Since social psychologist Roy Baumeister coined the term in 2000, only two studies directly assessing erotic plasticity have been completed as of 2010[update].
[3][4] The female erotic plasticity hypothesis states that women have higher erotic plasticity than men, and therefore their sex drives are more socially flexible and responsive than those of men (factors such as religion, culture and education have a greater effect on women's sexual behaviors).
As women have been theorised to possess a weaker sex drive than men,[5][6] they may more readily accept substitutes or alternate forms of satisfaction.
A multinational study by Lippa (2009) found that women are more variable in their sex drives, suggesting that their sexuality is more malleable and influenced by society than men's.
[8] In South Korea, there are strong gender-based sexual double standards such that women are expected to be passive and virgins at marriage.
[9] Condom use was unaffected by whether or not the person was an immigrant, suggesting that upbringing and acculturation had a significant impact on engaging in sexual activity and not on how they would protect themselves during sex.
Catholic nuns are more successful at fulfilling their vows of celibacy and more willing to commit to their promises of sexual abstinence than male clergy, suggesting women can more easily adapt to such high non-permissive standards.
[15] Other factors, such as family members' disapproval of adolescent sexual behaviour also play a significant role.
A study examining adult twins in Sweden found a lower genetic component for the engagement in same-sex behaviours in women than in men.
[16] Shared environment also played a larger role in women's same-sex behaviours than in men's, although unique environmental factors were roughly the same.
[18] Shared environment plays a greater role than genetics in risky sexual behaviours in adolescent females.
Wives are more likely than husbands to report that they changed a "great deal" in their habits, ideas and expectations of sex over 20 years of marriage.
[21] However, a 2008 study by Woolf and Maisto found that this trend is declining, suggesting traditional gender roles in culture may be changing.
[15] Also, the fact that some male clergy are successful in maintaining their vows of celibacy suggests some degree of erotic plasticity.
[25] Similar results were found in a study that showed both consensual and non-consensual sex scenes to men and women.
[28] In her study of lesbian, bisexual and unlabeled women, she found that these had a tendency of changing their sexual identities and behaviour over time.
[35] Women who remained in relationships with male-to-female transsexuals maintained a heterosexual identity, yet reported changes in their sexual lives.
Other useful applications of erotic plasticity in sex therapy include having women place much consideration in family and peer relationships, and any internal and external pressures that may be affecting their sexual identity, such as religious influences, cultural norms and politics.
Some argue Baumeister makes causal inferences from correlational research when discussing how education affects men and women differently.
They back up this claim by presenting evidence that non-religious women and men are similar in the prevalence of all sexual activities, minus masturbation.
Although women may, for example, have the intention of using condoms or have negative attitudes towards anal sex, men may use their greater power to do what it is they desire if it differs from what their partner wants.
Benuto (2009) argues that heightened fluidity and sociocultural influences, two components of erotic plasticity, actually stand in opposition to each other.
Such constructs include sociocultural influences, locus of control and changes of sexual attitudes over time.