650-word writing
Stat 1023 Assignment 2
Example Assignment 2 - comments This example (on the next page) is based on the media story, “The 6 most common regrets men and women have after sex” (http://globalnews.ca/news/991303/the-6-most-common-regrets-men-and- women-have-after-sex/). The original research report that describes the study is called, “Sexual regret: Evidence for evolved sex differences”; I’ve posted the report as a separate file alongside this example in case you wish to look at it. If you do, you’ll notice that the report describes three (3) separate studies. The original media story only discussed the results and conclusions of Study 3. Consequently, my version of the media story also only deals with Study 3. Finally, for creative purposes, I’ve created some imaginary quotes from one of the authors; I certainly didn’t interview the author—these simply represent what I think the author might say based on the information in the original research report. I’m using the ‘abbreviated title’ of ‘Regrets’—notice that this is how I named my file as well (otherwise, I would have lost 3 marks!). Remember that the purpose of this example is to show you the type of detail and structure that your assignment should demonstrate. The application/description of course material in this example may not be correct; it is simply an example of format and level of detail. While you read this example, refer back to the ‘Steps to complete this assignment’ so you understand how those steps translate into the completed assignment.
Feeling regretful about your last sexual encounter? Your gender might matter!
At a singles mixer last weekend where you missed the opportunity to get to know someone of the opposite sex a
little more ‘intimately’? Are you feeling a little remorseful about your missed opportunity, and wondering
whether the other person feels the same? Turns out, they probably don’t! According to a recent research study,
males and females have different regrets when it comes to casual sex encounters.
Researchers from UCLA and the University of Texas explored differences in how men and women respond to
participating in and passing up opportunities for casual sex. “We expected males to regret passing up an
opportunity for casual sex more than females, and females to regret engaging in casual sex more than
males….our data suggest we were right,” explains Martie Haselton, co-author of the study.
Haselton further explains that these differences might result from evolutionary differences between the genders.
That is, with females taking on the bulk of reproductive effort (think about those nine months a woman must
spend pregnant if a sexual encounter results in conception!), casual sex opportunities that are acted on could
come with a energy- and time-expensive cost. Males, on the other hand, have an evolutionary history that
encourages more sexual encounters; consequently, males should worry about lost potential for reproduction in
the form of ‘missed’ sexual encounters.
Does this research suggest that—as a female or male—you’ll always regret casual sex encounters according to
your gender? Not necessarily: Haselton and colleagues based their conclusions on an internet survey that relied
on visitors to a news site to click on a survey asking them to think about their level of regret (from “I’m glad I
did it” to “I regret it very much”) after their last time they had casual sex with someone, or, passed up a chance
to have casual sex with someone. Over 24000 individuals from a diverse background (in terms of age, sexual
orientation, educational background, and current relationship status) did respond to the survey—a very large
sample size. Even though they achieved diversity in their respondents, Haselton points out that they had little
control over who was responding and whether they were being completely honest (we’re talking about sexual
regret here!).
“We recognize that internet surveys come with their own limitations—who knows who’s answering the survey!
But, we still feel confident in the data collected,” elaborates Haselton. He points to the fact that survey was
anonymous, so people responding should have no pressure to be dishonest about their sexual regrets and
experiences.
Finally, Haselton emphasizes that everyone will feel differently about their casual sex opportunities: “Some of
us regret our actions deeply (and hopefully learn from them), some of us don’t. Those differences are okay and
what make us unique! As evolutionary psychologists, our research team is simply interested in how our
evolutionary history might influence these differences.”
Original Research Report:
Galperin, A., Haselton, M.G., Frederick, D.A., Poore, J., von Hippel, W., Buss, D.M., and G.C. Gonzaga. 2012.
Sexual regret: Evidence for evolved sex differences. Archives of Sexual Behavior 42(7): 1145-1161. Doi:
10.1007/s10508-012-0019-3