Abstracts of 2000 Award Winners' Papers:

Gender Differences in the Experience of Sexual Guilt: Projects and the Ideal Self

By: Helen Krieger
Affiliation: University of Dallas

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible gender differences between male and female experiences of sexual guilt. An existential-phenomenological method is utilized analyzing twelve descriptions of sexual guilt, six male, six female. The existential-phenomenological point of view is defended and this approach is described in detail. Males interviewed were much more likely to be unsure if their experience was an experience of guilt or not. Oftentimes males said they could not discern between guilt, shame or regret. Females interviewed were much more likely to have a specific instance in mind when interviewed, and there was much less ambiguity about their guilt. Males also did not self-describe their guilt as having as strong an effect on them as females did and females descriptions of guilt often contained references to bouts of depression as a result of the guilt, whereas men did not make this reference. Men were found more likely to rely heavily on sexual details in their descriptions.