Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 7, No.

3, 1978

Subjective Sexual Experience in College Women

Ruth E. Clifford, Ph.D. 1

A random sample o f 100 undergraduate women were interviewed about their

subjective sexual experience. Sexual sensations during masturbation, oral sex, in-
tercourse, and intercourse with concurrent clitoral massage were summarized and
differentiated. Sensations labeled "orgasm" by a majority o f the subjects were
identified, and the suggestion was made that experiences other than that outlined
by Masters and Johnson may be considered orgasmic by women in a more gene-
ral population. Some support was found for Singer and Singer's typology o f or-
gasm at a subjective level Most subjects who experienced multiple orgasms found
them no more satisfying than single ones. Clitoral and vaginal orgasms may be
distinguished subjectively, but no clear preference for one or the other emerged
from a consensus o f the subjects. Orgasm rate was significantly related (p < O.001 )
to satisfaction during intercourse and oral sex, but not during masturbation.
Some evidence was found supporting the role o f social learning in developing
sensitivity in the clitoris and vagina and possibly the breasts.
KEY WORDS: sexuality; orgasm; female; sexual experience.

INTRODUCTION

This report describes an investigation of the sexuality of a random sample

of college undergraduate women. Unlike previous surveys, which have concentrat-
ed on varieties of overt activities, the present study focused on subjectively per-
ceived sexual responses. Within this framework, five major areas were explored.
First, sexual sensations were described, allowing for variation among individuals,
types of stimulation, and occasions. Second, an attempt was made to identify the
signs of orgasm at a subjective level from a consensus of the sample. Third, the
incidence and defining characteristics of several Wpes of orgasm were examined.
Fourth, orgasm ability was hypothesized to relate to sexual satisfaction more gen-

i Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122.

183
0004-0002/78/0500-0183505.00/0 © 1978 Plenum Publishing Corporation
184 Clifford

erally. Fifth, it was hypothesized that sensitivity to stimulation in the erogenous

zones develops in the social context of experience with stimulation of each area.
In answering the question of what is the nature of sexual response, three
levels of events may be considered (Glenn and Kaplan, 1968): physiology, sub-
jective sensation, and locus of stimulation. A few attempts have been made to
empirically investigate the second, subjective, level. Adams (1953) constructed
a scale of responsivity that discriminated more orgasmic from less orgasmic
women. Bunzl and Mullen (1974) found two distinct patterns of reported feeling
during orgasm: involuntary movement and body rigidification. Two possibly
parallel types of orgasm were described by Singer and Singer (1972); in one type,
there were vulvar contractions, while in the other there was involuntary breath-
holding. A combination of the two responses was also found. Hite (1976) com-
pared orgasms with peak sensations and contractions to feelings of emotional
exaltation with opening of the throat and vagina.
Masters and Johnson (1966) and Hardenbergh (1953) provided a com-
posite description of orgasm as subjectively perceived. Unfortunately, such sum-
marizations fail to report variation among individuals which may be considerable.
By sampling of a less selective group of women in this study and quantification
of variations in their reports, it was hoped that a more accurate picture of the
subjective experience of arousal would be obtained. Similarly, questioning was
designed to allow the expression of differences between sexual occasions, and be-
tween types of stimulation, since patterns of response may be situational.
A problem frequently confronting sex therapists and some women is
whether a given type of subjective response should be labeled "orgasm." Masters
and Johnson (1966) attempted to answer this question, but their data are con-
founded by prior selection of "orgasmic" women by some unstated criterion. Al-
though Hite's survey was not intentionally directed at a select population, the
early focus of her questionnaire on orgasm and its circulation through organs of
the women's liberation movement limit the generality of her results. Is there any
consensus among women in a more general population about the sensations that
define orgasm? This study addressed this question by examining the types of re-
sponses labeled "orgasm" by a majority of college women knowing only that
they agreed to participate in a survey on sex.
A third general issue is the possibility that types of orgasm exist which may
differ in their capacity to satisfy women. In this survey, single orgasms were first
compared to multiple ones. Masters and Johnson documented the physiological
validity of the multiple orgasm, which had been questioned after Kinsey reported
its incidence as 14% (Bergler and Kroger, 1954). A new myth seems to have
arisen (e.g., see Sherfey, 1966) that all women can and therefore should be mul-
tiply orgasmic to satisfy their sexual needs. In this study, the distinguishing fea-
tures of the multiple orgasm at the subjective level were obtained from subjects
experiencing it, as well as their assessment of its importance for satisfaction.
Subjective Sexual Experience in CollegeWomen 185

A second comparison was made between clitoral and vaginal orgasms.

