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Erotophobia-erotophila as a dimension of personality
The Journal of Sex Research
Abstract
This review discusses the measurement, antecedents, and consequents of erotophobia‐erotophilia—the disposition to respond to sexual cues along a negative‐positive dimension of affect and evaluation. Test construction procedures which resulted in a 21‐item measure of this personality construct are reported. Evidence indicates that the measure is internally consistent, shows acceptable degrees of convergent and discriminant validity, and is correlated as expected with related constructs such as authoritarianism, adherence to traditional sex roles, indices of value orthodoxy, and various measures of sex‐related evaluations. Retrospective surveys and group contrasts suggest that erotophobia‐erotophilia is a learned disposition based on one's exposure to sex‐related restrictiveness and punishment during socialization. Consequents of erotophobia‐erotophilia involve avoidance versus approach responses to sexuality in a wide range of situations; scores on this test predict differential sexual experience, responses to erotica, likelihood of engaging in sexual fantasy behavior, the tendency to learn about or teach others about sex, engaging in sex‐related health care, the probability of utilizing contraception, and behaving sexually during pregnancy and postpartum. Cross‐cultural research provides evidence for the generality of this construct beyond North America.
... We assessed erotophilia using the Sexual Opinion Survey-Short Form (SOS-SF; Fisher et al., 1988;Semph, 1979), which consists of five items assessing attitudes toward various sexual stimuli. Responses are indicated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). ...
... Lower total scores indicate greater erotophobia (e.g., holding negative regard to aspect(s) of sex and sexuality) and higher total scores indicate greater endorsement of erotophilia (e.g., embracing sex and sexuality with positive regard). Previous research demonstrates that the SOS-SF is highly correlated with the original, 21-item SOS (see Fisher et al., 1988). An adequate Cronbach's alpha of .71 was established in the current study. ...
... It is possible that men may target women high in erotophilia in a bid to optimize sexual outcomes, which constitutes the most commonly reported motivation for sending such images . Though erotophilic women, by definition, have more positive attitudes toward-and likely more positive reactions to-some sexual stimuli (Fisher et al., 1988), the non-consensual nature of unsolicited genital images renders them unlikely to be received positively by any women. ...
Introduction
Existing research on technology-facilitated sexualized violence (TFSV) and unsolicited genital images in particular tends to focus on gender as an analytic category, including examining differences in experiences between men and women or focusing on women as a group. We examined heterogeneity among women in risk of receiving unsolicited genital images, as well as in responses and reactions to such images.
Methods
Through a TFSV- and intersectional-informed lens, we developed and piloted a measure to better assess women’s experiences with receiving unsolicited genital images (Study 1; N = 96) and then used this measure to examine heterogeneity in women’s experiences with regard to race, sexual orientation, age, and feminist identity (Study 2; N = 1245). Across both studies, data was collected between January 2019 and September 2020.
Results
We found that women’s risk of being subject to unsolicited genital images varied depending on individual characteristics, with risk heightened for younger women, White women with less salient feminist identities, and women higher in erotophilia. Using a data-driven approach, we created and compared clusters of women to examine heterogeneity in reactions and responses; these clusters highlighted how sexual orientation- and race-based disparities are reinscribed through image-based sexual violence.
Conclusions
We interpret our findings as being in conversation with additional work on the need for a more intersectional approach to TFSV which situates this form of violence in broader discourses surrounding sexism, racism, heterosexism, and other forms of oppression.
Policy Implications
We hope that our work can stimulate ongoing organizational and policy change to intervene upon the sending of unsolicited genital images and ensure that this form of TFSV is not trivialized.
... The erotophobia-erotophilia construct is defined, according to Fisher et al. [23], as the learned disposition to respond to sexual stimuli on a bipolar dimension of affect and evaluation from negative (erotophobia) to positive (erotophilia) poles. Based on this conceptualization, the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) [23] makes it possible to classify people as erotophilic or erotophobic. ...
... The erotophobia-erotophilia construct is defined, according to Fisher et al. [23], as the learned disposition to respond to sexual stimuli on a bipolar dimension of affect and evaluation from negative (erotophobia) to positive (erotophilia) poles. Based on this conceptualization, the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) [23] makes it possible to classify people as erotophilic or erotophobic. Erotophilic individuals place their responses in the scores closer to the positive pole of the evaluative continuum, i.e., they value sex as pleasurable and seek sexual activity, whereas the responses of erotophobic individuals are placed in scores closer to the negative pole, i.e., they value sexual activity negatively and tend to avoid it [23]. ...
... Based on this conceptualization, the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) [23] makes it possible to classify people as erotophilic or erotophobic. Erotophilic individuals place their responses in the scores closer to the positive pole of the evaluative continuum, i.e., they value sex as pleasurable and seek sexual activity, whereas the responses of erotophobic individuals are placed in scores closer to the negative pole, i.e., they value sexual activity negatively and tend to avoid it [23]. Erotophilia is considered an indicator of sexual health [18,24,25], as it is related to overall good sexual functioning [13,[26][27][28][29] and, specifically, with sexual desire [16,[30][31][32], subjective and objective sexual arousal [18,19,33,34], the propensity for sexual arousal [35,36], the subjective experience of orgasm [11], and sexual satisfaction [15,22,37]. ...
Despite the growing interest in the study of sexual attitudes across sexual orientation, few studies have tested whether the instruments used to measure them are invariant. This study examined measurement invariance (configural, weak, strong, and strict) across sexual orientation in three different sexual attitude scales: the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) to assess erotophilia, the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) to assess attitudes toward sexual fantasies, and the Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Inventory (NATMI) to assess negative attitudes toward masturbation. A total of 2293 Spanish adult men and women with different sexual orientations (i.e., heterosexual, bisexual, and gay) participated in the study. The results indicated strict invariance for HISF across sexual orientation and only weak invariance for SOS and NATMI. Differential item functioning was also found in two items of the NATMI scale. Evidence of validity was provided for the three scales that were studied.
... Currently, there are a number of scales that measure sexual attitudes (see: Blanc et al., 2018;Fisher et al., 1988;Gilbert & Gamache, 1984;Hendrick & Hendrick, 1987;Hendrick et al., 2006;Hudson et al., 1983;Reiss, 1964) and even more that address sexual attitudes in relation to specific factors (such a religiosity, see: Victor et al., 2015;Young et al., 2015). Several of these scales include items that are important to measure sex positivity, such as opinions on same-gender relationships and various sexual activities. ...
... In many of the current scales on sexual attitudes, they will focus on one aspect of sex positivity but not include others. One such example would be the Sexual Opinion Survey (Fisher et al., 1988). This scale focuses on opinions towards erotica, pornography, and masturbation, and is used for measuring an individual's level of erotophobia or erotophilia. ...
... Sexual behaviors and activities have been studied and discussed in previous literature (see : Blanc et al., 2018;Fisher et al., 1988;Gilbert & Gamache, 1984;Gray et al., 2019;Laner et al., 1978;Twenge et al., 2015). However, sexual behaviors and activities are still necessary to include in this study because of its major influence in sex positivity. ...
Sex Positivity as a construct has garnered much attention in recent years - in the media, with global policy, and in research endeavors. This research aims to provide a measure that can evaluate levels of sex positivity for use in research and clinical work. An examination of the literature discovered several commonalities related to the traits of sex positivity, which informed the initial item pool. 521 participants provided data for the initial analysis, which utilized Classical Test Theory to provide evidence of validity and reliability for a stable scale. The final structure of The Sex Positivity Scale was shown to be a valid and reliable measure with three subscales (Behaviors and Attitudes, Talking about Sex/Communication, Knowledge and Beliefs) and one aggregate total score. The measure itself is comprised of 27 items on a Likert scale, and can be utilized in a variety of contexts.
... Another important aspect of the sexual self involves one's feelings of ease or comfort with sexuality. Erotophobia-erotophilia was first conceptualized as an individual difference by Fisher, Byrne, White, and Kelley [19], and is thought to be a learned affective and evaluative response to sexual content. Discomfort or negativity toward sexuality is conceptualized as erotophobia, while the opposite would be erotophilia. ...
... If a person is erotophobic and finds sexuality repugnant, they might be more likely to foreclose on their sexual identity development process. However, given that Fisher et al. [19] theorized that erotophobia-erotophilia is a learned disposition, the most logical direction would appear to be that the process of learning about sexuality in the pursuit of development of sexual identity shapes or reinforces erotophobia-erotophilia. ...
... On the other hand, an advantage of the MoSIEC is its specificity to sexual identity-it covers some identity development domains (e.g., sexual orientation uncertainty) that may have no parallel in other identity development measures. Furthermore, erotophobia-erotophilia can be measured with other instruments such as the Sexual Opinion Survey [19] or the Sexual Anxiety Scale [36]. Using different instruments could provide support for the robustness of the theorized relationships. ...
Sexual identity development was explored as a predictor of sexual self-concept and
erotophobia–erotophilia using a student sample. Sexual identity development was operationalized
using Worthington et al.’s Measure of Sexual Identity Development, which is theoretically
based on Marcia’s identity model. Based onWorthington et al.’s scale, there are four sexual identity
development domains: commitment to one’s sexual identity, exploration of one’s sexual identity,
sexual orientation uncertainty, and synthesis/integration of one’s sexual identity. Several of Snell’s
Sexual Self-Concept scales (e.g., sexual depression, sexual self-efficacy) and Tromovitch’s Comfort
with Sexuality scales (e.g., comfort talking about sexuality, comfort with the sexual activities of
others) were used to define sexual self-concept and erotophobia–erotophilia, respectively. A sample
of students enrolled in an introductory psychology course at a Canadian university completed these
instruments. Results suggest that sexual identity development was strongly predictive of sexual
self-concept scales, multivariately. Sexual identity development was also predictive of comfort with
sexuality. Sexual self-concept and erotophobia–erotophilia were also related to each other. These
relationships supported the idea that a positive sexual identity development process contributes
to a favorable view of the sexual self. However, the study was cross-sectional and correlational, so
conclusions about directionality are preliminary and causality cannot be inferred.
... Comfort with Sexual Health Information. A 4-item subscale from the Sexual Anxiety Scale − Brief Form (a = 0.86), 48 derived from the Sexual Opinion Survey, 41,49 was used to measure individuals' levels of discomfort when exposed to sexual health-related information (eg, pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted infections). ...
... Moreover, results highlight a link between SA and discomfort with sex-related information, which may be understood in light of erotophobia research findings (ie, the tendency to respond to sexual stimuli with negative affect, such as discomfort, worry, and anxiety). 41 For example, heightened erotophobia was found to be associated with less sex-related information received from parents, strict religious and moral upbringing, 49 as well as with poor sexological knowledge (eg, anatomy, contraception, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections). 41 According to Fisher and colleagues, 49 the links between discomfort with sex-related information and erotophobia could be explained by developmental factors, such as the internalization of social norms and conditioning, whereby sexuality and unpleasant emotions (eg, guilt, fear or shame) are repeatedly associated from an early age. ...
... 41 For example, heightened erotophobia was found to be associated with less sex-related information received from parents, strict religious and moral upbringing, 49 as well as with poor sexological knowledge (eg, anatomy, contraception, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections). 41 According to Fisher and colleagues, 49 the links between discomfort with sex-related information and erotophobia could be explained by developmental factors, such as the internalization of social norms and conditioning, whereby sexuality and unpleasant emotions (eg, guilt, fear or shame) are repeatedly associated from an early age. In some cases, it could be hypothesized that erotophobic dispositions, acquired through learning and past experiences, could translate into distressing emotions (eg, anxiety) and sexual avoidance (ie, characteristic of SA). ...
Background: Sexual aversion (SA) is a chronic difficulty impacting sexual, relational and psychological wellbeing. Yet, there is a dearth of studies exploring its prevalence and associated factors.
Aims: To estimate the prevalence of SA and examine its correlates among a community sample of Canadian adults.
Methods: A large web-based sample of the Quebec (Canada) adult population (n = 1,935) completed an online survey on sexual wellbeing. Prevalence rates were estimated for SA and other sexual difficulties. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify correlates of SA.
Outcomes: Demographics (e.g., gender, employment status), self-reported experiences of sexual difficulties (low sexual desire and arousal, vaginal dryness, pain during sexual intercourse, erectile difficulties, premature or delayed ejaculation, and orgasm difficulties), and markers of psychosexual wellbeing (e.g., psychological distress, performance anxiety) according to the presence or absence of SA were assessed.
Results: The prevalence of SA was 9.7% (95% CI: 8.5-11.2) in the present sample (6.9% [95% CI: 5.1-8.9] in men, 11.3% [95% CI: 9.4-13.4] in women and 17.1% [95% CI: 9.4-27.4] in nonbinary/trans individuals). The multivariate logistic regression model explained 31% of the likelihood of experiencing SA. SA was related to psychological distress (aOR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.33-2.38), sexual satisfaction (aOR: .59, 95% CI:.49-.70), sexual performance anxiety (aOR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.45-2.98), and discomfort with sex-related information (aOR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04). Clinical implications: Several psychosexual correlates of SA were documented and could be targeted by practitioners during the assessment and treatment of individuals living with SA.
