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Big Five Personality Traits and Sex

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  • Jirjahn, Uwe

    (University of Trier)

  • Ottenbacher, Martha

    (University of Trier)

Abstract

Sexual well-being plays an important role in the quality of life. Against this background, we provide an economics-based approach to the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and various dimensions of sexuality. From a theoretical viewpoint, personality influences sexual well-being not only by how a person feels about sex, but also by how the person behaves in a sexual relationship. Personality shapes information sharing about sexual preferences, the way dissonant sexual preferences of the partners are handled, and the extent to which the person is committed to promises made to the partner. Using a large representative dataset from Germany, we find that personality traits play a role in a person's own sexual satisfaction, in (the self-assessment of) fulfilling the partner's sexual needs and desires, in sexual communication, in actual and desired frequency of sex, and in extradyadic affairs.

Suggested Citation

  • Jirjahn, Uwe & Ottenbacher, Martha, 2020. "Big Five Personality Traits and Sex," IZA Discussion Papers 13894, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13894
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    Cited by:

    1. Mehrzad B. Baktash, 2023. "Overeducation, Performance Pay and Wages: Evidence from Germany," Research Papers in Economics 2023-08, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    2. Mehrzad B. Baktash & Uwe Jirjahn, 2023. "Are Managers More Machiavellian Than Other Employees?," Research Papers in Economics 2023-07, University of Trier, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sexual communication; family economics; sexual infidelity; Big Five Personality Traits; sexual satisfaction; frequency of intercourse;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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