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The Dual-Control Model: The role of sexual inhibition & excitation in sexual arousal and behavior.

  • January 2007
  • In book: The Psychophysiology of Sex. (pp.197-222.)
  • Chapter: The Dual-Control Model: The role of sexual inhibition & excitation in sexual arousal and behavior.
  • Publisher: Indiana University Press
  • Editors: Erick Janssen
Authors:
Erick Janssen at Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies
Erick Janssen
  • Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies
John Bancroft at Indiana University Bloomington
John Bancroft
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Janssen, E. & Bancroft, J. (2007). The Dual-Control Model:
The role of sexual inhibition & excitation in sexual arousal
and behavior. In E. Janssen (Ed.), The Psychophysiology of
Sex. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 197-222.
... Moreover, the propensities for sexual excitation and inhibition are considered to be relatively independent from each other, allowing for the possibility that an individual has a weak or strong tendency for both. The model was developed in 1995 and first introduced a year later (Janssen & Bancroft, 1996), after which it was included in a review on inhibitory mechanisms (Bancroft, 1999) and further elaborated on by Bancroft and Janssen (2000) and Janssen and Bancroft (2007). Most research to date has focused on the trait dimension of the model and has examined associations between the propensities for sexual excitation and inhibition and various aspects of sexual function and behavior. ...
... The Dual Control Model is based on psychophysiological and neurophysiological studies of sexual response and (dys)function, and emerged from an attempt to integrate findings from studies on the role of cognitive processes in sexual arousal (e.g., Janssen & Everaerd, 1993;Janssen et al., 1994aJanssen et al., , 1994b and research on pharmacological and other tests (e.g., Nocturnal Penile Tumescence, NPT) used in the diagnosis of sexual dysfunction (e.g., Bancroft, 1995;Bancroft & Malone, 1995). The first type of studies mostly focused on the role of attentional processes and how, for example, distraction and worries about one's sexual performance (Barlow, 1986) interfere with the activation of sexual arousal in sexual contexts, whereas findings of the second type of research pointed at the need to consider more direct neurophysiological inhibitory processes (Janssen & Bancroft, 2007). For example, clinical studies have found that a substantial proportion of men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction respond poorly to the injection of smooth muscle relaxants into the penis (e.g., Bancroft & Malone, 1995). ...
... Such findings illustrate that inhibition of genital responses can occur in situations that are not sexual in nature and that, therefore, rule out explanations in terms of attentional processes. In fact, it has been argued that most research on the role of attentional processes in sexual dysfunction may be more relevant to excitatory than inhibitory mechanisms (Janssen & Bancroft, 2007). That is, cognitive models of sexual response and function (e.g., Barlow, 1986;Janssen et al., 2000) seem to focus mostly on processes that interfere with sexual excitation. 1 The Dual Control Model of sexual response emphasizes the importance of both sexual excitation, which depends on the processing of sexual stimuli, and sexual inhibition, which is proposed to be dependent on the processing of intra-or interpersonal threats (Bancroft & Janssen, 2000). ...
The Dual Control Model of Sexual Response: A Scoping Review, 2009-2022
Article
Full-text available
The Dual Control Model proposes that sexual arousal and related processes are dependent on the balance between sexual excitation and sexual inhibition, and that individuals vary in their propensity for these processes. This scoping review provides an overview and discussion of the questionnaires used to measure the propensities for sexual excitation and inhibition, their translation and validation in other languages, and their application in empirical research on topics ranging from sexual desire and arousal, sexual (dys)function, sexual risk taking, asexuality, hypersexuality, and sexual aggression. A total of 152 papers, published between 2009 and 2022 and identified using online databases, were included in this review. The findings, consistent with those reviewed by Bancroft et al. (2009), suggest that sexual excitation is particularly relevant to sexual desire and responsivity and predictive of asexuality and hypersexuality. Sexual inhibition plays a role in sexual dysfunction. sexual risk taking, and sexual aggression, although often in interaction with sexual excitation. Suggestions for the further development of the model and for future studies are discussed.
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... For example, suppose that a sexual stimulus activates a threat-or worry-related meaning in memory and is appraised as such; it can divert the attention from the sexual content of that stimulus and therefore hinder sexual response. 4,12 The dual control model of sexual response, while acknowledging the relevance of attentional mechanisms, conceptualizes sexual response as a product of sexual excitation and inhibition propensities, acting centrally in the brain. 12,13 This framework assumes that individuals vary in such propensities and that those differences can be systematically measured. ...
