On Sat, 3 Nov 2001, Rick Adams wrote: > Chuck wrote: > > > But it could also be biased by males rounding their estimates up > > substantially (e.g. "about 10"). If most males do this, the mismatch > > in numbers is understandable. > > True--but in the same vein it could be biased by females _under_ > estimating (or under-reporting) their own numbers of partners, to live > up to the double standard in our society by having few partners. > Based on a talk I saw at MPA last year given by Robert Sinclair, the issue isn't really an intention to mislead. As Rick Adams and Chuck Huff suggest, it's the method of estimation. Whereas more women tend to count, more men tend to estimate. Estimation (by either sex) results in a higher number than enumeration. When you take into account retrieval strategy, that is, examine only "estimators" or "counters" regardless of sex, the differences disappear.
A similar article was published a couple of years ago: TI: Estimating number of lifetime sexual partners: Men and women do it differently. AU: Brown,-Norman-R; Sinclair,-Robert-C SO: Journal-of-Sex-Research. 1999 Aug; Vol 36(3): 292-297. AB: Investigated reasons for reporting discrepancies between men and women concerning lifetime opposite-sex partners. Ss were 85 sexually active men (median age 23 yrs) and 90 sexually active women (median age 22 yrs) among 1,787 university students from Alberta, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Ss completed a questionnaire concerning lifetime opposite-sex partners, those in the preceding year, and the means of calculating such data. Reported types of calculation were enumeration, tally retrieval, and rough approximation. Results showed that male and female Ss used different calculation strategies. Women were more likely to use enumeration; men were far more likely than women to use estimation, the type of calculation producing the greatest numbers of partners in both sexes. Those using the same strategy produced similar numbers. In contrast, no sex differences in estimates or strategies were apparent in the past-year protocols. It is concluded that discrepant lifetime-partner reports occur because men and women rely on different calculation strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2000 APA, all rights reserved) Jeff =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jeff Bartel http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~jbartel Department of Psychology, Kansas State University =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Reading an email message about a new email virus? Getting a note that's been forwarded to a dozen other people? Before you pass it along, drop by http://www.US.datafellows.com/news/hoax/ for a list of recent hoaxes and chain letters. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