Strengths and limitations: The study’s strengths include its large, gender diverse sample and use of comprehensive diagnostic criteria for SA. Probability-based sampling methods and longitudinal studies should be conducted to address the current study’s limitations.
Conclusions: SA research is critical to document its prevalence in different sociodemographic groups, explore additional intrapersonal and interpersonal mechanisms involved in SA etiology, and ensure that the needs of people living with SA are met with tailored interventions.
... Also, sexual stimuli activate the brain in a largely nonspecific manner (Both et al., 2007). Therefore, we expect that excitation transfer would be associated with an underlying sensitivity to unusual sexual interests in general (i.e., "erotophilia," the love of any erotic stimulus; Fisher et al., 1988). ...
... The Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) is a 21-item self-report questionnaire that rated interest in sexual behaviors along a dimension ranging from erotophobia, i.e., a negative evaluation of sex, to erotophilia, i.e., a positive evaluation of sex (Fisher et al., 1988). A sample question is: "I think it would be very entertaining to look at hard-core pornography." ...
... For the sake of consistency with the other measures, ultimately all SOS scores were reversed such that higher sum scores (maximum score 175) reflected more erotophilia and lower sum scores (minimum score 25) reflected less erotophobia. In previous research, the original SOS showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.88) and good convergent and discriminant validity (Fisher et al., 1988). In the current study, the SOS showed low internal consistency with pretest SOS Cronbach's α = 0.38. ...
Excitation transfer, the transfer of arousal from one emotion to another, might be a mechanism in the development of unusual sexual interests. In this pilot study, we investigated whether we could induce excitation transfer between various emotions and sexual arousal in a laboratory setting with 30 male volunteers. We induced low-level sexual arousal in four different emotional states (aggression/dominance, endearment, fear, disgust) and a neutral state. Sexual arousal was measured using penile plethysmography and self-report. Although there was no mean group effect, possibly due to large interindividual variations, 60% of the subjects showed more sexual arousal in response to sexual stimulation in at least one of the emotional states than in the neutral state. Excitation transfer was most prominent with aggression/dominance and least prominent with disgust. Genital excitation transfer was strongly related to lower penile reactivity and to higher self-reported erotophilia. This pilot study paves the way for further research into excitation transfer as a mechanism to increase the salience of stimuli that otherwise would not have been sexual in nature.
... Outre ces spécificités du vécu de l'orientation sexuelle des personnes musulmanes, en ce qui a trait à la sexualité des personnes religieuses, plusieurs études démontrent que la religion peut engendrer des attitudes conservatrices chez ces fidèles (Ahrold et Meston, 2010;Beckwith et Morrow, 2005) ainsi que des affects négatifs à l'égard de la sexualité (Fisher, White, Byrne et Kelley, 1988;Lefkowitz, Gillen, Shearer et Boone, 2004). En effet, comme la religiosité « recouvre l'intensité de l'engagement personnel » de l'individu croyant à un système de croyances (Bertrand, 1997, p. 217), ces personnes cherchent à se conformer aux dogmes religieux (Bertrand, 1997). ...
... Parallèlement, pour certain·e·s participant·e·s, l'abstinence sexuelle est adoptée afin de contrer un sentiment de culpabilité associé aux pratiques entre personnes de même genre. De plus, plusieurs participant·e·s ressentent des affects négatifs lors des pratiques sexuelles avec leurs partenaires, constat également fait par de nombreuses études empiriques menées auprès de personnes croyantes hétérosexuelles ou issues de la diversité sexuelle (Fisher et al., 1988;Lefkowitz et al., 2004;Monheim, 2014;Siraj, 2012) : ...
En raison de leur orientation sexuelle et de leur adhésion à la religion musulmane, les personnes musulmanes issues de la diversité sexuelle au Québec sont confrontées à divers défis intersectionnels liés aux représentations négatives et antagonistes qui sont véhiculées à leur endroit. En effet, du fait de la méconnaissance et de l’incompréhension de leurs réalités multiples, ces personnes sont souvent perçues comme marginales et allant à l’encontre des valeurs de la société québécoise, de même qu’allant à l’encontre de certains préceptes issus de la religion musulmane en matière de sexualité. Ces stéréotypes véhiculés sur les personnes musulmanes engendrent des conséquences dans plusieurs sphères de leur vie. Qu’en est-il alors des expériences personnelles et interpersonnelles des personnes musulmanes issues de la diversité sexuelle quant à leur vécu sexuel et le vécu de leur orientation sexuelle? À l’aide de la théorie des scripts sexuels et du cadre analytique de l’intersectionnalité, cette recherche explore les influences des scripts sexuels présents dans la religion musulmane et dans la société québécoise sur le vécu sexuel et le vécu de l’orientation sexuelle des personnes musulmanes issues de la diversité sexuelle. Notre conclusion est que les influences respectives de ces scripts sexuels engendrent des défis multiples et distincts sur le vécu sexuel, en plus des impacts sur le vécu de l'orientation sexuelle. Ces influences amènent à mobiliser des stratégies d’adaptation au niveau personnel et interpersonnel afin de passer au travers d’un processus d’acceptation de soi et de concilier identité religieuse et orientation sexuelle.
... Among sexual attitudes, erotophilia stands out as one of the most researched. This construct refers to the positive attitude towards sexuality in general (Fisher et al., 1988). It has been positively related to sexual desire (Vallejo-Medina et al., 2014), propensity for sexual excitation (Granados et al., , 2018, sexual arousal experienced by viewing sexual stimuli Sierra et al., 2017), and subjective orgasm experience (Arcos-Romero et al., 2018;Cervilla et al., 2022). ...
... Sexual Opinion Survey (Fisher et al., 1988). The Spanish version of 6 items (e.g., "I personally find that thinking about engaging in sexual intercourse is arousing") evaluates erotophilia using a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) (Vallejo-Medina et al., 2014). ...
In sexuality research, laboratory studies utilising psychophysiological measures with measurement devices placed in the genitals have been shown to elicit a greater degree of volunteer participation. Little attention has been given to characterising people who are interested in participating in sexuality research. The purpose of this study is to compare the psychosexual characteristics of erotophilia, sexual inhibition/excitation, and subjective orgasm experience of men and women interested in participating in a laboratory study with those from the general population. The sample comprised 525 young adults (205 men and 320 women) interested in participating in a laboratory study task. The results indicated gender differences between the volunteers in some of the observed psychosexual variables. Compared to the general population, men volunteers in the laboratory studies reported lower scores on all aspects of the orgasm experience, while women volunteers exhibited higher levels of erotophilia and sexual excitation, as well as lower levels of sexual inhibition due to performance failure, sexual inhibition due to consequences, and the affective, sensory, and intimacy aspects of orgasm. In conclusion, men and women volunteers in laboratory studies on sexuality present certain characteristics that should be considered in order to mitigate and control research bias.
... En general, el contenido de los ítems que componen la mayoría de los instrumentos de medida de actitudes sexuales se centran en diferentes comportamientos sexuales (p.e., Burt, 1980;Fisher, Byrne, White, & Kelley, 1988;Sprecher, McKinney, Walsh, & Anderson, 1988 erotofobia-erotofilia (Fisher et al., 1988), conservadurismo-liberalismo sexual (p.e., Derogatis, 1975;Hudson et al., 1983;Hannon et al., 1999) Fisher, 1986;Hudson et al., 1983;Hannon et al., 1999). ...
... En general, el contenido de los ítems que componen la mayoría de los instrumentos de medida de actitudes sexuales se centran en diferentes comportamientos sexuales (p.e., Burt, 1980;Fisher, Byrne, White, & Kelley, 1988;Sprecher, McKinney, Walsh, & Anderson, 1988 erotofobia-erotofilia (Fisher et al., 1988), conservadurismo-liberalismo sexual (p.e., Derogatis, 1975;Hudson et al., 1983;Hannon et al., 1999) Fisher, 1986;Hudson et al., 1983;Hannon et al., 1999). ...
Sexual attitudes have been inferred from test and scale scores, where all items have the same value. But these items could contribute differentially in the construct measure, being able to capture these differences between items through stimulus-centered scaling. The aim of the study was to verify if six stimuli referring to sexual behaviors have different scale values (weights) in a continuum of attitudinal valuation. Five hundred people selected by quota sampling participated. A questionnaire consisting of 15 pairs of sexual behaviors was applied individually. People had to select from each pair the behavior they valued more positively. The results show that the sexual behaviors’ order in the valuation continuum is similar in the three subsamples (with steady partner, with casual partner, and without partner). Conventional behaviors have less weight in the construct than unconventional behaviors.
... Також цікавими є дослідження науковців, які стверджували, що важливим аспектом сексуального «Я» людини є такі відчуття як легкість та комфорт. В цьому контексті В. Фішер, Д. Бірн, Л. Уайт та К. Келлі вперше концептуалізувати феномен еротофобії та еротофілії, як індивідуальну відмінність особистості, і вважали що вона позначає афективну та оціночну реакцію на сексуальний контент [4]. У цьому контексті, дискомфорт або негативне ставлення до сексуальності розглядається як еротофобія, тоді як протилежним до цього поняття буде еротофілія. ...
... Враховуючи дане твердження, можна сказати, що тяжіння особистості до еротофобії, або еротофілії може значно вплинути на розвиток сексуальної ідентичності. Однак, беручи до уваги думку В. Фішера, що еротофобія-еротофілія є вивченою схильністю, логічніше буде стверджувати, що саме сексуальна ідентичність може змінювати, або формувати дані особливості [4]. ...
Вступ. Сексуальність є надзвичайно багатогранною та складною системою, такою, що може змінюватися і впливати на різні аспекти людського життя. Не зважаючи на всю цікавість та актуальність даної теми, досить довго саме через непросту природу, складну термінологію, спадщину історичних, релігійних, політичних та культурних впливів, вона не була досліджена в повній мірі. На нашу думку, досить цікавим та актуальним аспектом людської ідентифікації у зрізі сексуальності є дослідження сексуальної ідентичності. Тему сексуальної ідентичності активно досліджували такі науковці, як А. Кінсі, Ф. Діллон,Р Ворнінгтон , Дж. Марсія, В. Фішер, Д. Бірн, Л. Уайт та К. Келлі, В. Касс, Р. Фасінгер та ін. Розуміючи природу та особливості формування сексуальної ідентичності, ми можемо отримати уявлення про складну взаємодію факторів, які сприяють розвитку ідентичності, самопочуттю людини та розширити наявні уявлення про особливості даного феномену. Метою дослідження є теоретичний аналіз основних підходів та теорій до розуміння сексуальної ідентичності, аби сприяти більш чіткому розумінню та розкриттю даного поняття. Для досягнення поставленої мети було використано такі методи дослідження: аналіз, синтез, класифікація, оглядово-аналітичний метод, вивчення наукової соціально-психологічної та навчально-методичної літератури з теми дослідження. Визначено поняття сексуальної ідентичності як відображення того, як людина думає про себе по відношенню до того, до кого вона відчуває романтичний або сексуальний потяг. Було проаналізовано зарубіжні дослідження та теорії сексуальної ідентичності. Висвітлено основні думки науковців у цьому напрямку. Визначено основні труднощі до дослідження сексуальної ідентичності, та проаналізовано подальші перспективи її дослідження.
... While MI has been a significant focus of recent CSB research, other attitudinal and motivational constructs have yet to receive such attention. One such construct is erotophilia-erotophobia, a personality dimension related to a person's affective reaction to sexual cues (Fisher et al., 1988). Individuals on the erotophobic end of the dimension tend to have negative affective responses (i.e., disgust, anger, dislike) to sexual ideas and situations while individuals on the erotophilic end tend to have positive affective responses (i.e., arousal, interest, enjoyment). ...
... The Sexual Liberalism Scale (SLS; Rye et al., 2015Rye et al., , 2019 is a 29-item measure of erotophobia-erotophilia. This scale is designed to be an update and/or addendum to the Sexual Opinion Survey (Fisher et al., 1988), which is the original measure of erotophilia-erotophobia. Participants respond to items such as "wearing 'sexy' underwear makes me feel aroused" and "terms such as 'eating out' or 'blow job' disgust me" on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree. Items were coded such that higher scores indicate more erotophilic attitudes (positive emotional responses to sexual cues) while lower scores indicate more ...
Compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) is a clinical syndrome in which repetitive sexual behaviors, urges, or thoughts cause significant distress and impairment. Moral incongruence (MI), or conflict between an individual’s sexual behaviors and moral beliefs, is highly associated with self-reported problematic pornography use, a common behavioral manifestation of CSB. However, it is currently unknown whether MI is associated with other self-reported compulsive sexual behaviors, such as masturbation, sexual fantasy, and sex with multiple partners. Additionally, research on MI has not explored whether emotional responses to sexual cues (i.e., erotophilia-erotophobia) may serve as a moderating variable in the MI model. To address these gaps in the literature, this study administered an online survey to a sample of 804 American participants. Results confirmed previous research on MI indicating frequency of pornography use is more strongly associated with self-reported CSB at high levels of moral disapproval. This moderation was also replicated with frequency of sexual fantasy and number of sex partners, but not with frequency of masturbation. Results also indicated that self-reported CSB was modestly associated with positive emotional response to sexual cues (i.e., erotophilia) but offered limited support for erotophilia as a moderator in the MI model. Collectively, these findings suggest the MI model can be expanded to several behavioral manifestations of CSB, but that emotional responses to sexual cues may play a limited or more nuanced role in MI.