... 4,12 The dual control model of sexual response, while acknowledging the relevance of attentional mechanisms, conceptualizes sexual response as a product of sexual excitation and inhibition propensities, acting centrally in the brain. 12,13 This framework assumes that individuals vary in such propensities and that those differences can be systematically measured. 14 To assess this construct, the authors developed a multidimensional instrument-the Sexual Inhibition and Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) 15,16 -which comprise 3 independent factors: sexual excitation (SES), sexual inhibition due to threat of performance failure (SIS1), and sexual inhibition due to threat of performance consequences (SIS2). ...
... We employed the Portuguese version of the SIS/SES to measure the inhibitory and excitatory propensity described in the dual control model of sexual response. 12,15 This self-report instrument assesses 1 excitation factor (SES) and 2 inhibition factors: sexual inhibition due to threat of performance failure (SIS1) and sexual inhibition due to threat of performance consequences (SIS2). The scales comprise a total of 45 statements describing hypothetical situations, and the answers are provided per a 4-point Likert scale in which respondents rate their levels of agreement. ...
(176) Unconscious Attention to Sexual Stimuli: An Electroencephalography Study Regarding the Role of Neuroticism and Sexual Excitation/Inhibition
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2023
Introduction Past research has shown that neuroticism is a higher-order vulnerability factor in developing and maintaining emotional disorders and is related to an increased risk of sexual dysfunction. In a recent study, neuroticism was found to impact the automatic attention towards sexual stimuli, but the influence of psychosexual dimensions on such cognitive processes is not fully established. Objective Our aim was to study the mediating role of sexual inhibition/excitation propensity in the relationship between neuroticism and automatic attention to sexual stimuli and also to identify the neuroelectric correlates of this process. Methods We studied 58 individuals (Mage = 23.63; SD = 0.97), who presented either high or low neuroticism levels in the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO PI-R). Participants also completed the Sexual Inhibition/Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) and event-related potentials (ERP) P1, P2 and N2 were recorded during a modified oddball paradigm containing romantic and sexually explicit pictures. Using parallel mediation analyses, we simultaneously tested the mediating role of sexual inhibition/excitation in the relationship between neuroticism and each ERP of interest. Results Findings revealed an indirect effect of neuroticism on automatic attention, via SIS1, regardless of the type of stimuli. Such indirect effect was only significant for component N2, with increased amplitudes and earlier latencies in participants with high neuroticism. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large. Conclusions These results can be interpreted as a sign of an enhanced emotional response elicited by the exposure to the sexual content. Results also showed that neuroticism predicts sexual inhibition due to threat of performance failure (SIS1), but does not have an effect on sexual excitation (SES) or sexual inhibition due to threat of performance consequences (SIS2). Our findings suggest that automatic attentional mechanisms are closely related to personality and sexual-related domains, and support the relevance of studying non-conscious cognitive phenomena in the context of human sexual behaviour. Disclosure No
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... A frequently utilized and researched strict trait-like concept, similar to sexual responsiveness, is called sexual excitation. According to the Dual Control Model of Sexual Response (Janssen & Bancroft, 2007), sexual excitation and sexual inhibition represent "two neurophysiological systems, one relevant to activation and the other to suppression of sexual response" (p. 199). ...
... We are not the first to (re)iterate a difference, at least conceptually, between arousal and reward circuitries, and that each of these could exhibit strict trait-like differences (Whalen, 1966;Frijda, 2008;Henckens & Everaerd, 2020;Eysenck, 1967;Gray, 1982;Carver & White, 1994;Sexual Pleasure Matters -14 Corr, 2009;Janssen & Bancroft, 2007). For instance, we might call the overall state-output of the whole sexual response system its sexual response and its individual trait-difference sexual responsiveness. ...
... For instance, we might call the overall state-output of the whole sexual response system its sexual response and its individual trait-difference sexual responsiveness. Sexual excitation in interaction with sexual inhibition (Janssen & Bancroft, 2007) might validly denote individual differences in overall responsiveness, since their interaction seems to encompass individual differences across all state circuitries, i.e., arousal, wanting, and liking, as well as aversion-circuitries (Bancroft, 1999; sometimes referred to as sensitivity of the overall nervous system; Toates, 2009, p. 170). We would suggest that arousability (Eysenck, 1967;Whalen, 1966;Janssen & Bancroft, 2007) denotes trait-like differences of the arousal circuitry, that incentive reward sensitivity (DeYoung, 2015) denotes trait-like differences in wanting circuitry, and that general reward sensitivity (Toates, 2009) denotes trait-like differences across both wanting and liking circuitries. ...
