The relationship between openness to experience and intelligence with sexual desire; The moderating role of weight and age

Abstract

Purpose: Sexual desire (SD) refers to individual differences in the internal force which determines sexual functions. This study investigated the relationship between openness to experience and intelligence with SD. The role of weight and age in moderating the relation between openness and intelligence with SD was also examined.Methods: A total of 168 participants were collected using grab sampling from 3 universities in Tehran, Iran (n=168; age range: 18 to 35; Mean = 23; Standard Deviation = 3.58). All participants completed measures of intelligence (Raven's Progressive Matrices), Openness to experience (measured through the NEO), and sexual desire (Hurlbert Index of SD).Results: The data of the study were analyzed by using Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression. The results found no significant relationship between openness to experience and intelligence with SD. Moreover, sex and weight did not moderate the relationship between openness and intelligence with SD. Findings from the current study provide empirical support for the consistent link between intelligence and SD at older ages. There is also a curvilinear relationship between weight and SD.Conclusions: These findings suggest that intelligence or openness would not have an influence on SD, and only age plays a role in moderating the association between intelligence and SD.