Diana T. Sanchez

This paper explores how Multiracial identity contestation may foster greater social conceptions of race through race concept reflection (i.e., thinking frequently about racial categories). Across two correlational studies, Multiracial participants (total N = 1,159) completed a cross-sectional survey measuring identity contestation, race concept reflection, social race conceptions, and flexible group categorization. Identity contestation was related to greater race concept reflection, which was associated with greater social race conceptions. Further, social race conceptions were related to higher flexible group categorization. In Study 3, participants ( n = 252) who recalled identity contestation engaged in greater race concept reflection than those in the control condition, which was associated with endorsing greater social race conceptions. In Study 4, participants ( n = 235) who reflected on race concepts after recalling identity contestation reported greater social race conceptions than those in the control condition. Identity contestation and race concept reflection may, in part, account for Multiracial people’s social race conceptions. These relationships held while controlling for related concepts such as racism reflection (Studies 1–3), general discrimination experiences (Studies 1–2), and negative affect (Studies 3–4).

Across three experimental studies using hypothetical scenarios, we investigated under what circumstances, and to what effect, women and men devalue women’s orgasm. In Studies 1 and 2, women reported their orgasm value in response to a hypothetical scenario that varied their imagined orgasm history and current orgasm frequency with a new partner (low vs. high). In Study 2, orgasm value was compared to a baseline, pre-manipulation measure of orgasm value. In both studies, we found that women devalued orgasm only when they imagined they had a history of infrequent orgasms and were not orgasming with their current partner. When current orgasm frequency was low, women who valued orgasm less (or devalued orgasm) imagined better sexual and relationship outcomes than women who valued orgasm more. Men (Study 3) valued a hypothetical female partner’s orgasm less under the same circumstances and reported similar impacts of women’s orgasm absence on their own and perceived partner’s imagined sexual and relationship outcomes.

Despite the unique experience of interracial families, research on parents of Multiracial children and their racial socialization experiences is scarce. Thus, the current study investigates the socialization practices of parents with Multiracial children. In addition, we examine the links between Multiracial-specific socialization, parent’s own racial background, and their perceptions of their children’s Multiracial social experiences. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we coded parents’ spontaneous descriptions of Multiracial-specific socialization and measured their quantitative self-reports of engagement in cultural socialization, Multiracial stigma awareness, perceived child’s frequency of identity denial experiences, and perceived child’s sense of racial belonging among peers. Qualitative analysis revealed additional themes of Multiracial-specific socialization (i.e., physical appearance, Multiracial pride, family ancestry, parents of different backgrounds, Multiracial network). Quantitative analyses revealed that parents’ Multiracial stigma awareness and perceptions of their child’s identity denial experiences were related to their engagement in Multiracial-specific socialization. Additionally, Multiracial parents reported greater Multiracial stigma awareness compared to monoracial minority parents. Parents of Multiracial children described additional themes as Multiracial-specific socialization, expanding the current literature. Additionally, greater awareness of Multiracial experiences related to greater engagement in racial socialization. Future work should further explore parents’ experiences of Multiracial-specific socialization.

Research has found that bisexual women expect clitoral stimulation and orgasm more when hypothetically partnered with another woman versus a man, which is consistent with the widely documented heterosexual orgasm gap. The current research aims to (1) investigate “perceived partner orgasm pursuit” (i.e., the participant’s perception that her partner is pursuing her orgasm) as a novel mechanism to explain this difference in orgasm expectations, and (2) demonstrate that manipulating the interpersonal sexual script with a male partner to include sufficient clitoral stimulation can increase orgasm expectations when women have sex with men. In Study 1, we found that bisexual or pansexual women (N = 457) partnered with a woman in a hypothetical scenario expected greater clitoral stimulation, partner pursuit of her orgasm, and likelihood of orgasm than those partnered with a man. In Study 2, bisexual or pansexual women (N = 362) who were partnered with a man in a hypothetical scenario that specified (1) clitoral stimulation or (2) opportunity to orgasm via her most reliable route expected her partner to pursue her orgasm and expected orgasm, at similar rates to women who were partnered with a woman whose sexual behavior was unspecified. On the contrary, women partnered with a man in a hypothetical scenario which specified vaginal intercourse only expected the lowest likelihood of orgasm. In both studies, condition predicted expected clitoral stimulation, which predicted perceived partner orgasm pursuit, which predicted orgasm expectations. This research suggests that sexual scripts explain differences in orgasm expectations by partner gender, and these expectations can be changed by shifting the sexual script at the interpersonal level to include sufficient opportunity for (and pursuit of) women’s orgasm via clitoral stimulation. Findings are discussed in the context of contributors to and solutions for the orgasm gap.

A vast literature has examined identity-blind ideologies towards race (e.g., beliefs that ignoring racial differences/race can promote intergroup harmony), but a parallel ideology regarding beliefs about discussing and recognizing sexual orientation has yet to be explored. Across four studies, the present work documented correlates of identity-blind ideologies towards sexual orientation (referred to in this work as sexuality blindfolding) among cisgender heterosexual samples, and explored LGBTQ participants’ perceptions of sexuality blindfolding. Studies 1–2 indicated two dimensions of sexuality blindfolding (i.e., category evasion and discussion avoidance) which have distinct relationships with cisgender heterosexual Americans’ LGBTQ attitudes and equality support. Studies 3–4 examined LGBTQ individuals’ perceptions of organizations that endorsed one or more of the dimensions of sexuality blindfolding, and identified consistent negative perceptions of discussion avoidance, with less negative perceptions of category evasion. Taken together, the present work expands research on identity-blind ideologies, critiques the egalitarian framing of sexuality blindfolding, and identifies how varied dimensions of sexuality blindfolding may shape LGBTQ people’s belonging and equality pursuits.

Orgasm gaps between heterosexual men and women, and for women across sexual orientations, are well-established in research. However, no large-scale assessments of orgasm frequency by race/ethnicity exist. Here, we analyzed 10 years of cross-sectional Singles in America survey data between 2011 and 2021 to investigate the orgasm gap at the intersection of gender and racial/ethnic identity (i.e. White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian) for heterosexual participants (N = 27,347). White and Hispanic/Latino men reported greater orgasm frequency than Black and Asian men. Hispanic/Latino women reported the greatest orgasm frequency, and Asian women reported the lowest, with White and Black women's frequencies in between. The orgasm gap between men and women was largest for White (d = 0.89) and Asian (d = 0.86) groups, although Asian participants reported a lower orgasm frequency than White participants overall. The orgasm gap was smaller for Hispanic/Latino participants (d = 0.66), because Hispanic/Latino women reported a greater orgasm frequency than other racial/ethnic groups of women. The orgasm gap was smaller for Black participants (d = 0.61), because Black men reported a lower orgasm frequency than some other racial/ethnic groups of men. This descriptive study serves as an important starting point for future research on orgasm experiences across racial/ethnic groups.