... However, these are very specific as they relate to affective assessments of one's sexual life (e.g., "I feel anxious when I think about the sexual aspects of my life"). In contrast, a broader affective approach involves erotophobiaerotophilia, which is a learned avoidance-approach response to sexual stimuli and has been characterized as a dimension of personality [23]. This affective response includes personal sexual experiences (e.g., "Seeing an erotic movie would be sexually arousing to me"), but goes further to include one's affective responses to or comfort with other people's sexuality, which can be reflected in attitudes toward sexuality vis à vis others (e.g., "It would be emotionally upsetting for me to see someone exposing themselves publicly"). ...
... The Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) is the standard measure of erotophobia-erotophilia, a personality dimension described as the learned disposition to respond to sexual stimuli with affect and evaluations that range from negative (erotophobic) to positive (erotophilic) [23,41]. The dimension of erotophobia-erotophilia is linked with a variety of behaviors that reflect broad-based avoidance or approach to sexual stimuli. ...
A sample of emerging adult university students completed a survey with the goal of investigating components of “the sexual self” and how these constructs were influenced by romantic relationship status. Three general aspects of the sexual self were considered: sexual self-concept, comfort with sexuality, and past sexual behavior. Sexual self-concept was defined as composed of constructs such as sexual self-schema, self-efficacy, consciousness, optimism, problem self-blame, power/other control, and motivation to avoid risky sex. Sexual comfort, conceptualized as a personality disposition of erotophobia–erotophilia, was assessed using three instruments. This included the Sexual Opinion Survey, the original individual difference measure of erotophobia–erotophilia. Past sexual behavior was assessed with the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory. Findings suggested that individuals in a relationship had more positive sexual self-concepts and were more erotophilic and comfortable with sexuality generally. These differences were modest, based on effect size statistics. Past sexual experience also differed, contingent on relationship status. Some sexual self-concept scales were predictive of sexual satisfaction, while comfort with sexuality was predictive of relational satisfaction. Romantic relationships may have important implications for sexual selfhood, but this is a tentative suggestion, as this was a correlational study and the relationships are likely bidirectional.
... For example, Fisher and colleagues [21] suggested that, although there may be a gender-based difference in sexual cognitions indicating that men have more sexual fantasies than women, this difference is smaller than generally thought. Moreover, they highlight how reporting and sharing erotic fantasies with others is likely influenced by gender role expectations, social desirability, and erotophilia (i.e., the disposition to respond to sexual cues in a positive way) [22]. Sexual fantasies frequency may be affected by biological and social facets. ...
... The presented factorial structure provides a measure of the frequency of erotic fantasies and thoughts (F1), which is often used in research as an expression of sexual desire and erotophilia/erotophobia [8,21,22,53]. The possibility of describing the different aspects of erotic fantasies attitudes and uses may be advantageous for both deepening the study of fantasies' role in the sexual response and for their clinical application in sexual and couples therapy [10,45]. ...
Background:
The investigation of sexual fantasies is a delicate issue within sex research. Most studies have focused on the content of these fantasies, rather than on use, experiences, attitudes, and sharing issues, which are fundamental aspects within sexual therapy. The main aim of the present study was to develop and validate the "Sexual Desire and Erotic Fantasies questionnaire-Part 2. Use of Erotic Fantasies (SDEF2)".
Methods:
The SDEF2 was completed by 1773 Italian participants (1105 women, 645 men, and 23 other genders).
Results:
The final 21-item version presented a five-factor structure (fantasies frequency, fantasies normality, fantasies importance, negative emotions, and sharing and experiencing). The SDEF2 showed good psychometric properties, internal reliability, construct, and discriminant validity, appearing to be able to differentiate between sexually clinical and functional women and men (based on the FSFI and IIEF cut-off scores).
Conclusions:
The possibility of assessing fantasies frequency, attitudes, and emotions may be extremely useful both for research and clinical purposes. The current study seems to validate that the SDEF2 is a useful measure of assessing the different aspects related to a fantasizing activity, which was shown to be associated with sexual functioning and satisfaction.
... An individual's position along the personality dimension of erotophobia-erotophilia (Fisher et al., 1988) could also moderate the association between mood and sexual desire and thus provide a second common mechanism responsible for increased (or decreased) sexual desire at both extremes of negative mood. Erotophobia-erotophilia is a person's propensity to respond to sexual cues with either positive (approach) or negative (avoidance) affective evaluations and is proposed to develop primarily based on socialization (Fisher et al., 1988). ...
... An individual's position along the personality dimension of erotophobia-erotophilia (Fisher et al., 1988) could also moderate the association between mood and sexual desire and thus provide a second common mechanism responsible for increased (or decreased) sexual desire at both extremes of negative mood. Erotophobia-erotophilia is a person's propensity to respond to sexual cues with either positive (approach) or negative (avoidance) affective evaluations and is proposed to develop primarily based on socialization (Fisher et al., 1988). However, in addition to socialization, it is also likely that classical conditioning of associations between the individual's emotional and behavioral response (e.g., "I had sex when I was really anxious"), and the positive or negative outcome of that experience (e.g. ...
The aim of the present study was to expand previous findings regarding paradoxical effects of negative mood on sexual desire. This was done by considering the full range of depressed mood and anxiety symptoms and using methods that are unaffected by recall bias and that don’t require participants to infer causal associations between their mood and sexual desire. A convenience sample of 213 university students completed daily questionnaires for approximately two months. Multilevel random-effects models were used to estimate average effects for the entire sample and to test for variability across participants in the associations between negative mood and sexual desire, controlling also for potential influences of the menstrual cycle. Previous findings showing that some women report decreased sexual desire and others increased sexual desire when depressed or anxious were confirmed. More importantly, for both depressed mood and anxiety, results demonstrated the presence of within-person paradoxical associations, whereby there were some women for whom both low and high levels of negative mood were associated with the same change (an increase or a decrease) in sexual desire. Related to these diverse response patterns, paradoxical associations between negative mood and sexual desire were also present at low levels of negative mood. The discussion underlines the importance of considering individual variability and multifactorial nonlinear models when studying sexual desire.
... An individual's position along the personality dimension of erotophobia-erotophilia (Fisher et al., 1988) could also moderate the association between mood and sexual desire and thus provide a second common mechanism responsible for increased (or decreased) sexual desire at both extremes of negative mood. Erotophobia-erotophilia is a person's propensity to respond to sexual cues with either positive (approach) or negative (avoidance) affective evaluations and is proposed to develop primarily based on socialization (Fisher et al., 1988). ...
... An individual's position along the personality dimension of erotophobia-erotophilia (Fisher et al., 1988) could also moderate the association between mood and sexual desire and thus provide a second common mechanism responsible for increased (or decreased) sexual desire at both extremes of negative mood. Erotophobia-erotophilia is a person's propensity to respond to sexual cues with either positive (approach) or negative (avoidance) affective evaluations and is proposed to develop primarily based on socialization (Fisher et al., 1988). However, in addition to socialization, it is also likely that classical conditioning of associations between the individual's emotional and behavioral response (e.g., "I had sex when I was really anxious"), and the positive or negative outcome of that experience (e.g. ...
Introduction
Previous studies aimed at defining the relationship between high levels of negative mood and sexual desire have shown that, in addition to people describing an expected decrease in sexual desire, some people report an unexpected increase in sexual desire when depressed or anxious (referred to as a “paradoxical effect”, Bancroft et al., 2003). However, these past findings are based on self-inferred causal attributions and retrospective, one-time measurements. Moreover, tests of these associations at the low extreme of negative mood have not been previously conducted.
Objective
The aim of the present study was to replicate and expand previous findings regarding paradoxical effects of negative mood on sexual desire (Bancroft et al., 2003; Lykins, Janssen & Graham, 2006), by analyzing the associations between negative mood and sexual desire across the entire range of depression and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, to address previous limitations, we sought to test for replication using methods that are unaffected by recall bias, and that don't require participants to infer causal associations between their mood and sexual desire.
Methods
A sample of n=213 university-aged women completed daily questionnaires for two full menstrual cycles (M = 58 daily reports per participant). Measurement included changes in sexual desire, as well as psychological changes (anxiety and depression) and other symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle. Multilevel modeling with random intercepts and slopes, were used to test for individual differences in linear and non-linear associations between mood symptoms and changes in sexual desire. Cluster analyses were used to identify different patterns of change in sexual desire associated with different levels of mood.
Results
Previous findings were successfully replicated. Specifically, high levels of depression were associated with increased sexual desire in 12% of the sample (paradoxical association), and high levels of anxiety were associated with increased sexual desire in 20% of the sample (paradoxical association). Thus, in addition to women who showed either no significant changes or a decrease in sexual desire when depressed or anxious, results confirmed the presence of paradoxical associations between high levels of negative mood and sexual desire (see shaded area on Fig.1). Interestingly, these between-group paradoxical effects were also present at low levels of negative mood. That is, at low levels of negative mood some women reported increased sexual desire while others reported decreased sexual desire. Moreover, for both depression and anxiety, analyses revealed three clusters of women presenting different patterns of change in sexual desire across different levels of mood symptoms. Specifically, results demonstrated the presence of within-person paradoxical associations, whereby, there are some women for whom both low and high levels of negative mood are associated with the same change (an increase or a decrease) in sexual desire. These groups are labeled "Positive Paradoxical" and "Negative Paradoxical" in Fig.1.
Conclusions
Results from the present study underline the importance of considering individual variability when studying sexual desire. Multiple mechanisms, based on personality traits, learning, autonomic activity, or situational factors, might moderate the relationship between mood and sexual desire. A new integrative theoretical framework is proposed to interpret these results (see Figure 2).
Disclosure
No
... Nevertheless, educational interventions should focus on avoiding negative attitudes (erotophobias) towards sexuality and encouraging erotophilic attitudes (10,11) . In this way, progress will be made in reducing sexist prejudices and discrimination towards the LGTBIQ + community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, and +, indicating the inclusion of a broader range of identities not represented in this abbreviation) (7) . ...
... However, on the other hand, teachers state that they would be willing to participate in teaching sexuality if they received prior training, and if the institution is willing to support them if they follow the educational protocols that are established. Therefore, teacher training can contribute to generating a positive change that reduces attitudes and sexist behaviour at university (9)(10)(11) . ...
Objetivo: Evaluar si las actitudes hacia la sexualidad adquiridas por los alumnos durante el Grado en Enfermería son suficientes para su desempeño profesional.Métodos: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo y transversal basado en una encuesta compuesta por escalas estandarizadas que comparó las predisposiciones sexuales entre 101 alumnos de primer curso con 86 de cuarto. Los 187 estudiantes de enfermería, 24 hombres y 163 mujeres tenían entre 18 y 60 años (Medad=21.21, DT=5.48). El instrumento utilizado para su evaluación fue un cuestionario anónimo que estaba constituido por preguntas sociodemográficas y las dos siguientes escalas, la Escala de Actitudes hacia la Sexualidad (ATSS-28) y la Escala de Doble Estándar (DSS). Resultados: Los resultados obtenidos estuvieron cera de ser significativos por curso en la ATSS, U=3625.50, z=-1.95, p=.052 y significativos en la DSS, U=3560.50, z=-2.13, p=.034. Estos hallazgos indicaron que los alumnos de cuarto tuvieron actitudes más positivas hacia la sexualidad y una menor adherencia a los roles de género. Además, se obtuvo una correlación negativa moderada, rs=-. 307, p=.001, entre la ATSS y la DSS que mostraba asociación entre las actitudes positivas y la menor adhesión a roles de género. Estos resultados sugieren que la formación enfermera tuvo un impacto positivo en sus actitudes.Conclusión: La enfermería está involucrada de manera central en el cuidado de los pacientes y sus familias. Sus actitudes hacia la sexualidad son importantes en términos de comodidad del paciente, accesibilidad y aceptabilidad de su atención.
... Further replication is needed to establish the stability of these findings (e.g., in larger, representative samples and utilizing different forms of measurement). Future research could also examine other individual differences (such as erotophilia-erotophobia; Fisher et al., 1988) that may inform our understanding of the concordance between paraphilic interest and behavior. ...