Sexual Pleasure Matters – and How to Define and Assess It too. A Conceptual Framework of Sexual Pleasure and the Sexual Response.
Preprint
  • Jan 2023
Sexual pleasure is central to current understandings of sexual function, health, and wellbeing. In this article, we suggest that we lack a sufficiently specific, yet encompassing, definition of sexual pleasure and that we therefore lack comprehensive assessments of sexual pleasure. We introduce a definition of sexual pleasure and position it centrally in an adapted framework of the sexual response. In the framework, we include a taxonomy of rewards which can be retrieved from sex and thereby aim to capture the multifaceted nature of sexual pleasure. We arrive at the definition, framework, and taxonomy by integrating theories of sexual motivation and response with the literature on sexual pleasure and basic rewards. We position this literature within theories of affect and personality which allows us to differentiate between the experience of and the tendency to experience sexual pleasure (i.e., state versus trait sexual pleasure). We shortly discuss how this conceptualization of sexual pleasure could be reflected in self-report assessments to quantitatively assess sexual pleasure. The framework may aid to focus on the role of the diverse facets of sexual pleasure in sexual function, health, and wellbeing and contribute to giving sexual pleasure the center position it deserves in sex research and therapy. [The four manuscript versions have been (re)submitted on July 15 2021, March 19 2022, August 19 2022, and January 3 2023 respectively. The fourth version is currently under review.]
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... For example, suppose that a sexual stimulus activates a threat-or worry-related meaning in memory and is appraised as such; it can divert the attention from the sexual content of that stimulus and therefore hinder sexual response. 4,12 The dual control model of sexual response, while acknowledging the relevance of attentional mechanisms, conceptualizes sexual response as a product of sexual excitation and inhibition propensities, acting centrally in the brain. 12,13 This framework assumes that individuals vary in such propensities and that those differences can be systematically measured. ...
... 4,12 The dual control model of sexual response, while acknowledging the relevance of attentional mechanisms, conceptualizes sexual response as a product of sexual excitation and inhibition propensities, acting centrally in the brain. 12,13 This framework assumes that individuals vary in such propensities and that those differences can be systematically measured. 14 To assess this construct, the authors developed a multidimensional instrument-the Sexual Inhibition and Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) 15,16 -which comprise 3 independent factors: sexual excitation (SES), sexual inhibition due to threat of performance failure (SIS1), and sexual inhibition due to threat of performance consequences (SIS2). ...
... We employed the Portuguese version of the SIS/SES to measure the inhibitory and excitatory propensity described in the dual control model of sexual response. 12,15 This self-report instrument assesses 1 excitation factor (SES) and 2 inhibition factors: sexual inhibition due to threat of performance failure (SIS1) and sexual inhibition due to threat of performance consequences (SIS2). The scales comprise a total of 45 statements describing hypothetical situations, and the answers are provided per a 4-point Likert scale in which respondents rate their levels of agreement. ...
Automatic attention to sexual stimuli: exploring the role of neuroticism and sexual excitation/inhibition through event-related potentials
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2023
Background Previous findings have shown that neuroticism is a higher-order vulnerability factor in the development and maintenance of sexual dysfunctions and can have an impact on the attentional processing of sexual stimuli; however, the influence of psychosexual dimensions on the early automatic phases of such cognitive processes has not been established yet. Aim To examine the mediating role of sexual inhibition/excitation propensity in the relationship between neuroticism and automatic attention to visual erotica and to identify the neuroelectric correlates of such a process. Methods We analyzed the answers provided by 58 individuals on the Neuroticism subscale of the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised and the Sexual Inhibition/Excitation Scales. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a modified oddball paradigm containing romantic and sexually explicit pictures. Parallel mediations were performed to simultaneously test the mediating role of sexual inhibition/excitation in the relationship between neuroticism and each ERP. Outcomes Three early attention ERP components (P1, P2, and N2) were assessed. Results Findings revealed an indirect effect of neuroticism on automatic attention, via sexual inhibition due to threat of performance failure (SIS1), for romantic and sexually explicit stimuli. This effect was significant only for component N2, which showed increased amplitudes and earlier latencies in participants with high SIS1. Clinical Implications Sexual stimuli, due to their emotional valence and arousal potential, might be perceived as virtually threatening by individuals with neuroticism, who may benefit from strategies that decrease hyperarousal and sympathetic activation. Strengths and Limitations This was one of the first studies to analyze neuroelectric activity associated with automatic attention toward sexual stimuli in relation to personality and sexual excitation/inhibition propensity. Nevertheless, the limited number of participants demands caution in generalizing the results. Conclusion These results provide a better understanding of the relationship between personality and sexual cognition and open new avenues of research in relation to other automatic cognitive phenomena related to human sexual behavior.
