How might a person’s mood and gender affect recollections of sex?

You might have had a doctor ask you to reflect on your sexual activities from the past 30 days. Research has shown that while many people can do this fairly accurately, gender and mood sometimes influence what they remember and how they respond.

American researchers examined this in a recent study. They asked 202 participants to submit daily reports on their sexual activity, including levels of sexual interest, types of activities (like vaginal intercourse or masturbation), erectile function, discomfort, and use of therapeutic aids (like lubricants).

About 68% of the participants were age 40 or younger. Approximately 14% were age 41 to 50. Another 14% were age 51 to 64 and about 4% age 65 or over. No information about the participants’ memory condition was provided.

After 30 days, the participants filled out a final report on what they remembered for the 30-day period overall. They also completed an assessment of their present mood. The researchers compared the daily reports to the final ones.

It turned out that the men overestimated their sexual interest more than women did. Why? The researchers thought this could be related to gender. Men are often thought to be more interested in sex than women. It’s possible that the men incorporated this stereotype into their responses, even if those responses were inaccurate.

Mood can also be involved with our sexual memories. If people are in a good mood when they reflect on their sexual experiences, their memories may pull out only the most pleasurable aspects. For example, a woman might be more likely to remember an especially romantic or seductive encounter with her partner on their anniversary over a more routine, less-intense encounter that took place on an average day.

People might also “misremember” their experiences in a more positive light when they’re in a good mood. For example, a man might remember an encounter that was particularly satisfying to him but “forget” that his partner did not reach orgasm that time.

The study was published online in June 2013 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. To learn more, please click here.