The concordance between paraphilic interest and behavior is moderate to strong in previous studies. In the present study, we examined whether sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI) moderate the concordance between paraphilic interest and behavior, across several paraphilic themes. We expected that stronger concordance would be found at high levels of SE and weaker concordance would be found at high levels of SI, for both men and women. We expected stronger effects when high levels of SE are combined with low levels of SI and when low levels of SE are combined with high levels of SI, for both genders. To test this, we sampled 219 men and 351 women (Mage = 28.42, SDage = 10.58) and conducted moderated moderation analyses with bootstrapping, separately for each gender and paraphilic theme. Consistent with our hypotheses, for paraphilic themes where SE was a significant moderator, the concordance between paraphilic interest and behavior was stronger at higher levels of SE. In contrast, for themes moderated by SI, the concordance was weaker at higher levels of SI. Sexual excitation and sexual inhibition only moderated concordance between paraphilic interest and behavior for masochism and voyeurism in women, in the expected direction: the highest concordance was observed at higher SE/lower SI and the lowest concordance was observed at lower SE/higher SI. SE and SI moderated concordance between paraphilic interest and behavior across several different paraphilic themes for men and women, suggesting that different sexuality traits may be involved across genders and across themes.
... The Sexual Assertiveness Scale (SAS; Morokoff et al., 1997) and its Spanish version (Sierra et al., 2011b) were utilized in different studies (Orchowski et al., 2020;Sierra et al., 2021). Other instruments used in the same study (Sierra et al., 2021) included the Spanish versions of the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS-6;Fisher et al., 1988;Vallejo-Medina et al., 2014), the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF; Hurlbert, 1993;Sierra et al., 2020), the Sexual Desire Inventory (SDI; Moyano et al., 2017;Spector et al., 1998), and the Massachusetts General Hospital Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ; Fava et al., 1998;Sierra et al., 2012). The Dyadic Sexual Communication Questionnaire (DSC; Catania, 1998), the Maudsley Marital Questionnaire (MMQ; Arrindell et al., 1983;Crowe, 1978), and the Sexual Function Scale (SFS;Enzlin et al., 2012) were employed in another study (Hellemans et al., 2015). ...
Introduction
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) significantly impacts adults' wellbeing, causing both physical and psychological harm. IPV has been consistently linked to adverse sexual health outcomes, including an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies, and sexual dysfunction. This systematic review examines the evolving relationship between IPV and sexual health outcomes in adults from 2014 to 2024, addressing gaps in understanding across diverse populations and exploring the complex interplay between violence, sexuality, and health.
Methods
A comprehensive search of multiple databases was conducted for peer-reviewed articles published between January 2014 and February 2024. Studies examining the association between IPV and sexual health variables in adult populations (aged 18 and older) were included. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and 27 articles met the inclusion criteria after full-text screening and quality assessment.
Results
IPV was consistently associated with poorer sexual health outcomes across diverse populations and contexts. Studies utilized various validated instruments to assess IPV and sexual health. Research primarily focused on cisgender heterosexual women, with limited studies on cisgender heterosexual men, men who have sex with men, and transgender individuals. IPV was linked to an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies, sexual dysfunction, and decreased sexual satisfaction. The relationship between IPV and sexual health was influenced by factors such as gender identity, sexual orientation, and cultural context.
Discussion
The review highlights the complex relationship between IPV and sexual health, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and culturally sensitive approaches. Significant research gaps exist, particularly regarding lesbian women and non-binary individuals. Future studies should employ mixed-methods approaches and consider intersectionality to provide a more comprehensive understanding of IPV's impact on sexual health across diverse populations.
... A través de los resultados obtenidos en este estudio, se puede concluir que las actitudes sexuales pueden mediar el efecto que tiene la depresión sexual sobre la asertividad sexual, porque más allá de ser una respuesta ante los estímulos sexuales, contempla aspectos de como las personas prestan atención, procesan y recuerdan información sexual incluyendo la anticonceptiva, tienen mayor capacidad para hablar con su pareja sobre el temas sobre sexualidad (Blanc et al., 2017;Fisher, Byrne, White, & Kelley, 1988). Los resultados pueden utilizarse para proponer, desarrollar, implementar y evaluar intervenciones de enfermería enfocadas en potenciar el asertividad sexual en migrantes, y con ello, contribuir en la reducción de conductas sexuales de riesgo y de ITS. ...
... Sexual anxiety, that is, the tendency to respond with fear or discomfort to sexual cues or contexts (Fallis et al., 2011;Fisher et al., 1988;Snell et al., 1993), could be a plausible mechanism underlying sex-related disgust. Indeed, research suggests that fears and negative apprehensions toward sexual activities (e.g., partnered sex or masturbation) or contexts that could lead to sexual encounters (e.g., physical proximity or being alone with a sexual partner) can divert one's attention away from erotic stimuli as well as away from feelings of sexual arousal and pleasure-which would otherwise lower levels of sex-related disgust (Andrews et al., 2015;de Jong et al., 2013;Fleischman et al., 2015;Lee et al., 2014)-toward negative self-evaluative cognitions and a sense of lacking control (Barlow, 1986;Wiegel et al., 2007). ...
Previous research suggests that experiencing disgust in sexual contexts may negatively impact sexual satisfaction and functioning. However, little is known about the mechanisms (e.g., sexual anxiety) that influence or underlie sex-related disgust. Additionally, immersive tendencies may play a role in shaping emotional experiences when presented with sexual cues. Recent technological advancements, especially in virtual reality (VR), offer a promising avenue to explore emotions in simulated intimate and sexual interactions. This study aimed to examine the influence of sexual anxiety and immersive tendencies on reported levels of disgust when exposed to virtual erotica. A sample of 59 participants (≥18 years) completed self-report questionnaires of sexual anxiety and immersive tendencies. Levels of disgust were assessed during exposure to synthetic virtual characters engaging in erotic behaviours of increasing intensity across six scenarios, ranging from flirting to nudity, masturbation, and orgasm. Linear mixed models were performed on observed data. Higher levels of sexual anxiety were significantly associated with increased disgust throughout the immersive experience (β = 0.48), while greater immersive tendencies were significantly linked to lower disgust ratings (β = −0.66). Additionally, disgust ratings significantly increased with the intensity of the virtual sexual stimuli (β = 0.48). Virtual erotica shows promise as a tool to investigate sex-related disgust and its related mechanisms, such as sexual anxiety and immersive tendencies.
... Attitude to sexuality is also related, which ranges from erotophobia as contempt for everything related to sex and sexuality to full and pleasurable enjoyment, that is the erotophilic attitude (Fisher et al., 1988;Saville et al., 2019). It is easier for professionals in education who show greater erotophilia to talk with students about topics such as birth. ...
This study introduces new evidence of the theoretical model that connects 21 theoretical hypotheses of personal experience with sexual education knowledge. Participants were 82 Special Education students with a comparison group of 55 female students from Psychology and Natural Sciences Education studying special education. This correlational and exploratory study proposes an analysis path analyzed with a frequentist approach. It presents new empirical evidence from a Bayesian approach’s theoretical and methodological assumptions that offer estimates similar to the real values. The information in the model can be used to guide the education of Latinas who are Special Education teachers to identify other aspects that condition their teaching.
... It may also be important to examine how attitudes toward CNM are associated with differential sexual behavior across diverse populations, such as heterosexual versus sexual minority populations, and in non-Western countries. Future research may also wish to examine other variables associated with CNM relationships, including erotophilia/erotophobia (Fisher et al., 1988) and sociosexuality (Penke, 2011), as part of further examination of the scale's convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity. ...
Despite increased interest in consensual non-monogamy (CNM), significant stigma remains against CNM. Consequently, there is a need for scales to assess attitudes toward CNM. In response to this need we developed the Multidimensional Attitudes toward CNM Scale (MACS). Items were developed in consultation with content experts and data were collected from two samples at two different Canadian Universities. Fit indices of exploratory (Sample A) and confirmatory (Sample B) factor analysis suggested a 16-item scale with three underlying factors: CNM is Dysfunctional, CNM is Immoral, and CNM is Healthy and Satisfying. Validity analyses, conducted using the combined sample (n = 806; 79% women; 67% heterosexual), demonstrated that participants with higher MACS total scores (i.e. more negative attitudes) were less likely to have ever been involved in a CNM relationship and were more likely to report monogamy as their ideal relationship style. Higher MACS scores were also associated with more negative attitudes toward bisexuality and toward women, and higher scores on measures of homophobia and jealousy. In contrast, individuals with higher scores on the CNM is Healthy subscale tended to score higher on measures of empathy. The MACS demonstrates strong psychometric properties and can assist in better understanding attitudes toward CNM relationships in research and clinical settings.
... The Spanish version of Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS-6) [34,50]. The scale evaluates the erotophilia. ...
The purpose of this study was to review the recent literature on the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual health in women (including sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction).
IPV harms women’s health, including their sexual health. Of the negative consequences, IPV is associated with worse sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction.
Recent findings show that IPV is associated with worse sexual functioning (i.e., partner-focused dyadic and general sexual desire, sexual arousal, and orgasmic capacity), low sexual satisfaction, and low relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, only eight studies have been published in the last 10 years. Although very few articles were identified to have assessed the relation between IPV and sexual health aspects in the literature, it can be stated that IPV is related to worse sexual health in women victims.
... Scores are derived according to a formula and have a possible range from 0 to 126. The scale has established psychometric properties and norms, and research concerning this instrument has been summarized by Fisher, Byrne, White, and Kelley (1988). ...
A survey of heterosexually active college students gathered information about condom use, self-efficacy (SE), outcome expectancies, sexual attitudes, peer group influences, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) knowledge, and perceived vulnerability to AIDS. On the basis of A. Bandura's (1986) social–cognitive theory, a structural model with SE as the central mediator was formulated and evaluated with LISREL. This model explained 46% of the variance in condom use from judgments of SE and effects attributable to peers and 53% of the variance in SE from outcome expectancies and peer group influences. Sexual attitudes, AIDS knowledge, and perceived vulnerability did not predict condom use. Most students were well-informed about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission but reported not feeling at risk, even though many engaged in risky sexual behavior.
... One's level of sexual comfort [27] may also influence perceptions of public breastfeeding. Because people with low sexual comfort have less favorable perceptions of breastfeeding in general [14,28], those negative perceptions may be especially present regarding public breastfeeding. ...
Background
In general, people tend to support private breastfeeding more than public breastfeeding, and discomfort surrounding public breastfeeding may contribute to sub-optimal rates of breastfeeding in the United States. Few studies have systematically examined situational factors that contribute to (negative) reactions to public breastfeeding. It is unclear whether the physical location or the presence of others is more influential in shaping people’s evaluations of public breastfeeding. This study aimed to experimentally investigate the influence of location, bystander presence, bystander gender, and the breastfeeding woman’s use of a cover on people’s evaluations of breastfeeding images.
Method
A sample of adults residing in the United States was randomly assigned to view an image of a breastfeeding woman in an experimental study that examined four independent variables: breastfeeding location (public vs. private), bystander presence (present vs. not present), gender of bystander (male vs. female), and use of a cover (cover vs. no cover). Participants then reported their emotional reactions to, perceptions of, and behavioral intentions toward the breastfeeding woman. In addition, participants completed measures of sexism, traditional gender role endorsement, sexual comfort, body gaze, and breastfeeding knowledge and experience.
Results
Hierarchical regressions revealed no differences between private and public breastfeeding images. Perceptions of the breastfeeding woman were more favorable when she was alone than with others, and when she was covered than when she was not covered. Evaluations tended to be more favorable among participants who scored lower on hostile sexism, higher on benevolent sexism, higher on sexual comfort, and higher on breastfeeding knowledge.
Conclusion
The presence of bystanders may be more consequential than the physical location in shaping reactions to public breastfeeding. These findings can be applied to improve support for public breastfeeding, which may contribute to higher breastfeeding rates and the associated public health benefits.
... Differences in average levels of sexual desire across people could derive from differences in type and/or quality of relationship, 39,40 psychiatric and psychosexual history, 41 level of sexual functioning, 42 and/or trait-like personality characteristics. 43 One such trait-like characteristic is erotophobia/erotophilia, proposed by Fisher et al 44 to define how individuals vary along a continuum in their affective response toward sexual stimuli, ranging from very negative to very positive. Alternatively, the dual control model 45 suggests that individuals differ in their disposition to get "turned on" or "turned off" when exposed to sexual stimuli, and these differences are determined by 2 distinct neurologic subsystems responsible for sexual excitation and sexual inhibition. ...
Background
Past research on the association between sexual desire and the menstrual cycle has provided inconclusive results and has not considered the potential influence of psychological and physical changes that are frequently associated with the menstrual cycle.
Aim
To test the strength of association between the menstrual cycle (and associated symptoms) and changes in sexual desire.
Methods
Prospective daily reports across 2 full menstrual cycles (2 months) from a sample of female university students (n = 213), were analysed. Analyses tested for average effects of the menstrual cycle on sexual desire, individual differences in these effects, and cyclical and noncyclical associations between sexual desire and the 9 menstrual cycle–related changes. Note that data presented in the current article come from a larger study from which other reports have been published.
Outcomes
Target variables were (1) daily change in sexual desire and (2) daily reports of 5 psychological changes and 4 physical changes that are commonly associated with the menstrual cycle.
Results
Results showed that when considering average effects across participants, the menstrual cycle was associated with a small midcycle increase in sexual desire. However, multilevel analyses showed large individual differences in how the menstrual cycle influences sexual desire. Specifically, some participants showed a midcycle increase, others a perimenstrual increase, and others no change across the menstrual cycle. Moreover, results demonstrated that psychological changes were more important for predicting sexual desire as compared with physical changes.
