ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Coolidge effect

Okay kiddo, do you know how sometimes when you get a toy, after a while it gets boring and you want a new one? The same thing can happen with grown-ups and sex.

The Coolidge Effect is a fancy name for when a guy has sex with the same partner over and over again, and eventually it may not be as exciting anymore. But if he has sex with a different partner, that excitement might come back.

It's kind of like if you always eat your favorite food every day, you might get tired of it. But if you try something new, it can be exciting again.

The Coolidge Effect can happen to anyone, but it's named after a story about a US President named Calvin Coolidge. Apparently, he and his wife visited a chicken farm where a rooster was mating with a lot of hens. When the President asked how the rooster managed to do it with so many, the farmer said "He finds a new one every time. That keeps him busy."

So, the Coolidge Effect describes how having different partners can be more exciting than having the same partner all the time. But it's important to remember that everyone is different, and what works for one person might not work for another.