Well gents, when it comes to chicks, it’s not what you’ve got in your pocket that matters, but what you’ve got in your pocketbook. Your lady’s propensity to orgasm is directly linked to your wallet. So says a 2009 study of five thousand women showing a strong correlation between the reported wealth of their mates and the number of orgasms they experience. Humbling, I know.
The study, a statistical analysis of data collected from the Chinese Health and Family Life Survey, looked at women, aged 20-64, representing 60 different regions in China, and controlled for such factors as female age, educational attainment, happiness, health, relationship duration, regional differences, and differences between partners in educational attainment and wealth. Researchers found that the wealthier the male, the more orgasms their female partners reported. Due to the sensitive nature of the survey, takers were allowed to answer privately and anonymously.
Despite being able to control a large number of variables, the study’s authors did admit that the results could be due to response bias. In other words, it is possible that women with frequent orgasms over-reported their partner’s wealth or that women with perceived “high-quality” mates over-reported climax frequency.
This study is important because it adds credence to a controversial view on female orgasm. A split within evolutionary biology circles pits those that believe female orgasm is an adaptive trait, serving a role in securing high-quality mates, and those that think it is simply a by-product of the ejaculatory response in men. Seriously folks, this is a big issue.
These results seem to support the adaptive view, as earning power and wealth could be perceived by women as high-quality survival traits. Biologically speaking then, women might respond functionally to this advantage, leading to a favorable sexual response: The Big O.
Although at least one interpretation has any desirable trait increasing the frequency of female orgasm, I don’t think it’s that simple. I don’t believe that physical attractiveness or education level are necessarily associated with survival success, but financial wealth certainly is.
By no means does this Chinese study make a definitive correlation. It does, however, open the door for further investigation. An interesting point is that the cohort (Chinese women), despite having many cultural differences from western women, may represent females as a whole. A 1989 study showed that women across 27 countries placed high value on resource acquisition, or buying power, in potential mates.
What can I say? I love this study, because…well, it’s something we men have always suspected, especially judging (on our end) by what she is doing with him. And now we know.