Clinical Implications
These results suggest that daily measurement of sexual desire across multiple menstrual cycles may be an important tool in the assessment of sexual desire among some females.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths of this study are the daily assessment of sexual desire and all symptoms for 2 menstrual cycles and multilevel analyses that allow the study of individual differences. Limitations include limited measurement of sexual desire based on only 2 questions and the lack of measures of relationship status and sexual orientation.
Conclusion
Emphasis is placed on the need to apply more rigorous research methods and to abandon simplistic average-effects models that are based on outdated theories and stereotypes.
... A través de los resultados obtenidos en este estudio, se puede concluir que las actitudes sexuales pueden mediar el efecto que tiene la depresión sexual sobre la asertividad sexual, porque más allá de ser una respuesta ante los estímulos sexuales, contempla aspectos de como las personas prestan atención, procesan y recuerdan información sexual incluyendo la anticonceptiva, tienen mayor capacidad para hablar con su pareja sobre el temas sobre sexualidad (Blanc et al., 2017;Fisher, Byrne, White, & Kelley, 1988). Los resultados pueden utilizarse para proponer, desarrollar, implementar y evaluar intervenciones de enfermería enfocadas en potenciar el asertividad sexual en migrantes, y con ello, contribuir en la reducción de conductas sexuales de riesgo y de ITS. ...
Durante el siglo XXI, la capacidad social se ha distinguido por la facilidad de crear, comunicar o establecer valores, normas, creencias y roles sociales conforme al comportamiento adecuado del ser humano ante ciertos contextos dados (Toldos-Romero, Rojas-Solís, & Martín-Babarro, 2017). Frente a estos patrones conductuales y a las normas de convivencia para la interacción social se ha determinado a través del tiempo y la cultura
diferentes expectativas en el desempeño de los papeles sexuales, ocasionando que de esta manera las sociedades industrializadas ya no requieran de una división sexual de papeles y de características masculinas y femeninas (Díaz-Loving, Wolfgang Velasco Matus, & Rivera Aragón, 2018).
... A través de los resultados obtenidos en este estudio, se puede concluir que las actitudes sexuales pueden mediar el efecto que tiene la depresión sexual sobre la asertividad sexual, porque más allá de ser una respuesta ante los estímulos sexuales, contempla aspectos de como las personas prestan atención, procesan y recuerdan información sexual incluyendo la anticonceptiva, tienen mayor capacidad para hablar con su pareja sobre el temas sobre sexualidad (Blanc et al., 2017;Fisher, Byrne, White, & Kelley, 1988). Los resultados pueden utilizarse para proponer, desarrollar, implementar y evaluar intervenciones de enfermería enfocadas en potenciar el asertividad sexual en migrantes, y con ello, contribuir en la reducción de conductas sexuales de riesgo y de ITS. ...
De acuerdo con la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS, 2017), las Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (ECV)
son la principal causa de muerte a nivel mundial, en 2015 se registraron 17,7 millones de decesos provocados por
alguna ECV, lo que representó el 31% de las muertes registradas en el mundo. Dentro de las ECV se encuentran: la
hipertensión arterial sistémica, las cardiopatías congénitas, la insuficiencia cardíaca, la estenosis valvular aórtica
cálcica degenerativa y la cardiopatía isquémica, siendo esta última la principal causa de defunción en el mundo,
representando el 16% de las muertes totales (Narro, 2018; OMS, 2017).
... It reveals 3 components: sexual facility, friendship facility and sexual empathy. With the Sexual Opinion Survey, Fisher, White, Byrne and Kelley [35] investigate participants' opinions on sexual themes. 3 factors are extracted: open sexual display, sexual variety and homoeroticism. ...
Eroticism, due to its mysterious, abstract and at first sight sexual meanings, has a controversial renown. Still, it is omnipresent in personal relationships, with almost a universal reach, even though eroticism is lived or understood differently according to cultural specificities. This article presents an intelligible and precise understanding of the construct. Eroticism happens to be related to 57 words, which underscores its versatile and far-reaching significance. The current literature on eroticism highlights mostly typologies and definitions. A more scientific stance is broadly missing. A dual methodological approach based on a construct-based view and a theoretical-based view has been chosen. An extensive literature review from different fields, including sociology, literature, sexology, biology, religion, psychology, anthropology, philosophy, architecture, marketing and art, has helped to conceptualize eroticism into 11 sub-constructs and introduced its interrelationships with 9 major theories. The resulting conceptual and theoretical frameworks were then combined to form the "Eroticism overarching framework", which constitutes a synthesis of what eroticism is about as well as what it signifies for oneself and towards others. This new state of knowledge should ignite further research in the field of quantitative measurement of the construct to grasp its multifaceted and complex characteristics. Eroticism has still to be discovered in a scientific way.
... Thus, an adequate personality model would arguably encompass traits that relate to individuals' attitudes and behaviors toward sex, tech, and sexual novelty-or in this case: erotophilia-phobia, technophilia-phobia, and sexual sensation seeking. Respectively, erotophilia-phobia and technophilia-phobia refer to people's tendency to react positively or negatively toward sexuality and technology (e.g., positive or negative attitudes and/or approach-avoidance behaviors; Fisher et al., 1988;Gilbert & Gamache, 1984;Martinez-Córcoles et al., 2017;Osiceanu, 2015). Sensation seeking, on the other hand, refers to individuals' tendency to seek novel, intense, or diversified feelings, stimuli, and experiences (Cross et al., 2013;Hoyle et al., 2002;Stephenson et al., 2007;Zuckerman & Aluja, 2015). ...
Examining the links between personality traits and attitudes toward sex robots can provide insights into who may desire such machines, and why. This online study thus examined the associations between the Big-Five, traits related to sexuality, technology, and (sexual) novelty, and people's willingness to engage with and perceived appropriateness of using sex robots in a convenience sample of 492 adults (≥18 years; 283 ciswomen, 171 cismen, and 37 non-binary and gender nonconforming individuals with access to the recruitment material on social media, the Concordia University participant pool, or flyers/word-of-mouth in the Montreal Community). Correlational analyses showed that willingness to engage with and perceived appropriateness of using sex robots were more closely related to erotophilia and sexual sensation seeking than any other traits. Mixed repeated measures ANOVAs and independent samples t-tests with Bonferroni corrections also showed that cismen and non-binary/gender nonconforming individuals were more willing to engage with sex robots and perceive their use as more appropriate than ciswomen. These findings suggest that erotophilic individuals seeking novel or more intense sexual experiences may be(come) the primary users of sex robots and influence their development. These findings are important given the growing place of technology in our intimate lives and relationships.
... Given their link with sexual health, erotophilia, attitudes toward specific sexual behaviours (e.g., masturbation or sexual fantasies), and the traditional sexual double standard stand out among sexual attitudes. Erotophilia is defined as the evaluation of sexual stimuli that can range from a negative valence pole (erotophobia) to its positive valence opposite (erotophilia) [29]. This attitude is strongly associated with the presence of a higher frequency of both masturbation and sexual relationships. ...
The aim of this study was to explain the masturbation frequency and sexual relationships in adolescents based on age, religious adherence, erotophilia, attitudes toward sexual fantasies and masturbation, and the traditional sexual double standard. A sample of 1120 Peruvian adolescents aged 13–17 years responded to a socio-demographic questionnaire and different scales about sexuality. The frequency of masturbation and sexual relationships, as well as in the sexual attitudes evaluated differed by sex, with boys scoring higher. The masturbation frequency was explained by erotophilia in boys, and by positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies in both sexes. The frequency of sexual relationships was explained by age and positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies in boys and only by the latter in girls. Positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies stand out as a variable for understanding sexual activity in adolescents.
... Ipak se mogu uoĉiti izvjesne pravilnosti. Muškarci koji kompulzivno traţe senzacije (Zuckerman, 1971), erotofili(Fisher et al., 1988), hipermaskulini (Mosher & Sirkin, 1984) i koji su imali prethodno iskustvo sa seksualno eksplicitnim materijalima ...
Kriminal maloletnika nesumnjivo i opravdano privlači veliku pažnju naučne i stručne javnosti, kako zbog nekih svojih osnovnih karakteristika, tako i zbog posledica koje može imati. Pored činjenice da je u pitanju populacija koju karakteriše nedovoljna psiho-fizička i socijalna zrelost, poseban značaj proučavanja maloletničke delinkvencije, proizlazi iz činjenice da je reč o najmlađim i najranjivijim članovima društva i da od načina na koji društvo reaguje na njihovo ponašanje u velikoj meri zavisi njihov dalji razvoj, kao i razvoj i budućnost celokupnog društva. Kako prevencija kriminala uopšte, a posebno prevencija kriminala maloletnika čini najvažniji segmet u suprotstavljanju kriminalu u jednom društvu, stvaranje realne slike o njegovim razmerama i osnovnim karakteristikama, isto kao i etiološkim faktorima čini polaznu osnovu za planiranje i organizovanje preventivnih intervencija i postupaka. Važna pretpostavka za adekvatno osmišljene preventivne aktivnosti svakako je utvrđivanje fenomenoloških karakteristika ovog ponašanja, a kako neki autori sasvim opravdano smatraju, uspeh preduzetih preventivnih aktivnosti u velikoj meri zavisi od kvaliteta i analize prikupljenih podataka o tom kriminalu. Nezaobilazan izvor ovih podataka su statističke evidencije koje vode različiti subjekti: od pravosudnih organa - policije, tužilaštva, sudova, preko evidencija službi socijalne zaštite, vaspitnoobrazovnih ustanova, pa sve do naučno-istraživačkih i visokoškolskih ustanova koje se bave proučavanjem ovog fenomena. U ovom radu su analizirani podaci o kriminalu maloletnika na teritoriji Republike Srbije dobijeni na osnovu evidencija Republičkog zavoda za statistiku. Analiza se odnosi na period od 10 god. i obuhvata podatke od 2010 do 2019. god. Cilj rada bio je da se analizom distribucije oblika ponašanja koja čine definiciju kriminala maloletnika dobije pouzdana slika o njegovim najvažnijim fenomenološkim karakteristikama, njegovoj učestalosti, strukturi po polu, vrsti krivičnog dela i dr. kao i njihovim promenama u toku posmatranog perioda.
... Ipak se mogu uoĉiti izvjesne pravilnosti. Muškarci koji kompulzivno traţe senzacije (Zuckerman, 1971), erotofili(Fisher et al., 1988), hipermaskulini (Mosher & Sirkin, 1984) i koji su imali prethodno iskustvo sa seksualno eksplicitnim materijalima ...
Polazeći od definicije grupe eksperata Svetske zdravstvene organizacije, kojom se kvalitet života definiše kao percepcija pojedinaca o sopstvenom položaju u životu u kontekstu kulture i sistema vrednosti u kojima žive, kao i prema svojim ciljevima, očekivanjima, standardima i interesovanjima, možemo konstatovati da tako širok koncept čine fizičko zdravlje pojedinaca, psihološki status, materijalna nezavisnost, socijalni odnosi i njihovi odnosi prema značajnim karakteristikama spoljašnje sredine. Primena ovako definisanog koncepta kvaliteta života na populaciju mladih u sukobu sa zakonom u institucionalnom tretmanu, ukazuje da se razvoj ideja i prakse društvenog reagovanja na prestupništvo mladih, odrazio vremenom i na pomeranje fokusa te reakcije sa kaznenog reagovanja ka društvenoj zaštiti, obrazovanju, lečenju, profesionalnom usmeravanju i rehabilitaciji u cilju eliminacije rizičnih faktora delinkvencije i jačanju prosocijalnih obrazaca ponašanja. Korektivno-rehabilitacione institucije za tretman mladih u sukobu sa zakonom pružaju različite programe štićenicima tokom njihove inkarceracije. Ponuđeni programi obuhvataju širok spektar usluga i intervencija, uključujući lečenje zavisnosti od psihoaktivnih supstanci, očuvanje somatskog i mentalnog zdravlja, obrazovanje i profesionalno osposobljavanje, redukciju agresivnosti i drugih oblika asocijalnog i antisocijalnog ponašanja. Uključivanjem u navedene programe za mlade prestupnike, nastoji se poboljšati kvalitet života ove populacije, otklanjanjem kriminogenih dinamičkih faktora i stvaranjem preduslova za prosocijalan život u institucionalnom i postinstitucionalnom okruženju. Redukcijom recidivizma ostvaruje se i sekundarni cilj, odnosno povećanje javne bezbednosti zajednice u koju se integrišu po napuštanju korektivne institucije. Cilj rada je da se eksploracijom različitih pozitivnih iskustava i efekata primenjenih programa ukaže na aplikativne mogućnosti primene institucionalnih programa za mlade u sukobu sa zakonom u ovdašnjim uslovima.
