Sexual freedom in adolescence was quantitatively measured (through ratings on scales of sexual expression and sexual nonrestraint) in 145 societies. These 145 societies were in turn divided into 4 categories on the basis of their cultural complexity: not agricultural horticultural intensive agriculture and extensive agriculture. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between sexual freedom and cultural complexity for the total sample of 145 societies. Within each category however the negative correlation was smaller and not significant. Moreover high sexual freedom was associated with the following customs: 1) presence of an adolescent initiation ceremony for boys and girls in the most complex category of societies but the absence of such ceremonies for girls in the least complex (not agricultural) societies; 2) marriage outside the local community in less stratified societies with intensive agriculture; 3) matrilineal descent in horticultural societies; and 4) monogamous marriage in the simplest category of societies. These cross-cultural findings help to identify the changes that have contributed to the increase in premarital sexual freedom in industrial societies.
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Barry et al. (1986) studied this question.
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