Orthodox Freudians regard the "clitoral orgasm," which results from manipula-
tion of the external genitalia, as a sign of immaturity or fLxation in psychosexual
development. Only the mature women is supposed to be capable of a "vaginal
orgasm," one induced through intercourse independent of clitoral stimulation.
Seemingly contradictory is the claim of Masters and Johnson (1966) that or-
gasms produced by clitoral massage and intromission were physiologically iden-
tical. However, a difference between orgasms in terms of subjective sensation may
still occur, and popular conceptions of "clitoral" and "vaginal" in this context
may not coincide with physiological data. Subjects in this study were asked to
describe any differences between these experiences as they understood them.
Closely tied to the issue of defining "orgasm" is the question, how im-
perative is orgasm for sexual satisfaction? In the wake of Masters and Johnson's
demonstration of the physiological substrate of female orgasm, the assumption
that it is necessary to climax in order to be satisfied has become more widespread
(e.g., see Reuben, 1969). However, in a number of reports a substantial minority
of the subjects stated that the converse was true for them (Bardwick, 1971 ; Ches-
ser, 1957; Dickinson and Beam, 1931; Gebhard et al., 1970; Landis and Bolles,
1942; Schaefer, 1964; Terman, 1938; Wallin, 1964). The sensation of arousal
may in fact be regarded by some women as positive in itself. In order to examine
this issue, orgasm ability was related to preference for a given type of stimulation
as well as the subject's frequency of satisfaction in that situation. The woman's
reactions upon failing to reach orgasm were also probed, along with motives for
sexual behavior aside from the desire for physical release.
A last general question concerned the effects of certain types of stimula-
tion on types of subjective response. One sociological viewpoint (Gagnon and
Simon, 1973) contends that except for undifferentiated sensations of p~easure,
perceiving sexual arousal in particular depends on the social transmission of labels
for our sensations. This transaction, called "scripting," takes place through ex-
posure to various sources of information, such as reading material, movies, and
discussions with friends or mental health professionals. For many women it oc-
curs largely through interaction with the first sexual partner, either by verbal
means, for example, when he tells a woman "You just experienced an orgasm,"
or nonverbally, as his persistent stimulation of certain body areas to the ex-
clusion of others may communicate that these are the sexually sensitive zones.
While Gagnon and Simon do not deny the presence of physiological deter-
minants of sexual functioning, they do emphasize the role of scripting in narrow-
ing and focusing our perceptions of what is "sexual." According to this approach,
it was hypothesized that women with more experience with stimulation of
their breasts, clitoris, and vagina would experience sensations of arousal in the
respective areas more frequently and more intensely than those with fewer such
experiences.
186 Clifford

METHOD

Subjects

A random sample of 100 undergraduate women at the State University of

New York at Stony Brook was drawn from the registrar's directory. Those select-
ed were sent a letter briefly describing the aims of the study. A few days later
the female interviewer (the author) telephoned each student and asked her to
participate in an intensive, confidential, audio-taped interview concerning sexual-
ity, especially its more subjective aspects. Subjects were offered $3 for an inter-
view which would last between 1 and 3 hr.
Women living on and off campus were included, as were married and single
women. The sample was restricted to white, American-born women between the
ages of 17 and 25 who began college within 1 year after completing high school.
A total of 186 women were approached about participating, of whom 100
agreed to be interviewed. The overall response rate was thus 54%. Of those not
participating, 20% refused, 16% could not be reached, and 10% were inappropri-
ate for the sample because of race or age.
Subjects' average age was 19.3 (range 17-25). They were distributed across
all 4 years in college, with 26 freshmen, 24 sophomores, 30 juniors, and 20 seniors.
The mean grade point average was 3.2, a low B average. Looking at social class in
terms of father's educationallevel, the average was 1 year of college, varying from
eighth grade through graduate level.
No information concerning demographic characteristics of those who re-
fused was obtained. However, sample biases were examined using information on
the women at Stony Brook in comparison with the sample. When tested using X2 ,
no sample biases were apparent in the distribution of marital status (97% of the
sample were single) or the percentages of Protestants and Jews in the sample (8%
and 40%, respectively). There were significantly fewer Catholics than in the uni-
versity population, 15% compared to 32% (X2 = 7.12, df = 1, p < 0.01). A sec-
ond bias concerned college major, with science and social science majors over-
represented (X2 = 14.5, df = 1, p < 0.001 and X2 = 5.36, df = 1, p < 0.05) and
general majors underrepresented (X2 = 28.9, df = 1, p < 0.001). Finally, a bias
favoring women living in dormitories relative to those living off campus was sig-
nificant (X2= 23.3, df = 1, p "< 0.001). The reader should thus be cautious in gen-
eralizing to the population of unviersity women from this sample.

