The number of sexual partners and personality

Although personality has been tested as a predictor of sexual behaviors, little is known about the contribution of personality to the number of sexual partners. This study aimed to examine the models of association between personality traits and the number of lifetime sexual partners in various groups of sexual orientation. A web-based questionnaire was administered in Poland to a sample of 768 adults aged between 16 and 42 years old (M = 21.06, SD = 3.57), including 61% women (n = 468). Of the participants, 61% identify themselves as heterosexual, 22% as bisexual and 17% as homosexual. A series of multiple regression analyses were conducted to find the best predictors for the association between personality traits (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, Intellect/Imagination, Consciousness, and Sensation Seeking) and the number of lifetime sexual partners. Age, gender, and sexual identification were also included in the analysis. Higher level of extraversion and lower level of agreeableness are the best predictors of a great number of sexual partners. Sexual orientation is a moderator of the relation between emotional stability and the number of sexual partners, whereas gender is a moderator of the association between extraversion and number of sexual partners. Keywords: Big-Five personality traits; coming out; sensation-seeking; sexual identity; number of lifetime sexual partners