Skip to main content
Log in

Male sexual arousal across five modes of erotic stimulation

  • Published:
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Penile circumference changes and subjective sexual arousal were recorded when erotic material depicting the same sequence of events was experienced in five different modes: film, slides, spoken-text, written-text, and fantasy. Twenty-four men were tested within a repeated-measures design, with the order of presentation of modes counterbalanced across subjects. Sessions were separated by 24 hr or more. The highest levels of physiological and subjective arousal were found for film, while fantasy produced the lowest level of arousal. Slides, spoken-text, and written-text elicited intermediate levels of arousal, and these three conditions were equally potent. Factors relating to mode differences in arousal to erotic stimulation are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abel, G. G., and Blanchard, E. B. (1976). The measurement and generation of sexual arousal in male sexual deviates. In Hersen, M., Eisler, R., and Miller, R. M. (eds.),Progress in Behavior Modification, Vol. 2, Academic Press, New York, pp. 99–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abel, G. C., Barlow, D. H., Blanchard, E. B., and Mavissakalian, M. (1975a). Measurement of sexual arousal in male homosexuals: The effects of instructions and stimulus modality.Arch. Sex. Behav. 4: 623–629.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Abel, G. G., Blanchard, E. B., Barlow, D. H., and Mavissakalian, M. (1975b). Identifying specific erotic cues in sexual deviations by audiotaped descriptions.J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 8: 247–260.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Abelson, H., Cohen, R., Heaton, E., and Suder, C. (1970). Public attitudes toward and experience with erotic materials. InTechnical Reports of the Committee on Obscenity and Pornography, Vol. 8, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bancroft, J. H., Jones, H. C., and Pullan, B. R. (1966). A single transducer for measuring penile erection, with comments on its use in the treatment of sexual disorders.Behav. Res. Ther. 4: 239–241.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bancroft, J., and Mathews, A. (1971). Autonomic correlates of penile erection.J. Psychosom. Res. 15: 159–167.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M. (1968). Heterosexual behavior assessment—1.Males. Behav. Res. Ther. 6: 21–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, D., and Lamberth, J. (1970). The effect of erotic stimuli on sex arousal evaluative responses and subsequent behavior. InTechnical Reports of the Committee on Obscenity and Pornography, Vol. 8, U.S. Government Priniting Office, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campagna, A. F. (1976). Normative and functional aspects of young men's masturbation fantasies. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Yale University.

  • Carroll, D., Baker, J., and Preston, M. (1979). Individual differences in visual imagery and the voluntary control of heart rate.Brit. J. Psychol. 70: 39–49.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, R. F., Fosen, R. H., and Pacht, P. (1971). Pornography and the sex offender: Patterns of previous exposure and arousal effects of pornographic stimuli.J. Appl. Psychol. 55: 503–571.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dekker, J., Everaerd, W., and Verhelst, N. (1985). Attending to stimuli or to images of sexual feelings: Effects on sexual arousal.Behav. Res. Ther. 23: 139–149.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drummond, P., White, K., and Ashton, R. (1978). Imagery vividness affects habituation rate.Psychophysiology 15: 193–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freund, K., Langevin, R., and Zajac, Y. (1974). A note on the erotic arousal value of moving and stationary human forms.Behav. Res. Ther. 12: 117–119.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freund, K., Scher, H., Racansky, I. G., Campbell, K., and Heasman, G. (1986). Males disposed to commit rape.Arch. Sex. Behav. 15: 23–35.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fuhr, R. (1976). Facilitation of sexual arousal through imagery. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, State University of New York at Stony Brook.

  • Geer, J. H., and Fuhr, R. (1976). Cognitive factors in sexual arousal: The role of distraction.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 44: 238–243.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, R., Yulis, S., and LaCosts, D. (1980). Relationships among sexual arousability, imagery ability, and introversion-extroversion.J. Sex Res. 16: 72–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Julien, E., and Over, R. (1981). Male sexual arousal and the law of initial value.Psychophysiology 18: 709–711.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Julien, E., and Over, R. (1984). Male sexual arousal with repeated exposure to erotic stimuli.Arch. Sex. Behav. 13: 211–222.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., and Martin, C. E. (1948).Sexual Behavior in the Human Male Saunders, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolarsky, A., and Madlafousek, J. (1972). Female behavior and sexual arousal in heterosexual male deviant offenders.J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 155: 110–118.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, E. E., and Hinesley, R. K. (1967). Some factors in the valences of erotic visual stimuli.J. Sex Res. 3: 63–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mann, J. (1970). The experimental induction of human sexual arousal. InTechnical Reports of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, Vol. 1, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • McConaghy, N. (1974). Penile volume responses to moving and still pictures of male and female nudes.Arch. Sex. Behav. 3: 565–570.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Effects Panel to the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography. (1970). InThe Report of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, Part II. The Impact of Erotica, Bantam, New York.

  • Reifler, C. B., Howard, J., Lipton, M. A., Liptzin, M. B., and Widmann, D. E. (1971). Pornography: An experimental study of effects.Am. J. Psychiat. 128: 575–582.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sandford, D. A. (1974). Patterns of sexual arousal in heterosexual males.J. Sex Res. 10: 150–155.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D., and Over, R. (1987). Correlates of fantasy-induced and film-induced male sexual arousal.Arch. Sex. Behav. 16: 395–409.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steinman, D. L., Wincze, J. B., Sakheim, D. K., Barlow, D. H., and Mavissakalian, M. (1981). A comparison of male and female patterns of sexual arousal.Arch. Sex. Behav. 10: 529–547.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tannenbaum, P. A. (1970). Emotional arousal as a mediator of communication effects. InTechnical Reports of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, Vol. 8, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, K. D. (1978). Salivation: The significance of imagery in its voluntary control.Psychophysiology 15: 196–203.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, G. T., and Lawson, D. M. (1976). Expectancies, alcohol, and sexual arousal in male social drinkers.J. Abn. Psychol. 85: 587–594.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Julien, E., Over, R. Male sexual arousal across five modes of erotic stimulation. Arch Sex Behav 17, 131–143 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01542663

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01542663

Key words

Navigation