.fsu.edu
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

The authors argue that romantic relationships matter more to men than to women. They attribute this sex difference to men’s greater dependence on their relationships for emotional intimacy and support. Although we resonate with their hypothesis and recognize the veracity of the evidence presented, we suggest that their model understates the role of sex differences in sexual motivation.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e119
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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