... This scale yielded strong psychometric properties in terms of factor structure and reliability in a previous study (␣ = .90; Lafortune, Canivet, Boislard, & Godbout, 2021), and was chosen over other scales assessing anxious or phobic responses to sexual cues (e.g., Janda and O'Grady, 1980;Katz, Gipson, & Turner, 1989) because the latter appeared to be relatively outdated considering contemporary socio-cultural shifts (e.g., attitudes towards premarital sex; Janda & O'Grady, 1980) or conjointly assessed SA along with other constructs, such as attitudes towards homosexuality (Fisher et al., 1988). The mean SAS-BF score (M = 534) and standard deviation (SD = 281) found in a previous study among the general population (Lafortune, Canivet, Boislard, & Godbout, 2021) were used in the present study to identify and assign participants to low vs. high-SA groups. ...
This study focused on sexual aversion (SA) – namely the experience of fear,
disgust, and avoidance when exposed to sexual contexts or cues – and aimed to
validate a virtual environment’s ability to progressively trigger the typical emotional
responses of SA. Thirty-nine participants (16 low-SA and 23 high-SA individuals) were
immersed in a virtual room and then successively exposed to six scenarios in which a
synthetic character showed erotic behaviors of increasing sexual intensity.
Throughout immersion, subjective measures of anxiety and disgust (Subjective Units of
Discomfort Scale; SUDS), skin conductance, heart rate, cardiac output, and eye
movements were recorded. The changes in SUDS and physiological variables were
examined through repeated measures analyses of variance. SUDS scores significantly
increased as the levels of exposure progressed among the high-SA participants, who
also reported significantly more anxiety and disgust than the low-SA group. Significant
large time effects were found for cardiac output and eye fixation (on face, chest, and
genitals), but no significant group*time interactions were found for physiological
variables. Results show that this virtual environment may be a promising tool for
research and practice, and its efficacy as part of a virtual reality exposure-based
treatment for SA should be tested.
... The erotophobia-erotophilia construct is also conceived as a bipolar continuum. Erotophilia refers to a tendency to exhibit positive emotions and evaluations toward sexual cues, while erotophobia implies a tendency to exhibit negative emotions and evaluations toward sexual cues (Fisher et al., 1988). ...
Introduction
The culture plays an important role in sexuality. Although each ethnocultural group has its own sexual attitudes, in multicultural contexts, the acculturation process could modify the sexual attitudes of these groups. The aim of the study was to perform a systematic literature review of the studies that have examined the relationship between acculturation and sexual attitudes.
Method
The review was carried out in the ProQuest and Scopus databases. There was no time restriction in literature search.
Results
A total of 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. The year of publication of the studies ranged from 1982 to 2020. The studies were conducted in the USA and/or in Canada and included mainly Asians and Latinos/Hispanics. Proxy indicators, unidimensional, and bidimensional measures were used to measure acculturation. In general, results show that mainstream acculturation is positively related to liberal or positive sexual attitudes. Relevant interaction and mediation effects were also found: (1) mainstream dimension moderates the relationship between heritage dimension and sexual attitudes, (2) heritage dimension moderates the relationship between mainstream dimension and sexual attitudes, (3) acculturation moderates the relation between gender and sexual attitudes, (4) gender moderates the relation between acculturation and sexual attitudes, (5) the ethnocultural origin moderates the relationship between acculturation and sexual attitudes, and (6) sex guilt mediated the relationship between mainstream acculturation and sexual desire.
Conclusion
The acculturation process is related to sexual attitudes.
Policy Implications
Knowing the acculturation process could be important to achieve greater equity in sexual health among different groups.
While predictors of attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, as well as bisexuals and trans individuals, have been investigated relatively thoroughly, attitudes toward asexuality are a recently emerging field. The current study investigates predictors of attitudes toward asexuality, operationally defined using the Attitudes Towards Asexuality (ATA) scale created by Hoffarth and colleagues in 2016 . Predictors included authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, intergroup disgust sensitivity, sexism, erotophobia–erotophilia, sociosexuality, motivation to respond without prejudice, singlism, and demographic characteristics of the perceiver. Response to the ATA indicated positivity toward asexuality, with the majority of participants expressing disagreement with the negative statements about asexuality. Correlations suggest many of the individual difference variables correlated moderately with the ATA. Multiple regression analyses indicated that significant predictors of the ATA included right-wing authoritarianism, internal motivation to respond without prejudice, intergroup disgust sensitivity, benevolent sexism, participant sexual orientation, and religiosity. Together, these six predictors accounted for half of the variance in the ATA. The findings of this study suggest that attitudes toward asexuality are similarly predicted by those individual difference variables that predict attitudes toward gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transpersons.
The Perrotta Integrative Clinical Interview, second version (PICI-2) requires structural and functional updates, based on clinical and academic experience, especially in terms of functional traits and interpretation of psychopathological disorders. The Perrotta Integrative Clinical Interviews-3 (PICI-3) was created and structured into four sections, dedicated to dysfunctional traits in children and pre-adolescents (PICI-C-3, 8–13 years) and in adolescents, adults, and the elderly (PICI-TA-3, 14–90 years), to common secondary disorders (PICI-DS-3, 8–90 years) and functional traits (PICI-FT-3, 8–90 years), with the identification of all functional elements and structural aspects of personality according to the model underlying the PICI (IPM). Selecting 1732 subjects, between 8 and 90 years old, the statistical analysis showed that the psychometric test has a well-defined and stable construct, with the variables well represented and positively correlated with other constructs already validated. In particular: (a) the PICI-TA-3 (Section A) was compared with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), obtaining 99.3% compatibility of results, with a Pearson's coefficient (R) of 0.999 and p < 0.001; (b) the PICI-C-3 (Section B) was compared with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), obtaining 94.1% compatibility of results, with a Pearson coefficient (R) of 0.969 and p < 0.001; (c) the PICI-FT-3 (Section D) was compared with the Big Five Personality Test (Big5), obtaining 89.4% compatibility of results, with a Pearson coefficient (R) of 0.797 and p < 0.001. The PICI-3 is a valid, efficient, and effective psychometric tool to identify the functioning or dysfunction of personality traits for psychopathological diagnosis.
Objetivo:
De este estudio es analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la escala breve de opinión sexual en población migrante.
Materiales y métodos:
La muestra estuvo conformada por 249 personas que migran, para medir al Erotofobia-erotofilia se utilizó la escala de opinión sexual, para examinar la validez de constructo, se adaptó la escala a un lenguaje coloquial, participaron 62 voluntarios para leer y expresar si entendieron cada una de las preguntas. Posteriormente, se analizó la validez interna y externa del SOS. Los participantes fueron seleccionados entre la población de migrantes mediante muestreo no probabilístico, por conveniencia.
Resultados:
El 85.4% eran hombres, provenientes en su mayoría de México (84.7%). Para la validación interna, se obtuvo alfa de Cronbach .763, presenta una estructura unidimensional, con respecto a la validez convergente se correlacionó con asertividad sexual.
Conclusiones:
Las mediciones obtenidas en la SOS en su versión breve de 6 ítems han mostrado valores de consistencia interna débiles, presenta una estructura unidimensional en muestra de migrantes, la escala ha mostrado ser estable en diferentes países como España, Colombia y El Salvador.
People in intimate relationships sext more than those in casual relationships or those who are single. Past research indicates a differential pattern in sexting behaviour based on relationship status, so a closer look at how sexting might serve the sexual and relationship needs of those in intimate relationships is warranted. In this study, we used quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate several factors that influence sexting behaviour within intimate relationships. Participants ( N = 771; 76% women, 23% men, 0.5% non-binary) completed an online questionnaire about personality traits, satisfaction, communication, trust, commitment, motivations, and risks that included open-text space to elaborate responses. This study used incentive motivational theory as a guide. Results suggest that for those in committed relationships, sexting is a way to have intimate connection that is mediated by technology. Participants were motivated to sext for several reasons, but most commonly for sexual gratification. Participants did not perceive there to be any risks to sexting with their partner. Sexting was found to be positively related to relationship and sexual satisfaction, commitment, erotophilia, and sexual sensation seeking. The therapeutic implications of these results are discussed.
One's self-views are powerful regulators of both cognitive processing and behavioral responding. Sexual self-schemas are cognitive generalizations about sexual aspects of the self. The bivariate sexual self-schema model, which posits independent effects of positive and negative components of women's sexual self-views, was tested. Three hundred eighteen female undergraduates completed anonymous questionnaires, including the Sexual Self-Schema Scale and assessments of sexual responses and romantic attachment patterns. Results extended knowledge of positive–negative schema group contrasts and distinguished the response patterns of the aschematic and co-schematic groups. As predicted, aschematics reported low levels of sexual desire, arousal, and anxiety, and weak romantic attachments, whereas co-schematics endorsed conflicting positive and negative responses to sexual–romantic cues. In addition, path analyses supported the bivariate model. Finally, findings are related to theories of attachment representations within the cognitive hierarchy of the self.
Genital herpes (herpes simplex virus) is a relatively common and recurrent sexually transmitted infection. Despite its high prevalence, knowledge about the condition can be lacking and many individuals suffer significant psychological distress upon diagnosis. As such, it is necessary to evaluate knowledge about herpes and examine factors that may contribute to adjustment. Participants ( N = 401) completed online measures of genital herpes knowledge, erotophobia–erotophilia, and psychological adjustment. In addition, participants were asked to rate their current herpes knowledge as well as their knowledge prior to diagnosis. Knowledge was high among those diagnosed ( M = 91.41, SD = 7.34); however, knowledge scores were not associated with any differences in psychological adjustment. Despite this, individuals who self-rated their current knowledge more favourably had greater psychological adjustment ( p = .001). Similarly, participants who rated themselves as being knowledgeable about herpes prior to diagnosis were significantly more adjusted ( p = .008). Erotophobia–erotophilia was found to moderate the relation between self-rated knowledge and psychological adjustment such that their positive relation was stronger for those high in erotophilia ( W ≤ 17.42). Greater efforts are needed to educate people about genital herpes prior to diagnosis. More positive psychological outcomes can be expected if people feel well informed about genital herpes. Positive sexual attitudes may play a critical role in educational efforts to improve adjustment to genital herpes and other sexually transmitted infections.
Authors analyzed the problematic use of pornographic websites and Internet sex addiction in representative samples of respondents from different age groups including 2948 respondents from Serbia and 1486 from Montenegro. In this study, the authors focused on researching problematic and addictive behavior related to Internet sex in Serbia and Montenegro. They concluded that of all the addictions, sex addiction is the most difficult to control because it is a complex mixture of biological, psychological, cultural, and family factors, a combination that creates and intensifies compulsive sexual behaviors and indicates that such behaviors are almost impossible to resist even though sex addiction produces many negative consequences in various spheres of life.
Objetivo.
Este estudio presenta un diagnóstico educativo para conocer cuál es la situación de la educación sexual como contenido en el Grado en Pedagogía de la Universidad de Oviedo y la evaluación de las actitudes del alumnado hacia la materia, profundiza en la relevancia, pertinencia y necesidad de su inclusión en los planes docentes de la titulación.
Metodología.
Con una metodología mixta, se propone un cuestionario validado y un proceso de recopilación y revisión de fuentes documentales. La muestra de tipo no probabilístico intencionado y de conveniencia es de 231 estudiantes. Se revisan aportaciones teórico-empíricas en torno la educación sexual en la formación docente, la inclusión de esta disciplina en los currículos universitarios, los procesos de innovación educativa universitaria y las estrategias para la mejora de la formación del colectivo objetivo; entre otros aspectos.
Resultados.
El 99,6% de la muestra presenta actitudes favorables hacia la educación sexual. Los porcentajes altos crecen con respecto al curso, mientras que los medios disminuyen a medida que se avanza de curso, convirtiéndose en porcentajes más elevados.
Conclusiones.
Se evidencia la ausencia de contenidos relativos a la educación sexual en las guías docentes de la titulación. Se refiere que la educación sexual es un derecho cuyo ejercicio debe garantizarse y una disciplina que debe abordarse obligatoria y explícitamente en el currículo de la titulación de forma sistemática, estable y científica.
Recomendaciones.
Se plantea diseñar una asignatura de educación sexual de carácter obligatorio en el Grado en Pedagogía y formar al profesorado responsable de dicha materia.
Introducción:
En diversos países las mujeres trabajadoras sexuales han sido estigmatizadas y discriminadas, lo que causa en ellas problemas de salud mental y sexual. No obstante, se desconoce cómo la pandemia por COVID-19 y el distanciamiento social han impactado en su salud. El objetivo de la presente investigación, de tipo descriptivo, fue evaluar factores psicosociales, la salud mental, las estrategias para prácticas sexuales con protección, las actitudes hacia el VIH y la sexualidad durante el periodo de confinamiento. .
Método:
Participaron 98 mujeres trabajadoras sexuales de tres sectores de la Bogotá, quienes respondieron a escalas psicométricas en salud mental y sexual.
Resultados:
Más del 60 % de las participantes indican sentir abandono estatal, baja clientela y poco o ningún ingreso económico; afectación emocional, una tendencia a presentar actitudes negativas frente a la sexualidad, actitudes favorables hacia el uso del condón, las pruebas de detección del VIH y una alta tendencia a emplear estrategias de persuasión cuando el cliente se niega a usar protección.