The Interview Schedule

The interview consisted of a series of questions in standardized format

which were read to the subjects (a complete copy of the interview schedule may
Subjective Sexual Experience in College Women 187

be obtained by writing to the author). Questions which were not originally design-
ed for this study were drawn from various sources, notably the surveys by Simon
and Gagnon (1967) and Hamilton (1929). While some questions were open-ended,
others had possible choices listed on cards presented to the subjects.
Reliability of some key items was checked by asking the questions again
later in the interview in a different context. For example, early in the schedule
the woman was asked how old she was the first time she stimulated herself, and
then near the end gave her age the first time she experienced 12 different sexual
activities including masturbation. When the two sets of questions were compared
using r, all the items were found to be reliable with ~"s of 0.79 or better except
two: the first experience of clitoral and of vaginal petting (7" 0.51 and 0.71, re-
spectively). These two experiences tended to be reversed in many cases.
In order to examine the labels of perceived sensations, a subjective response
checklist was constructed. Forty-four descriptions of subjective sensations during
sexual arousal and orgasm were gathered from three sources: the SAR Audit of
Adams (see Shope, 1967), Masters and Johnson's composite description (1966),
and essays about sexual feelings by women responding to an open-ended question-
naire distributed by the author during a pilot study. Subjects rated each item's
frequency and intensity during each of four sexual situations, as relevant for each
woman: masturbation, passive oral-genital stimulation, intercourse, and inter-
course with concurrent clitoral massage (hereafter referred to as "intercourse-
clitoral").

Procedure

Subjects were interviewed in an informal office with no other persons pre-

sent. Rapport was established through several minutes of light conversation, fol-
lowing which the tape recorder was turned on and the instructions were read
aloud:
This survey concerns female sexuality. Sexual activity and arousal is an exper-
ience that varies from one woman to another. One prupose of this survey is to
find out just how much variation there is among college women. Therefore, many
possible responses and experiences have been included, although it may be that
most women are only acquainted with a few of them. You are not different if
everything on the questionnaire does not apply to you.
The subject's agreement to participate was again confirmed, and the interview
began. No subject refused to go on with the study or to answer any individual
question. The answers were coded by the interviewer during the session and the
tapes were later transcribed. Interviewing took place over a period of 5 months,
from November 1972 through March 1973.
188 Clifford

RESULTS

Each of the five areas covered by the survey will be discussed in turn. How-
ever, first, a brief summary of the sexual experience of the sample will be pre-
sented in order to place the following results in their behavioral contexts.
In high school, most subjects (85% and 90%) had engaged in necking
("hugging and kissing") and light petting, excluding the genitalia, with their
clothes on. A smaller number, about 65%, had experienced heavy petting, in-
volving genital stimulation, in various forms. Approximately a third of the sample
had experienced sexual intercourse and oral-genital relations, i.e., cunnilingus, in
high school, and three women had experimented with inanimate objects of sexual
stimulation, such as pencils, vegetables, and electric vibrators. A modal number
of subjects had experienced necking and light petting with more than three male
partners, whereas for more intimate encounters one partner was the norm.
In college, 85% of these women had engaged in heavy petting, 70% had ex-
perienced intercourse and cunnilingus, and eight had tried inanimate objects. The
numbers of partners had increased, except in the cases of intercourse and oral
sex. Most subjects were in love with their partners or felt some emotion for them.
Twelve women had experienced sexual arousal during physical contact with
females: eight before high school, two in high school, and two in college. All
these women reported one to ten such experiences and, except in one case, con-
tacts with one or two partners. None described herself as a homosexual, viewing
her experiences with women as incidental to her heterosexual development.
Seventy-four women had masturbated, defined as arousing oneself by touch-
ing breasts or sex organs. Of these, 49 had reached orgasm through self-stimula-
tion, most commonly between the ages of 12 and 15. Sixty women continued to
masturbate during college with an average frequency of once every 2 weeks.
Of the total sample, 67 women said they had reached orgasm at least once,
23 said they had not, and 10 were unsure. There was little variation in the propor-
tion of subjects who had ever experienced orgasm with various types of stimula-
tion. Thus, as may be seen in Table I, between 56% and 76% of those who had
repeated experiences with clitoral and vaginal petting, intercourse, oral sex, and
masturbation reached orgasm at least once. The rate of orgasm was determined
only for two situations: in intercourse, the modal rate of orgasm was never, al-

