Academic Research
I research how our gendered experiences shape our sexual lives, particularly in regards to pleasure & orgasm.
My main lines of research focus on:
how biological essentialist beliefs are used to justify & perpetuate the orgasm gap
women's pursuit of orgasm as a goal
the inclusion of pleasure in sex education
I am a member of the Close Relationships, Identity, & Stigma (CRIS) Lab at Rutgers University, led by Dr. Diana Sanchez. Click here to visit the CRIS Lab Website.
My research is supported by the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP).
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Wetzel, G. M. & Sanchez, D. T. (in press). “What’s something you’ve heard about sex, but are unsure if it’s true?”: Assessing middle and high school students’ sex education questions. Journal of Adolescent Health.
Wetzel, G. M., Sanchez, D. T., & Cole, S. (2023). Feasibility cues during a sexual encounter impact the strength of heterosexual women’s orgasm goal pursuit. The Journal of Sex Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2023.2168599. Click here to read.
Wetzel, G. M. & Sanchez, D. T. (2022). Heterosexual young adults’ experience with and perceptions of the orgasm gap: A mixed methods approach. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 46(2), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843221076410. Click here to read.
Wetzel, G. M., Cultice, R. A., & Sanchez, D. T. (2022). Orgasm frequency predicts desire and expectation for orgasm: Assessing the orgasm gap within mixed-sex couples. Sex Roles, 86, 456-470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-022-01280-7. Click here to read.
Manuscripts Under Review & In Preparation
Dickman, K.*, Wetzel, G. M., & Sanchez, D. T. (invited revision). The role of partner gender: How expectations for clitoral stimulation and orgasm shape orgasm goal pursuit for heterosexual, lesbian, and bisexual women.
Wetzel, G. M., Cultice, R. A., Cipollina, R., & Sanchez, D. T. Masculinity and condom use: Using a rejection sensitivity framework to understand women’s condom negotiation in mixed-sex sexual encounters.
Wetzel, G. M., Sanchez, D. T., Gesselman, A., Garcia, J., Adams, O., & Campbell, J. Exploring the orgasm gap across racial/ethnic groups: A descriptive analysis.
Wetzel, G. M. & Sanchez, D. T. Endorsement of biological explanations for the orgasm gap: Implications for immutability and gender essentialism.
*Denotes undergraduate mentee
Research Grants
Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation (NSF), 2022
Clara Mayo Grant, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), 2022
Oral Conference Presentations
Wetzel, G. M., Sanchez, D. T., & Cole, S. (2023, February). Is orgasm worth pursuing? The role of feasibility cues in shaping heterosexual women’s motivation to pursue orgasm. Data blitz presented at the Sexuality Pre-Conference for the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Atlanta, GA.
Dickman, K.*, Wetzel, G. M., & Sanchez, D. T. (2023, February). Using expectancy-value theory to predict the strength of orgasm goal pursuit for heterosexual and lesbian women. Undergraduate research spotlight presented virtually at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Atlanta, GA.
Pauwels, H.*, Wetzel, G. M., & Sanchez, D. T. (2023, February). Women’s orgasms as a masculinity achievement for men: The role of vaginal penetration versus clitoral stimulation. Undergraduate research spotlight presented virtually at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Atlanta, GA.
Wetzel, G. M., Cultice, R. A., & Sanchez, D. T. (2021, November). Women’s orgasm frequency predicts women’s desire and expectation for orgasm: Assessing the “orgasm gap” within dyadic mixed-sex couples. Oral presentation given at the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS).
Wetzel, G. M., Cultice, R. A., & Sanchez, D. T. (2021, February). Stress, loneliness, and COVID threat severity as predictors of sexual well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data blitz presented virtually at the Sexuality Pre-Conference for the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP).
*Denotes undergraduate mentee
Poster Presentations
Wetzel, G. M., Sanchez, D. T., & Cole, S. (2023, February). Goal pursuit and women’s orgasm: The role of feasibility cues in shaping women’s motivation to pursue orgasm. Poster presented in-person at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Atlanta, GA.
Wetzel, G. M., Sanchez, D. T., & Cole, S. (2022, November). Feasibility cues during a sexual encounter impact the strength of women’s orgasm goal pursuit. Poster presented virtually at the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS).
Wetzel, G. M. & Sanchez, D. T. (2022, February). Can the orgasm gap be fixed? The relationship between sexism, sexuality lay beliefs, and attitudes towards the orgasm gap.Poster accepted for the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP).
Wetzel, G. M. & Sanchez, D. T. (2021, August). College students’ experience with and perceptions of the “orgasm gap” in new and familiar contexts. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Wetzel, G. M. (2019, March). I’d like to thank the academy – for racial bias?: Racial bias in the judgment of rap music. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA).
Wetzel, G. M. (2018, September). I’d like to thank the academy – for racial bias?: Racial bias in the judgment of music. Poster presented at the meeting of the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium (NY6).
Presenting research at the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) annual conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.