According to a study just coming out in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, “variations in emotional intelligence–the ability to identify and manage emotions of one’s self and others–are associated with orgasmic frequency during intercourse and masturbation.”

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In short, the study found:

Emotional intelligence was not associated with … age and years of education, nor did we find a significant association between emotional intelligence and potential risk factors for [female orgasmic disorder] FOD such as age, body mass index, physical or sexual abuse, or menopause. We found emotional intelligence to be positively correlated with both frequency of orgasm during intercourse … and masturbation …. Women in the lowest quartile of emotional intelligence had an approximate twofold increased risk of infrequent orgasm … Low emotional intelligence seems to be a significant risk factor for low orgasmic frequency. Consideration of this behavioral risk factor may need to be incorporated into research into FOD and possible treatment approaches.

This is interesting, and probably a valid finding in that it appears to be statistically demonstrable that there is a correlation between measured emotional intelligence and orgasm frequency. The correlation is positive, modest (between 0.13 and 0.23 Spearman’s, and confirmed with logistical regression), and statistically significant.

What I find even more interesting than this finding (which is important if somewhat unsurprising) is that one can even do a study using matched pairs of twins and have a statistically significant difference in both emotional intelligence measured by standard tests and patterns of orgasm frequency.

Emotional intelligence is a brain thing and we might expect to see it vary for a number of reasons. Here we have evidence that genetics is not the only factor in this variable. I expect that among genetically typical individuals without pathologies, there would be almost no genetic effect, but the presumption of genetics is so strong that I fear most people don’t get that. Patterns of sexual behavior and physiology, which relates to orgasm frequency and distribution, may be very closely related to reproduction (though for reasons you may not expect). Again, we have measurable and (possibly) meaningful variation that is not genetic.

Burri, A., Cherkas, L., & Spector, T. (2009). Emotional Intelligence and Its Association with Orgasmic Frequency in Women Journal of Sexual Medicine DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01297.x

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