Table I. Incidence of Orgasm by Sexual Situation

Percent of subjects Order of
Situation N ever orgasmic preference
Clitoral petting 85 64 3
Vaginal petting 79 56 4
Intercourse 70 76 1
Oral sex 73 59 2
Masturbation 74 66. Not rated
Subjective Sexual Experience in College Women 189

though among women who were orgasmic in intercourse, the modal rate was 26-
50%. In masturbation the modal rate of orgasm was 100%.
A second question concerned specific sensations and their relative frequen-
cies. Responses in each of four situations, masturbation, cunnflingus, intercourse,
and intercourse-clitoral, were rated on a scale of frequency from "never" to "oc-
casionally," "half the time," "usually," and "always." The relative frequency of
these responses varied considerably depending on the situation; some cross-situa-
tional generalizations may be made. Sensations generally reported as high in fre-
quency were appearance of moisture in the genital area, a sense of anticipation,
clitoral sensitivity, and a desire to cuddle. Responses of generally low relative
frequency were sadness, nervousness, anal pulsations, and an urge to urinate. The
differences between situations may be summarized as foltows. Masturbation was
distinct in causing a high frequency of pelvic and leg contractions and clitoral
pulsations. In addition, it was unique in its relatively lower frequency of quicken-
ed breathing and desire for body contact. In common with the one other experi-
ence involving specific stimulation of the clitoris, intercourse-clitoral, a focus of
sensation in the clitoris was frequently described. Desire for penetration was fre-
quent in the two situations involving intercourse.
An attempt was made to identify the distinguishing features of an orgasm,
as subjectively experienced, compared to the sensations of arousal prior to that
point. The list of responses was rated on a scale of intensity ranging from "not
aroused" to "slightly aroused," "very aroused," and "orgasm." Table II lists the
responses labeled "orgasm" by at least 50% of the subjects who provided ratings
(as opposed to those who had had no more than one or two experiences with a
given type of stimulation and those who marked their answer as "unsure").
In this sample, 30 women achieved more than one orgasm in rapid succes-
sion during masturbation, with an average rate of under 10% of the tim% "Rapid
succession" was defined variously as an interval of only a few seconds up to
several minutes. Only four subjects claimed to require more than one orgasm
for satisfaction; the others regarded the additional orgasms as additionally plea-
surable but not necessary. One woman, although, masturbating to "several hun-
dred orgasms" on each occasion, denied any enjoyment of the experience, rather
regarding it as a compulsive habit which left her with sore muscles the next day.
When asked if they believed there to be a distinction between a clitoral and
a vaginal orgasm, 50 women said "yes," 26 said "no," and 24 were unsure. Those
who affirmed the statement gave a great range of specific distinctions. Sixteen
had read feminist literature proclaiming that the vaginal orgasm was a myth.
Other distinctions were drawn by a few individuals (one to three) each: difference
in the type of stimulation, either petting or intercourse; more shallow sensations
during clitoral orgasm; difference in the locus of stimulation ;less satisfaction from
clitoral orgasm; less likelihood of achieving vaginal orgasm than clitoral; greater
intensity of the ctitoral orgasm; and greater intensity of the vaginal orgasm. The
lack of consensus on this issue is notable.
190 Clifford

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Subjective Sexual Experience in College Women 191

