Examining Variations in Participation and Outcomes of Consensual and Nonconsensual Extradyadic Behavior among Ashley Madison Users.

Despite the abundance of studies investigating individual differences associated with extradyadic behavior (EB), nearly all have adopted retrospective measures in which the data is likely plagued by recall biases. In addition, few studies have explored individual differences or outcomes associated with EB between those with consenting and nonconsenting primary partners. Thus, the current study investigated the extent to which Ashley Madison users participated in a wide range of EBs, whether age, gender, and sexual identity predicted participation, and the extent to which outcomes were impacted by partner consent. The results from 1460 adults (962 men, 498 women) revealed that users reported engaging in three categories of behaviors: sexual/explicit, technology/online, and emotional/affectionate behaviors and that women and those older in age reported participating in EBs more frequently than men and those younger in age. Finally, 16.9% of the sample had a primary partner that consented to their Ashley Madison use and those with consenting partners reported greater perceived improvement in their primary relationship than did those with nonconsenting partners. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing the multitude of behaviors that Ashley Madison users participate in and whether consent was obtained. Implications for educators and practitioners are discussed.

Exploring Variations in North American Adults' Attitudes, Interest, Experience, and Outcomes Related to Mixed-Gender Threesomes: A Replication and Extension.

Mixed-gender threesomes (MGTs) are a type of consensually nonmonogamous sexual encounter involving three people of more than one gender. Little research has been conducted on MGTs, and what little work does exist is limited to college students, who may actually be less experienced with MGTs than older adults. The present study investigated attitudes toward, interest in, experiences with, and outcomes of MGTs in two samples (college N = 231; online N = 1342), comprised of 907 heterosexual and 666 sexual minority participants in total. Results indicated that participants reported neutral-to-positive attitudes toward and moderate-to-high levels of interest in MGTs (81% indicated some degree of interest). MGTs involving familiar others were preferred to those involving strangers. Men, sexual minority individuals, and participants from the online sample reported more favorable attitudes toward and greater interest in MGTs as compared to women, heterosexual individuals, and participants from the student sample. In addition, 30% of participants indicated having experience with a MGT. Sexual minority individuals reported more experience with MGTs and more positive outcomes than did heterosexual individuals. In addition, on average, participants reported that their MGT experiences "met expectations." Overall, these results indicate that MGTs are a common sexual behavior that often results in positive outcomes, especially among sexual minority individuals. Additional research on this understudied topic is needed, particularly as it relates to outcomes and the role of MGTs in consensually nonmonogamous relationships.