Attitudes Toward Casual Sex, Dating, and Committed Relationships With Bisexual Partners

Individual attitudes toward having casual sex, dating, and being in a committed relationship with a bisexual partner of the other gender were examined. Three hundred and seventy-three women and 347 men completed the online study. Female participants expressed moderately high levels of insecurity (e.g., worry, pressure, jealousy) toward relationships with bisexual male partners; insecurity tended to increase with the commitment level of the considered relationship. Male participants reported low to moderate levels of insecurity toward relationships with bisexual female partners; insecurity tended to be lowest for casual sex. Numerous predictors of attitudes toward bisexual partners were noted, including tolerance of and beliefs about the stability of a bisexual sexual orientation. The results of this study suggest that underlying misconceptions about bisexuality may be affecting individuals' interest in having relationships with bisexual partners and may represent a challenge to intimacy and stability within the couple.