Conclusiones:
Las problemáticas en salud mental y sexual se mantienen e intensifican en pandemia para las trabajadoras sexuales en Colombia, lo cual sigue siendo un reto a escala nacional que requiere una intervención eficaz y efectiva desde lo económico y psicosocial.
El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar la actitud hacia la sexualidad en pacientes con antecedentes de trauma craneoencefálico (TCE), de acuerdo al nivel de severidad presentado. Método: se llevó a cabo un estudio de tipo descriptivo en una muestra de 126 personas, con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y 49 años, con antecedente de trauma craneoencefálico leve, moderado y severo, a quienes se les aplicó la Escala de Actitudes hacia la Sexualidad Ampliada (ATSS) y una encuesta de actitudes hacia la sexualidad. Resultados: se encontró que la mayoría de los participantes manifestaron haber sufrido cambios en su sexualidad tras el TCE, caracterizados por la disminución de la frecuencia de las relaciones y el deseo sexual, sin embargo, evidencian una actitud positiva frente a la sexualidad. Conclusiones: si bien la sexualidad es considerada importante por los participantes del estudio, no se evidenció una conducta tendiente a la erotofilia. No se encontraron diferencias significativas respecto al nivel de severidad del trauma craneoencefálico.
This study examines the intermediary role of three variables (sexual mindfulness, sexual anxiety, and sexual self-esteem) in a path analysis model to explain the association between insecure attachment and sexual satisfaction. A community sample of 543 adults completed an online survey. Results supported our hypothesized integrative model, which explained 44.1% of the variance in sexual satisfaction and presented satisfactory fit indices. This study suggests that the association between attachment insecurities and lower sexual satisfaction could be partially explained by a proximal association with lower sexual mindfulness, which emphasizes the relevance of examining sexual mindfulness during the screening and treatment of people presenting low sexual satisfaction.
Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2021.2011808 .
El objetivo principal de este estudio exploratorio fue examinar las diferencias en actitudes sexuales entre personas adultas con Altas Capacidades Intelectuales (ACI) y otros participantes pertenecientes a la Población General, en cuanto a su dotación Intelectual (PGI). La muestra estuvo compuesta por 126 personas (80 personas PGI y 46 ACI). Se administró a los participantes la escala ATSS (2005). Tanto los participantes, de la muestra PGI como los de ACI, mostraron actitudes tendentes al conservadurismo. Las comparaciones llevadas a cabo, considerando a todos los participantes (PGI y ACI), atendiendo a la edad o al género mostraron que: a) las personas más mayores informaron actitudes más liberales que los más jóvenes, quienes mostraron actitudes más conservadoras, y b) los hombres obtuvieron valores más altos en erotofilia (una actitud más liberal) que las mujeres excepto en lo referente al tema del aborto, en el que ellas resultaron más liberales. Las comparaciones entre PGI y ACI mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el Factor que se refiere a la pornografía, resultando más conservadoras en este asunto las personas ACI.
This article reports on three phases of the development of a Likert‐type scale measuring heterosexual attitudes toward homosexuality. Phase 1 describes the development of the scale. Item analysis yielded 20 statements with item‐total correlations ranging from .57 to .74. In Phase 2 the 20‐item Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Homosexuality (HATH) Scale was administered to 82 subjects. Analysis yielded a corrected split‐half correlation of .92, and the scale was found to discriminate between individuals based on sex, academic major, and church attendance. In Phase 3 (a validation study) the HATH was administered with several additional attitude scales and indexes of an exploratory nature. Analysis yielded a corrected split‐half correlation of .92. As in Phase 2, a significant effect of sex was found; females appear more tolerant than males. In addition, the HATH correlated significantly with peer attitudes, religiosity, and authoritarianism. The scale has satisfactory reliability and shows promising construct validity.
"This paper advocates a validational process utilizing a matrix of intercorrelations among tests representing at least two traits, each measured by at least two methods. Measures of the same trait should correlate higher with each other than they do with measures of different traits involving separate methods. Ideally, these validity values should also be higher than the correlations among different traits measure by the same method." Examples from the literature are described as well as problems in the application of the technique. 36 refs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Forced-choice and true-false guilt scales which controlled for social desirability were developed from a sentence-completion measure of guilt for 3 subcategories of guilt: Sex Guilt, Hostile Guilt, and Morality-Conscience Guilt. The 3 methods of measuring the 3 aspects of guilt were examined in a multitrait-multimethod matrix based on 95 male Ss. The matrix provided promising evidence of convergent and discriminant validity of the 3 guilt subcategories as measured by the forced-choice and true-false methods. Further evidence of discriminant validity was provided by including anxiety and social desirability scores as measured by 2 methods in the matrix. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Tested the hypotheses that "erotophiles" would spend more time viewing erotica and remember the content of the material more accurately than "erotophobes," and the Type A (coronary prone) Ss would spend less time viewing erotica than Type B (non coronary prone) Ss. 36 male and 34 female undergraduates completed a sexual opinion survey and the Jenkins Activity Survey—Form T. Ss then individually viewed 21 explicit heterosexual slides, with duration of exposure time controlled by each S. As hypothesized, erotophiles had longer exposure times than erotophobes and, as a consequence, made fewer errors in recalling content. Coronary-prone behavior interacted with erotophobia in a consistent though unanticipated way. Among Type As, exposure time and errors were unrelated to erotophobia, but the predicted effects occurred for Type Bs. It appeared that the time-relevant orientation of Type As outweighed the ordinary effects of emotion-based reaction to erotic stimuli. Significant effects on self-reported feelings were also found, as were several sex differences. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Cross-cultural psychology is considered as a methodological strategy, as a means of evaluating hypotheses of unicultural origin with evidence of more panhuman relevance, and as a means of developing new theoretical accounts of psychological phenomena that profit from broad sampling of human populations and social situations. As a methodological strategy, difficulties arise from the necessity of the quasi-experimental, comparative research design and from ignorance of the "minds" of Ss. It is argued that the bases of solutions to these methodological difficulties lie in the theory, much of which is available in the psychological literature. One form of theory that promises to be important provides abstract explanatory concepts requiring concrete specification in any particular investigation or application. Examples are discussed, including variants of utility theory and other approaches sharing similar characteristics. The importance of utilizing available psychological theory in the analysis of methodological approaches to cross-cultural study is emphasized. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Various theories assume that sexual orientation is related to sex role orientation or to erotic orientation. Hypotheses derived from these 2 assumptions were tested. Heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual undergraduates (185 Ss) were administered measures of their masculine and feminine attributes (determined by the Personal Attributes Questionnaire) and their erotic fantasies (measured by the Erotic Response and Orientation Scale). Results generally fail to support the hypotheses derived from sex role theories of sexual orientation; within each sex, homosexuals, heterosexuals, and bisexuals did not differ on measures of masculinity and femininity. Strong support was obtained for the hypothesis that sexual orientation relates primarily to erotic fantasy orientation. These latter results support a 2-dimensional model of sexual orientation in which homosexuality and heterosexuality are treated as separate, independent factors. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Examined whether 58 male and 47 female undergraduates who were recruited for a study on erotica responded in a similar manner to an erotic film as 29 male and 26 female undergraduates who were recruited for research on a neutral topic, personality questionnaires. In Part 1 of the study, all Ss answered questionnaires, including the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and a sexual opinion survey, that assessed personality and demographic characteristics. In Part 2, Ss watched the erotic movie and completed a feelings scale. Findings indicate that conclusions about prior sexual experience, sexual opinions, and affective responses to the erotic film were qualified by recruitment condition. Ss who volunteered for the experiment on erotica were more sexually experienced and, for women, were significantly more erotophilic than Ss who volunteered for the research on personality questionnaires. Results suggest that volunteer selection can have an important effect on experimental results and demonstrate a method for assessing the extent of these effects. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Describes the development of a new, 30-item measure of negative attitudes toward masturbation and the relationships between negative attitudes toward masturbation, sex guilt, and frequency of masturbation in 96 male and 102 female undergraduates. 4 male and 4 female Es administered the Sex Guilt subscale of the Mosher Forced-Choice Guilt Inventory, a measure of sex experience by Brady and Levitt, and Abramson's measure of masturbation experience. Results provide validational evidence of the predictive usefulness of the measure. The item content, item analysis, factorial structure, and adequate split-half reliability (.75) attest to the psychometric soundness of the measure. Both guilt over sex and negative attitudes toward masturbation are suggested as 2 constructs with theoretical significance and usefulness in research in human sexuality as well as in treating some forms of sexual pathology. (24 ref)
Applied a reinforcement-affect model of evaluative responses to reactions to erotica. It was hypothesized that judgments of the pornographic quality of erotic stimuli and opinions about the value of legal restrictions on such sexual material are a function of the positive and negative affect elicited by the stimuli. 64 married Ss were exposed to 19 erotic themes in pictorial or verbal form and then assessed with respect to feelings, judgments, and opinions. Both positive and negative affective responses were associated with pornography judgments and with restrictiveness opinions for males; for females only negative affective responses were associated with these 2 response measures. Authoritarianism, religious preference, and church attendance were also predictor variables. (23 ref)
Describes the development of a new sex-role inventory that treats masculinity and femininity as 2 independent dimensions, thereby making it possible to characterize a person as masculine, feminine, or "androgynous" as a function of the difference between his or her endorsement of masculine and feminine personality characteristics. Normative data, provided by 561 male and 356 female college and junior college students, are presented, as well as the results of various psychometric analyses. Findings indicate that: (a) The dimensions of masculinity and femininity are empirically and logically independent. (b) The concept of psychological androgyny is a reliable one. (c) Highly sex-typed scores do not reflect a general tendency to respond in a socially desirable direction, but rather a specific tendency to describe oneself in accordance with sex-typed standards of desirable behavior for men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Investigated the relationship of sex guilt as a personality disposition to reports of previous sexual experiences, feelings following participation, or reasons for nonparticipation, and pre- and postmarital sexual standards for 60 male and 76 female undergraduates. Sex guilt was negatively correlated with the level of intimacy of premarital sexual experiences, and guilty Ss had less permissive premarital standards. The more guilty females gave moral beliefs as their reason for not participating in intercourse or more intimate forms of petting; the more guilty males reported that moral beliefs, respect for the girl, and fear of pregnancy or disease were their reasons for nonparticipation in intercourse or oral-genital relations. (15 ref.)
Developed forced-choice and true-false guilt inventories for females from a sentence-completion measure of guilt for 3 subcategories of guilt: sex-guilt, hostility-guilt, and morality-conscience. A multitrait-multimethod matrix and a factor analysis based on the responses of 62 females to the 3 measures of 3 aspects of guilt provided evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. The measures of guilt are not significantly correlated with 2 measures of social desirability and are factorially dissimilar from responses given under instructions to make a favorable impression. The inventories measure the personality disposition of guilt rather than the feeling state of guilt.
Presents a theoretical analysis of paired-associates learning and 2 experiments to test the hypotheses that in learning a list of paired associates with little generalization between pairs (little competition) high anxious Ss would perform better than low anxious Ss, while with a list of competing incorrect responses the reverse would be the case. These hypotheses were verified. 24 references.
The problem of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between parental affective orientation toward sexuality and how parents respond to questions involving sex-related experiences of their preschool-age children. Parents who had preschool-age children attending three nursery schools in the Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana area participated in the project. The parents completed a questionnaire containing two instruments: the first, titled, Are You An Askable Parent, was used to determine the parents’ askability and approaches to sex-related situations; the other was the modified Sexual Opinion Survey which was used to assess the parents’ affective orientation toward sexuality. For the data analysis, the scores from the questionnaires were totaled into groups of the entire male and female sample, the male parents, and the female parents. The statistical tests revealed a significent relationship between the variables for only one population group: the male parents’ affective orientation toward sexuality was significantly related to their askability and approaches to sex-related situations. Males with the more positive orientation toward sexuality responded in the most desirable ways and those with the more negative orientation responded in the least desirable ways. In conclusion, conflicting evidence was established as to the relationship between parental affective orientation to sexuality and how parents respond to questions involving sex- related experiences of preschool-age children. No significant relationships were found for parents as a group or for the female population; but a positive correlation was found for males. Thus, affective orientation toward sexuality for male parents apparently is an important determinant in their askability and approaches to sex-related situations of their preschool-age children. © 1981 Journal of Sex Education and Therapy. All rights reserved.
The generalizability of the findings showing a relationship among sexual attitudes, sexual and contraceptive behavior, and responses to statements about sexual topics was investigated. Females (n = 722) attending five state and private universities in urban and rural locations were administered the Sexual Opinion Survey, a questionnaire dealing with sexual and contraceptive behavior, and semantic differential items involving sexual matters. Associations generally occurred between the expression of more positive sexual attitudes and the reporting of behaviors and attitudes supportive of effective contraceptive activity. Analysis of variance of the questionnaire responses indicated main effects for both the campus setting and erotophobia-erotophilia for nearly all of the items. A correlational analysis found significant relationships in the predicted directions between sexual attitudes and responses to most of the survey items by subjects in each campus setting.
