It is common knowledge that UCSB’s playground of Isla Vista gets, well, a lot of play. However, it is the grounds of which this play takes place that continues to fascinate me. Our casual hook-up culture is unparalleled by any other college campus—booty calls, one-night stands, nocturnal relationships, and only a few committed relationships. So, what is the catalyst for all of this amorous activity? Is our Isla Vista culture driven by a concoction of 1 part hormones and 1 part alcohol–or is it more complex? Perhaps, we are missing the key ingredient of over-perception.
It is not the amount of casual sex that occurs in I.V. but instead the amount of male over-perception and expectancy that differentiates us from other universities. It seems that there is an over-perception epidemic among Isla Vistan males. You can see it anywhere—the dining commons, classrooms, downtown, parties—males constantly over-perceive females’ interest. After a simple exchange of names and small talk, I.V. males tend to believe that the female he is speaking with is already sexually interested in him and would willingly accept his super covert offer to come home with him to finish their conversation, slipping in that his “roommate is out of town for the weekend”…smooth. Conceivably, this phenomenon may not merely exist in Isla Vista, but may be a universal male characteristic.
Numerous studies have been conducted testing the theories regarding male perception, finding that males have the innate tendency to misperceive female sexual interest—constantly over-perceiving interest. Henningsen & Valde (2006) study elucidates their research and findings:
“Researchers have consistently found that men report that women display more sexual interest than women report they actually do in cross-sex interactions (e.g., Abbey, 1982). Cognitive Valence Theory is employed to provide a theoretical framework to help understand these findings (Andersen, 1989). A series of perceptual and cognitive processes consistent with Cognitive Valence Theory were examined as possible explanations for the gender difference. Gender differences emerge for both perceptual and cognitive variables. In addition, perceptions of sexually motivated behaviors and variables associated with appropriateness judgments and personal receptivity were found to predict perceptions of women’s sexual interest.”
The reason for the immense Isla Vista male douchery is likely not their fault—it is likely the fault of the socially scientific causation and phenomenon of over-perception…males just can’t help it. This finding could very well be the culprit for I.V. males’ audacious, brazen behavior, oh, and their perpetual expectancy for sex. I.V. male over-perception perpetuates the idea of sexual expectancy, stigmatizing Isla Vista as a sex playground. However, it is possible that we over-perceive the amount of play that Isla Vista actually gets.