How central is orgasm to achieving pleasure and satisfac~tion from sexual ac-
tivity? Subjects with coital experience were asked about their reactions when or-
gasm did not occur from intercourse. The most common reply was "worried
about my partner's reaction" (34 subjects). Other responses included feeling phys-
ically uncomfortable (28 subjects), feeling good (24 subjects), and feeling bad
about oneself (19).
A different perspective on the same question is obtained by asking whether
sexual behavior is motivated only by the desire for orgasm, or physical release of
tension or drive; or whether other motives even at a conscious level exist. Sub-
jects were given a list of possible reasons for masturbation and asked which ap-
plied to them. Pleasurable sensations (64 subjects) and physical release (52 sub-
jects) were most frequently endorsed. A moderate number of women also report-
ed masturbating to learn about their bodies (32 subjects), to get to sleep (25),
and to relieve boredom or loneliness (19 and 23 subjects, respectively). Individ-
uals mentioned proving their sexual responsivity to themselves, relieving men-
strual cramps, feeling independent of males for stimulation, inducing menstrua-
tion, and angering their partners. Desire for intercourse was similarly found to
involve several different goals. Subjects were allowed to endorse more than one
answer, so that, of 67 women, 60 wanted to have intercourse for their physical
pleasure, 59 for their partner's pleasure, and 55 for their partner's affection to-
ward them.
Different types of sexual stimulation vary in orgasm potential and enjoy-
ability. Sexual intercourse was expected to rank highest in order of preference,
which proved to be the case. Although subjects reported equally high rates of or-
gasm from clitoral stimulation and often described the latter experience as more
intense, almost twice as many of them ranked intercourse as their preferred sex-
ual activity (42 women compared to 23).
As a more formal test of the relationship between orgasm ability and pref-
erences for specific activities, the rank order of preference and the number of or-
gasms for each of five activities (clitoral and vaginal petting, intercourse, cun-
nflingus, and use of inanimate objects) were cross-tabulated. None of these re-
lationships was statistically significant, consistent with, although not proof of,
the notion that sexual preferences are not directly contingent on orgasm ex.
perience.
A related series of tests examined the association between orgasm ability
and frequency of feeling satisfied by intercourse, oral sex, and masturbation. In
the case of masturbation there was no significant association, but for intercourse
and oral sex these variables were highly positively related (p < 0.001 ; see Tables
III through V). Thus it seems that the components of satisfaction when alone are
not the same as those operating in the partner situation.
In testing the effects of types of stimulation on subjective responses, three
areas of the body were considered: the breasts, clitoris, and vagina. Each will be
discussed in turn.
192 Clifford

Table III. Frequency of Satisfaction During Masturbation

and Orgasm Rate in Masturbation a

Frequency of satisfaction
in masturbation (%)
Half the time UsuaUy or
Orgasm rate (%) or less always Row totals
Up to 50 4 7 11
51-90 9 13 22
Over 90 16 51 67
Column totals 29 71 100

a N = 45, subjects who masturbated to orgasm and were sure

of frequency.

Table IV. Frequency of Satisfaction During Intercourse and

Orgasm Rate in Intercoursea

Frequency of satisfaction
in intercourse (%)
Half the time Usually or
Orgasm rate (%) or less always Row totals
Up to 50 23 35 58
51-90 3 28 31
Over 90 2 9 11
Column totals 28 72 100

a r = 0.403, standardized S = 3.93, p < 0.001, one-tailed.

N = 65, subjects who had intercourse at least several times
and were sure of frequency.

Table V. Frequency of Satisfaction During Oral Sex and

Number of Orgasms in Oral Sex a

Frequency of satisfaction
in oral sex (%)

Number of Half the time Usualty or

orgasms or less always Row totals
None 34 8 42
1-10 12 18 30
Over 10 1 27 28
Column totals 47 53 100

a r = 0.520, standardized S = 5.04, p < 0.001, one-tailed. N =

67, subjects who experienced oral sex and were sure of fre-
quency.
Subjective Sexual Experience in College Women 193

Table V1. Significant Relationships Between Frequency and In-

tensity of Subjective Sensations and Number of Experiences with
Stimulation of Respective Parts of the Body

