Some women might fake it until they actually enjoy it — orgasms that is, according to new research published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior. The research suggested that women fake orgasms to actually increase their libido.

Researchers from Temple University and Kenyon College asked 481 heterosexual females to specify what facts influenced their decision to fake an orgasm. Some shared that they finally believed the sex was good after convincing themselves they enjoyed it. All of the women were sexually active, but not necessarily in committed relationships.

"Deciding to fake orgasm for this motive may have little to nothing to do with a woman's partner and his sexual experience," co-author of the study, Erin Cooper, told The Huffington Post. “I view this strategy as one of the many 'tools in the toolbox' women may use to enhance their own sexual experience."

The study authors, Erin B. Cooper, Allan Fenigstein, Robert L. Fauber, used the Faking Orgasm Scale for Women, which used four markers: altruistic deceit, faking it out of concern for a partner's feelings; fear and insecurity, faking it to avoid negative emotions associated with the sexual experience; elevated arousal, attempting to increase one's own arousal through faking orgasm; and sexual adjournment, faking orgasm to end sex.

According to a 2010 study, approximately 80 percent of women fake orgasms, and this new FOS scale might give a better understanding as to why this happens so often. "What is unique about the Faking Orgasm Scale for Women is that, for the first time, we have quantitative evidence suggesting women may also fake orgasm for far more 'selfish' reasons, like increasing their own arousal," Cooper said.

The study found that women were more likely to fake an orgasm to elevate arousal. But faking an orgasm for altruistic reasons was the most common because women didn’t want to hurt their partner’s feelings.

The researchers believe that this study will help to better understand why women fake orgasms. “Deepening this understanding may serve future research examining sexual desire, satisfaction, and dysfunction as well as have applications in sex and couples’ therapy,” they concluded.

Source: Cooper EB, Fenigstein A, Fauber R, The Faking Orgasm Scale for Women: Psychometric Properties. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2014