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... Although pornography has long been used as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in sexual therapy [11], it has been suggested that ED and a lack of interest in partnered sex are actually related to pornography use, and pornography-induced ED and abnormally low libido due to pornography were reported for the first time in 2007 [12]. In the study of men with a mean age of 36 seeking help due to ED, it was reported that ED was accompanied by a low desire for partnered sex and was a common problem for men who frequently used pornography and masturbated [13]. ...
... Erectile dysfunction and abnormally low libido caused by pornography were first reported by Kinsey Institute researchers in 2007 [12]. Since then, there has been growing evidence that internet pornography may be a factor in the rapid increase in rates of sexual dysfunction. ...
Effect of internet pornography use frequency on psychogenic erectile dysfunction severity in young Turkish men: the mediating role of dyadic adjustment
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2023
This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the effect of the frequency of using pornography on psychogenic erectile dysfunction severity after controlling for other psychological factors. It then evaluated the mediating role of dyadic adjustment regarding this. This study included 66 young married heterosexual male patients who were diagnosed with psychogenic erectile dysfunction after organic causes were excluded. The patients filled out the form about demographics, the age of onset of pornography use, and the frequency of pornography use. All participants were evaluated using a comprehensive data form, the International Index of Erectile Function, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-Somatic, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. A significant strong negative correlation was determined between the International Index of Erectile Function scores and pornography use frequency (r = –0.535 and p < 0.001). Pornography use frequency and Dyadic Adjustment Scale scores were found to have a significant predictive effect on erectile dysfunction scores in hierarchical regression analysis after controlling for somatization, depression, and perceived stress, which are typically correlated with erectile dysfunction scores (Beta = −0.28, and 0.34 respectively, p = 0.02, and 0.01 respectively). The Sobel test conducted to evaluate the mediating effect of dyadic adjustment revealed that dyadic adjustment played a mediating role in the correlation between pornography use frequency and erectile dysfunction scores (z = –1.988 and p = 0.047, respectively). The most significant observation of this study was the specific causative effect of pornography use frequency on erectile dysfunction severity through dyadic adjustment, especially considering that the frequency of using pornography is a modifiable factor.
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... Furthermore, and in addition to the models explained above, Janssen and Bancroft (2006) proposed the dual control model to explain male SD. The model predicts that a balance between arousal and inhibition, as well as context and interpersonal/intrapersonal factors, condition a person's sexual response (Janssen & Bancroft, 2006). ...
... Furthermore, and in addition to the models explained above, Janssen and Bancroft (2006) proposed the dual control model to explain male SD. The model predicts that a balance between arousal and inhibition, as well as context and interpersonal/intrapersonal factors, condition a person's sexual response (Janssen & Bancroft, 2006). Similarly, other studies demonstrate that male SF, particularly sexual satisfaction, also correlates with the psychological dimension, and is influenced by cognitive, affective, and relationship factors (Carvalho & Nobre, 2011;Gomes & Nobre, 2012). ...
Emotion Regulation and Sexual Functioning in a Dyad: A Comprehensive Literature Review
Article
Full-text available
Introduction The romantic relationship in a dyad is largely characterized by its interdependent factors. The literature indicates that couples conduct the process of emotion regulation together and that emotional regulation difficulties jeopardize the romantic relationship. Nevertheless, sexual functioning influences the marital satisfaction and relational ties of a romantic partnership. This work carried out in 2022, aims to describe the concepts of emotion regulation, emotional regulation difficulties, and sexual functioning to understand the relationship between these variables. Methods The analysis was conducted according to a dyadic perspective, not merely an individual one, to better explore this subject in romantic relationships. A comprehensive literature review search was conducted of the international databases. Results After an extensive literature review, we found 99 peer-reviewed articles, among classic and current studies (since 2000, but with a higher incidence from 2015), that met the objectives of this review. These studies helped us to compose the body of literature that we divided into four blocks, namely, Emotion Regulation; Sexual Functioning; Sexual Functioning and Human Sexual Response; and Sexual Functioning and Satisfaction. Conclusions Sexual relationship between romantic partners is influenced by contextual and emotional factors, and it is important to consider that sexual functioning in the dyad impacts the relational ties of the couple. Policy Implications It is hoped that this review can encourage further research on the variables under analysis and more informed clinical practice, thus positively impacting the romantic relationships of dyads.