One-tailed
significance
Response levela
Breasts
Frequency rating
Nipple erection (masturbationb) 0.194 0.05
Intensity ratings
Tingling breasts (masturbation) 0.273 0.05
Breast enlargement (masturbation) 0.330 0.05
Clitoris
Frequency ratings
Clitoral sensitivity
(oral sex; high schoolO 0.200 0.05
Clitoral Pulsations
(oral sex; college) 0.252 0.01
Clitoral focus
(intercourse; high School) 0.185 0.05
Clitoral focus
(intercourse-clitoral; high school) 0.222 0.05
Intensity ratings
Clitoral sensitivity
(masturbation; college) 0.300 0.01
Clitoral pulsation
(masturbation; high school) 0.300 0.01
Clitoral pulsation
(masturbation; college) 0.371 0.01
Clitoral pulsation
(oral sex; high school) 0.302 0.01
Clitoral pulsation
(oral sex; college) 0.295 0.05
Clitoral focus
(intercourse; high school) 0.263 0.05
Clitoral sensitivity
(intercourse-clitoral; high school) 0.391 0.01
Clitoral focus
(intercourse-clitoral, high school) 0.231 0.05
Clitoral sensitivity
(oral sex; high school) 0.192 0.05
Vagina
Frequency ratings
Vaginal tension
(masturbation; college) 0.197 0.05
Vaginal pulsation
(masturbation; college) 0.214 0.05
Desire for penetration
(oral sex; college) 0.238 0.05
Vaginal pulsations
(oral sex; college) 0.208 0.05
Vaginal tension
(intercourse; high school) 0.176 0.05
Vaginal pulsations
(intercourse; high school) 0.182 0.05
 194 Clifford

Table VI. Continued

One-tailed
significance
Response levela
Vaginal pulsations
(intercourse-clitoral; high school) 0.260 0.05
Intensity ratings
Desire for penetration
(masturbation; college) 0.227 0.05
Vaginal pulsations
(masturbation; high school.) 0.199 0.05
Vaginal pulsations
(masturbation; high school) 0.331 0.01
Vaginal pulsations
(oral sex; high school) 0.521 0.001
Vaginal pulsations
(oral sex; college) 0.226 0.05
Vaginal tension
(intercourse; high school) 0.221 0.05
aThere were 29 significant tests out of a total of 145, or 20% of the
total number. Fivepercent, or seven tests, would be expected to be
significant by chance alone.
bRatings are specific to the situations in parentheses.
Clndicates when experience with stimulation occurred.

Breast responses were defined in three ways: tingling sensation in the breasts,
appearance of breast enlargement, and nipple erection as subjectively perceived.
The frequency and intensity ratings of each of these sensations were cross-tabulat-
ed with the number of experiences the woman had had with light petting without
clothes during high school and in college. One relationship with a frequency rating
and two with intensity ratings were statistically significant in the expected posi-
tive direction (see Table VI).
Clitoral responses considered included sensitivity of the clitoris, sudden
focus of sensation in the clitoris, and clitoral pulsations. Four frequency ratings
were significantly positively related, as well as nine intensity ratings, all listed in
Table VI.
Finally, the vaginal responses of vaginal tension, desire for deep penetra-
tion of the vagina, and vaginal pulsations were considered. In this case there were
seven significant relationships with frequency ratings and six with intensity ratings
(see Table VI).

DISCUSSION
Before discussing the specific findings, a note concerning the level of sexual
experience of the sample is required. Experience, in terms of coital incidence, was
somewhat higher than natidnal norms: 71% compared to about 50% nationwide
(Gagnon, 1969). This figure was replicated at the Stony Brook campus in a survey
Subjective Sexual Experience in College Women 195

