When it comes to sexual relationships, adolescent respondents of a university research which started in 2006 appear to follow classic psychological norms; that is, males seem to be more concerned with physical attributes while females reportedly look for strength, economic stability, and commitment.

Assistant professor of Psychology Rowena Viola Villarama-Mende from UP Visayas Cebu College (UPVCC) gathered as much from 20 sexually active respondents aged 18 to 22.

Preliminary analyses of in-depth interviews of seven heterosexual males, eight heterosexual females, two homosexual males, and a homosexual female support the literature on evolutionary psychology, Villarama-Mende reports.

Under the subsection on choice of partners, evidence points to the tendency of the males, both heterosexual and homosexual, to focus on physical traits.

The males mentioned attractiveness, sexiness, neatness, hygiene, smooth skin, and nice but not necessarily thin body as requirements in their sexual relationships.

When it came to choosing casual sex partners, physical attractiveness was more emphasized over personality. In choosing casual sex partners, the homosexual male respondents said intelligence and personality did not really matter.

"Perhaps, this is similar to the [heterosexual] male's preference for casual sex partners because, as for the gay respondents in the study, most of their relationships are just that-casual," Villarama-Mende says.

Personality is not totally out of the equation for the male respondents, though. The majority still prefer that the girl be understanding. She has to be able to "jam" with him.

A few also mentioned wit and intelligence and that the girl should love them. Thus, along with physical attractiveness, love figures significantly in the males' choice of partners for serious relationships.

Girls do fall in love

Among the female respondents, love, not physical attributes, is a major requirement.
"It seems that in terms of their decisions about their sexual partners, love [still] appears to be the main requirement for the female respondents," Villarama-Mende stresses.

She is quick to say though that there were two female respondents who had casual sex partners, and in such circumstances, like the males, physical attractiveness was the foremost requisite in choosing a partner.

One of them also kept in mind her partner's intelligence, because she entertained the possibility of getting pregnant, and an intelligent father would increase the possibility of the baby inheriting good genes.

Female respondents also considered neatness, hygiene, and "presentability" as important factors.

Villarama-Mende is the sole author of the ongoing study funded by the UPV Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension.

According to her, the study titled "Adolescent Sexual Relationships: Perceptions, Decisions, and Negotiations" is both descriptive and qualitative.

"Most of the studies about adolescent sexuality employed quantitative surveys…

Because of [my study's] qualitative nature, only 20 sexually active respondents were interviewed. And because the findings were based on the experiences of only 20 respondents, a lot of caution is needed in drawing conclusions and making generalizations," Villarama-Mende explained.

Villarama-Mende has undertaken related research on the topic. She published "Fun, Fear, or Fact?: Effects of Different Advertising Appeals and Other Factors on Filipino Adolescents' Attitudes toward Responsible Sexual Behavior" in 2003 and has been a researcher for a project titled "Child Sex Tourism in Cebu."