Sociocultural correlates of permissive sexual attitudes: A test of Reiss's hypotheses about Sweden and the United States

In a 1980 publication, Ira Reiss proposed a set of theoretical statements concerning gender roles and sexual customs in Sweden and the United States. He stated that, in comparison to the United States, sexual attitudes are more permissive in Sweden and that factors accounting for these differences include country variations in religiosity and attitudes toward general gender egalitarianism, the naturalism of sex, and the role of government with respect to sexual matters. The present research tests the extent to which Reiss's descriptions are currently supported. For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed and data was collected from heterosexual university students in these two countries. Support was found for many of Reiss's descriptions, and explanations for the exceptions are presented.