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... Additionally, Janssen and Bancroft's dual control model suggests that sexual arousal depends on the balance between sexual excitation and inhibition, such that the weighing of these 2 processes determines whether sexual activity occurs in a particular situation. 32 Symptoms of anxiety and depression may disrupt both the excitation and inhibition processes, leading to compromised sexual function. ...
The impact of COVID-19 and long COVID on sexual function in cisgender women
Article
Full-text available
Background Research suggests that COVID-19 impairs sexual function in men, but little is known about the impact of COVID-19 (or long COVID) on sexual function in women. Aim We sought to compare the sexual function of cisgender women who had never had COVID-19, who had COVID-19 but not long COVID, and who had long COVID, and assessed whether long COVID symptoms and/or emotional distress mediate the relationship between COVID-19 history and sexual function. Methods In total, 2329 adult cisgender women were recruited online as study participants. Half of these women reported having had COVID-19, and the other half reported never having had COVID-19. Of those who had COVID-19, 25% (n = 170) reported having long COVID. We compared the mean Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores by using t-tests for each of the primary comparison categories (never COVID vs COVID and only COVID vs long COVID). Four path models were used to test the hypotheses that (1) long COVID symptoms or (2) depression, anxiety, and/or stress assessed with the subscales of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) mediated the relationship between COVID-19 and sexual function. Outcomes Sexual function was measured with the FSFI, long COVID symptoms were assessed using the Centers for Disease Control working symptom set, and emotional distress was measured with the DASS-21. Results In total, 1313 participants provided data suitable for analysis. The never-COVID group (n = 645, 49.1%) had higher scores on the Desire, Arousal, Lubrication, and Satisfaction subscales of the FSFI (mean [M] [SD] FSFI total Mnever COVID = 27.98 [4.84] vs MCOVID = 27.05 [5.21]) than the combined only-COVID (n = 498, 37.9%) and long-COVID (n = 170, 12.9%) groups. The FSFI subscale scores were significantly higher in the only-COVID group than in the long-COVID group for the Arousal, Lubrication, and Orgasm and lower for the Pain subscales and higher for overall sexual function (FSFI total Monly COVID = 27.49 [5.00] vs Mlong COVID = 25.77 [5.61]. None of the proposed mediation models had adequate model fit. Clinical Implications Clinicians treating cisgender women who have COVID-19 should consider proactively discussing sexual function with their patients and offering available resources. Strengths and Limitations In this study we used a large and diverse sample, but this sample did not include transgender or gender-diverse persons. This study was also correlational; as such, causal conclusions cannot be drawn. Further, the mechanism of action remains unexplained. Conclusions The study findings suggest the following: (1) COVID-19 infection is associated with impaired sexual function in cisgender women, and (2) that women with long COVID experienced incrementally more impaired sexual function than women with COVID-19 who did not develop long COVID.
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Effects of fragrance on female sexual arousal and mood across the menstrual cycle
Article
Full-text available
The effects of fragrance on sexual response in women were investigated using subjective and physiological measures of sexual arousal and of mood. Responses were obtained from female participants in three different fragrance conditions (female fragrance, male fragrance, and a “blank” or neutral substance), as they viewed erotic and sexually neutral films, and fantasized about sexual situations. Each woman was tested twice: during the midfollicular and periovulatory phases of her menstrual cycle. Menstrual cycle phase effects were apparent; self-report data indicated greater sexual arousal and more positive mood during the periovulatory than during the follicular phase. Results demonstrated a positive effect of the male fragrance on genital arousal during erotic fantasy, but this finding was apparent only during the follicular phase testing session. This effect did not appear to be mediated by any effects of fragrance on mood.
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The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women: Psychometric Properties
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2006
This article reports on the development of a new questionnaire designed to assess the propensity for sexual excitation and sexual inhibition in women: The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W). The theoretical model underlying this research, the Dual Control Model, postulates that sexual response depends on a balance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms and that individuals vary in their propensity for excitation and inhibition. This study describes the development and initial validation of the SESII-W in a sample of 655 women (M age, 33.9 years). Factor analysis identified eight factors and two higher-order factors: one related to sexual excitation and one to sexual inhibition. The measure demonstrated good test-retest reliability and discriminant and convergent validity. Our data underscore that a number of factors affect women's sexual arousal and these appear to be related to opposing processes of sexual excitation and sexual inhibition. Theoretical issues, possible gender differences, and the value of using qualitative data to inform questionnaire development are discussed.
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