by Heiman 1 year later (Heiman, 1975). Whether this rate is indicative of increas-
ing rates of intercourse at the national level or of uniquely high rates among re-
spondents at this one university cannot be determined with certainty. In any case,
such rates seem to indicate not a massive "sexual revolution," but rather response
to social pressure to lose one's virginity and changing norms for sexual behavior
within love relationships (e.g., see Reiss, 1967).
The five areas investigated in the survey will be discussed in turn, beginning
with the first, description of sensations during sexual arousal. Although some
subjective responses were consistent across the four situations, some situation-
specific patterns were evident. These may be roughly seen as consistent with
Singer and Singer's (1972) formulation. Masturbation represents a situation in-
volving clitoral and vulvar stimulation for the majority of the subjects, and pro-
duces feelings of pulsation and clitoral focus. All the partner activities included
more vaginal invoIvement and resulted in more feelings of diffuse sensuality and
quickened breathing. In the case of intercourse-clitoral, both elements seemed
to be present, perhaps corresponding with Singer and Singer's combination type.
These findings are also consistent with the reports of Hite's subjects, although
Hite questioned whether the emotional feelings associated with changes in breath-
ing constituted a true orgasm.
With regard to the 10 women who were unsure whether or not they had
ever experienced orgasm, some readers will suggest that they were simply unwiiling
to admit their lack of orgasm ability. However, an equally plausible interpreta-
tion is that orgasm is not always easily distinguishable. Especially when it is low
in intensity, there may be few distinct subjective cues to which the label "or-
gasm" may be attached. Further, if there are few overt signs which an observer
can readily discriminate, he or she will have more difficulty labeling the ex-
perience than would otherwise be the case. Thus, to the extent that the label is
socially imparted, the woman has less access to this information.
A list of sensations reported to be of orgasmic intensity by at least half
the subjects was compiled, as a crude attempt to derive a social consensus on the
nature of orgasm. Masters and Johnson (1966) listed responses which were in-
cluded among those rated in this survey: vaginal pulsations, coming to a peak,
coming to a series of peaks, and sudden suspension or stoppage of sensation.
The last three, but not the first, were agreed to represent orgasmic sensations by
a majority of the present sample. In addition, several nonpulsating feelings, in-
cluding floating or being on a plateau, w e r e among the orgasmic sensations for
a majority of these women. This finding suggests that experiences other than
the ones described by Masters and Johnson may be considered to be orgasmic
by a significant number of women in the general population.
Multiple orgasm was not found to be more enjoyable or necessary for satis-
faction than single orgasm for these women in general, as was also true for Hite's
subjects. Nor was multiple orgasm ever experienced by most subjects. Although
25 women reported that they experienced two kinds of orgasm, one clitoral and
one vaginal, they defined them in extremely varied and sometimes contradictory
196 Clifford

ways. The two patterns described earlier which are distinguished in masturbation
compared to partner situations might be interpreted as a clitoral and a vaginal
pattern, in terms of their corresponding to predominant stimulation of one or-
gan vs. the other. However, there is no evidence that one is consistently preferred,
and in fact the sensations seem combinable rather than mutually exclusive. Again,
Hite's f'mdings corroborate this study's. In order to test the possibility that chtorial
methods of masturbation would be associated with reliance on clitoral stimula-
tion for orgasm during intercourse, these two variables were cross-tabulated. No
trend toward a relationship was found.
In examining the fourth question, the necessity of orgasm for satisfaction,
the answer seemed to depend on the situation: when alone, no relationship was
evident, but with a partner during intercourse or oral sex the relationship was
highly significant. The source of dissatisfaction, as these results suggest, was most
frequently a fear of displeasing one's partner. This finding highlights what seems
to be a current social expectation that women m u s t be brought to orgasm. As
one woman lamented, "These days you're not making love any more, you're
making orgasms." Other reasons for having sex, independent of reaching orgasm,
were given both for masturbation and for intercourse.
The last hypothesis, that sensitivity of specific body areas is related positive-
ly to experience with stimulation of those areas, was supported in the cases of
the clitoris and vagina, and possibly of the breasts. It seems likely that greater
awareness of feeling develops over successive experiences with stimulation of an
area, although women who enjoy greater subjective feeling in a particular organ
undoubtedly also seek out more frequent stimulation of those areas.
Two methodological notes should be made in the process of evaluating
the results of this study. First, self-reports of subjective sensations are difficult
to validate; reliability data are needed to strengthen the findings. Second, it is
possible that an independent researcher may gather new subjective response items
not included in the list rated for this study; it was feasible only to represent sen-
sations described ill the literature to date.
In the course of cross-validating these results, it is hoped that future studies
will turn to new populations as well as replicating the present sample. In partic-
ular, studies of women in cultures where orgasm is defined differently from ours
or is not believed to exist at all would be useful. Longitudinal designs would be
ideal for following up the suggestion that arousal is identified in part through a
social learning process. Finally, surveys of male subjective sexual responses may
uncover systematic variation in patterns currently unrecognized in the literature.

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