In general, men and women tend to view the relationship between sex and love somewhat differently (Hendrick & Hendrick, 1995; Regan & Berscheid, 1995). For instance, men are more likely than women to define being in love, and to assess the quality of the romantic involvement, in terms of sexual satisfaction (Fischer & Heesacker, 1995; McCabe, 1999). Studies also indicate that it is easier for men than for women to have sexual intercourse for pleasure and physical release without an emotional commitment (Buss, 1999; Conley, 2011). This difference is probably a reflection, at least in part, of cultural factors that socialize women to link love and sexual desire more closely than men do (Kaestle & Halpern, 2007). However, this difference between men and women diminishes somewhat with age; older women are more likely than younger women to list desire for physical pleasure as an important motivation for sex (Murstein & Tuerkheim, 1998). Furthermore, as suggested by the results of a recent study, the likelihood of a woman accepting an offer of casual sex is increased when she anticipates experiencing sexual pleasure (Conley, 2011).
Despite differences in how men and women view the association between love and sex, both sexes are similar in what they consider important ingredients of successful and
rewarding loving relationships (Regan, 1998; Sprecher et al., 1995). Among attributes ranked as very important by both men and women are good communication, commitment, and a high quality of emotional and physical intimacy (Byers & Demmons, 1999; Fischer & Heesacker, 1995; McCabe, 1999).