The development of a sexual behavior scale for males is described. The final scale consists of 21 classes of heterosexual behavior which form a cumulative, ordinal scale. This scale can be used as a hierarchy in desensitization therapy, or it can be applied to the assessment of behavior change resulting from therapy. A short 10 item form of the scale which correlates ·979 with the total scale is available as well.
Situational and personality factors associated with responses to communicating a sexual message were investigated. Male (N = 101) and female (N = 89) subjects delivered a prepared speech on either a sexual or a nonsexual topic to an audience that ostensibly varied in age (peer versus older individuals) and sex (male versus female). Results indicated that communicating the sexual (versus nonsexual) message resulted in more negative perceptions of audience response. Communicating the sexual message to older audiences in general and to older female audiences in particular resulted in the most negative perceptions of audience response. Correlational analyses revealed that individual difference factors such as positive affective orientation to sex and relatively greater sexual experience were associated with less negative reactions to communicating the sexual message (all p < .05).
Attitudes about using specific contraceptives were hypothesized to be based mainly on heterosexual or autoerotic feelings. Affective responses to two stimulus themes were correlated with attitudes toward the use of contraceptives. The prediction was confirmed, moderated by levels of sexual experience and parental attitudes reported by the college student participants. Attitudes toward the use of contraceptives which involve genital manipulation, such as the diaphragm or condom, were positively correlated with feelings about masturbation themes presented in slides. Similarly, a positive relationship was found between attitudes about non‐genitally manipulative contraceptives, such as the pill, and heterosexual themes. Having little sexual experience or reporting negative parental attitudes toward sex increased the observed frequency of several of these predicted correlations. Explanations for these results included a reinforcement interpretation of the socialization experiences determining the development of attitudes toward using the various methods of birth control.
After viewing an aggressive, sexually aggressive, erotic heterosexual, or control film, 129 females and 135 males expressed their willingness to help and hostility toward the male or female experimenter. Males extended the least help to the experimenter following the aggressive film and expressed more positive affect than females. Erotophilic males expressed slightly less hostility toward a female than a male experimenter. Erotophiles expressed more positive attitudes toward women and toward men after viewing either the rape film shown by a male experimenter or the erotic film shown by a female experimenter, compared to erotophobes. Among erotophobes, these two experimental conditions generally produced the most negative effects on general attitudes about the sexes. Affective responses to sex variations in dominant status and to aggressivity were employed to provide explanations for these results.
The relationships of sex, sex guilt, and authoritarianism to affective and arousal responses after viewing explicit heterosexual and opposite‐ and same‐sex masturbation slides were investigated. Compared to females, males expressed more positive affect and higher sexual arousal in response to all but the same‐sex masturbatory theme. Participants with higher sex guilt expressed less positive affect about the stimuli, with the least positive affect expressed by high‐guilt participants after exposure to slides showing same‐sex autoeroticism. Authoritarianism was also negatively related to positive feelings about the same‐sex slides. The association of these affective responses with attributions about, and attraction toward, the experimenter were explored. Compared to other groups, females with low positive feelings about the heterosexual and same‐sex masturbation pictures accepted less responsibility for slide‐watching and expressed more derogation and dislike of the experimenter. The Sexual Behavior Sequence provided an integrative theoretical model for this research. The theory outlines the behavioral response sequence to external erotic stimuli, with dispositional variables, arousal, and affect as intervening variables. The contributions of each of these variables to self‐reported responses to erotica are described, with implications for understanding the psychological processes involved in them.
As sex research has expanded, a plethora of similar but unconnected theoretical constructs has arisen. Recently, Byrne (1977) and colleagues have developed a conceptual framework which establishes a set of relationships between erotic stimuli, theoretical constructs, and sexual behavior. One main component of this theory is a type of emotional response to sexual stimuli labelled erotophobia‐erotophilia as measured by the Sexual Opinion Survey. Research on this theory indicates that its constructs are important for sex therapists and researchers. Based on previous studies establishing the reliability and validity of the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS), a study was conducted in which the Survey was administered to 327 adults. Responses to the SOS were used to develop a set of standard scores, percentiles, and preliminary norms to facilitate use of the Survey in clinical practice and research. A principal components analysis of the SOS also was conducted, yielding three reliable and interpretable factors. Analysis of various weighting systems suggested that factor scores derived from the SOS could be calculated reliably simply by addition or subtraction of item scores. Application of the SOS and Byrne's theory for clinical practice, case studies, and clinical research is encouraged as a means of extending the theory and as a way of helping relate elements of sexuality to ongoing social behavior.
The current research examined correlates of two contraceptive behaviors among university women: using a campus contraception clinic, and utilizing contraception consistently. On the basis of the Sexual Behavior Sequence (Byrne, 1977), it was proposed that clinic users (versus nonusers) and consistent contraceptors (versus inconsistent contraceptors and sexually inactive subjects) indicate a relatively more positive emotional orientation to sexuality and more positive attitudes and normative beliefs regarding contraception. On the basis of past research (e.g., Foreit & Foreit, 1978), it was also expected that clinic users and consistent contraceptors report having relatively more serious heterosexual relationships. The subjects in this research were female student users (n = 91) and nonusers (n = 139) of a university contraception clinic; these women were classified as consistent (n = 85) or inconsistent (n = 62) contraceptors or as sexually inactive (n = 83). As predicted, clinic users and consistent contraceptors reported a relatively more positive emotional orientation to sexuality, more positive attitudes and normative beliefs regarding contraception, and more serious heterosexual relationships (all p < .05). An exploratory correlational analysis suggested that emotional orientation to sexuality may work through relevant attitudes and norms to affect contraceptive behavior, while seriousness of relationship—a situational factor—may have independent effects on behavior. Implications of these findings for improving the effectiveness of adolescent contraception were discussed.
Reports that the effects of erotic content and S's sex on sexual fantasy are mediated by general sexual attitudes. When erotic content consisted of mild erotica featuring males rather than females, 123 male undergraduates expressed significantly more negative themes in briefer fantasy productions than 123 female undergraduates. Analyses of affective and arousal responses to single-sex and heterosexual erotica indicated patterns generally consistent with the fantasy outcomes. Negative sexual attitudes determined via a sexual opinion survey were associated with negatively toned fantasies, more negative affect, and less sexual arousal. Variations in affective and arousal responses to erotic stimuli, as discussed by the theory of the sexual behavior sequence, are demonstrated to extend to the production of sexual fantasy. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The motivational properties of erotic exposure were shown to depend on the individual's sexual attitudes in the experiment. After viewing an erotic or nonerotic film, 30 female and 30 male college students responded to a paired-associates learning task. When the list consisted of competitive word pairs, persons with positive sexual attitudes (erotophiles) required more trials and made more errors before criterion was reached, only after viewing an erotic rather than a nonerotic film. Their noncompetitional performance, in contrast, was facilitated after viewing the erotic relative to the nonerotic film. Erotophobes responded only to the list competitiveness and not film condition. Affect ratings emerged as a primary covariant of erotophilic motivational performance.
PIP
The project purpose was to determine whether selected personal characteristics of health science teachers of school grades 6-8 and 9-11 were related to 1 measure of sex education teaching performance--the inclusion of topics within the instructional unit. The study population was limited to 269 health science teachers in public schools in Indiana, with 94 teaching within grades 6-8 and 175 teaching in grades 9-11. Some significant relationships were established between the teacher characteristic variables and the 60 sex education topics. None of the teacher characteristics variables were consistently related to the inclusion of the topics when considering the topics as a group, although significance was found more frequently at the 9-11 grade than at the 6-8 grade level. More significant relationships were established for the variable erotophila-erotophobia (persons who associate primarily positive emotions with sexuality are considered erotophilics, and individuals associating primarily negative emotions with sex are classified as erotophobics) than for any other teacher characteristic. Erotophilic individuals more often included the birth control topics within sex education instruction. For the teachers in grades 9-11, those with the master's degree in health education were more likely than those without the advanced degree to include sexual behavior-related topics.
This research employed two theories to predict contraceptive behavior (condom use) among university men. The sexual behavior sequence (Byrne, 1977, 1983) hypothesizes that erotophobia-erotophilia (negative to positive emotional response to sexuality) will generalize and mediate avoidance or approach of contraception. The theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) hypothesizes that condom use behavior (B) is a function of behavioral intentions (BI) to perform this act; BI is hypothesized to be a function of attitudes towards the act (Aact) and relevant subjective norms (SN), and Aact and SN in turn have hypothesized basic determinants (). In addition, the theory of reasoned action holds that variables external to this model (i.e., erotophobia-erotophilia) may only affect behavior indirectly, by affecting the model's components. To test these assumptions, 145 undergraduate males completed measures of erotophobia-erotophilia and BI, Aact, SN, and and with respect to condom use in the coming month; a one month follow-up measure of B was also obtained. Results confirmed each of the hypothesized relationships and showed that for subjects who had sex during the month under study (N= 44), erotophobia-erotophilia and behavioral intentions were related to condom use (r= .33, r= .44, p < .05). Moreover, in contrast to the assumption of the theory of reasoned action, erotophobia-erotophilia and intentions independently predicted condom use; the linear combination of these factors predicted condom use significantly better (R= .57, p < .001) than either factor taken singly. Conceptual and applied implications of these findings are discussed.
The effects of a new stimulus following repeated exposure to a familiar, sexually explicit stimulus were studied. Female and male subjects (N = 56) viewed an explicitly heterosexual film daily for 4 days and then were exposed to either a film showing the same actors engaging in different sexual acts or one with different actors engaging in the same activities shown in the original film. Analyses of self-rated responses showed that negative affect significantly increased with film repetition and returned to original levels with the introduction of novelty. Erotophobia was associated with negative affect. Results for self-reported sexual arousal and concern ratings revealed sex differences, with males becoming more aroused and concerned by novelty consisting of different actors, and females becoming more aroused and concerned by the same actors performing different acts. Affective and cognitive theories of human sexual responding provided possible explanations for these results.
The development of a sexual behavior scale for females is described. The final scale consists of 21 types of heterosexual behavior which form a cumulative, ordinal scale. This scale can be used as a hierarchy in desensitization therapy, or it can be applied to the assessment of behavior change resulting from therapy. A short 10 item form of the scale which correlates almost ·98 with the total scale is available as well.
This paper attempts to refine and state more clearly an operational definition of homophobia. Homophobia is seen as but one dimension among many that collectively refer to the much larger domain of homonegativeism. The paper then presents a new measure of homophobia, called the IHP, and reports the finding of a study designed to validate the new scale. The IHP was found to have a reliability of .90 and good content and factorial validity.
This study examined the relationship between sex role identity and attitudes toward sexuality. The following hypotheses were tested and confirmed: males would have more positive attitudes toward sexuality than females, androgynous females would have more positive attitudes toward sexuality than feminine females, and androgynous males would have more positive attitudes toward sexuality than masculine males. The data suggest that androgynous individuals have more positive attitudes toward sexuality than individuals who are traditionally sex typed. Implications for these data are that people who have adopted an alternative sex role identity are better adjusted to or more comfortable with their sexuality.
The relationships among sexual attitudes, sexual and contraceptive behavior, and responses to statements about sexual topics are explored using data obtained in the Sexual Opinion Survey concerning 772 women attending four midwestern U.S. universities in the period 1977-1979. "Associations generally occurred between the expression of more positive sexual attitudes and the reporting of behaviors and attitudes supportive of effective contraceptive activity."
The effect of erotic stimuli on sex arousal, evalu-ative responses, and subsequent behavior Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix
- D Byrne
- J Lamberth
BYRNE, D., & LAMBERTH, J. (1971). The effect of erotic stimuli on sex arousal, evalu-ative responses, and subsequent behavior. In Technical report of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography (Vol. 8, pp. 41-67). Washington, DC: U.S. Govern-ment Printing Office. CAMPBELL, D. T., & FISKE, D. W. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81-105.
Adolescent sexuality: The first lessons Adolescents, sex, and contraception Sexual fantasy and attitudes as functions of sex of subject and con-tent of erotica
- K Kelley
KELLEY, K. (1983). Adolescent sexuality: The first lessons. In D. Byrne & W. A. Fisher (Eds.), Adolescents, sex, and contraception (pp. 125-142). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. KELLEY, K. (1985a). Sexual fantasy and attitudes as functions of sex of subject and con-tent of erotica. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 4, 339-347.
Socialization antecedents of eroto-phobia-erotophilia in traditional and liberal Indian students. Paper presented at the Fourth World Congress of Sexology Cross-cultural research methods The attraction paradigm Social psychology and the study of sexual behavior
- S Bose
- S K Dasgupta
- A K Burman
- Rome
- R W Brislin
- W J Lonner
- R M Thorndike
BosE, S., DASGUPTA, S. K., & BURMAN, A. K. (1978). Socialization antecedents of eroto-phobia-erotophilia in traditional and liberal Indian students. Paper presented at the Fourth World Congress of Sexology, Rome. BRISLIN, R. W., LONNER, W. J., & THORNDIKE, R. M. (1973). Cross-cultural research methods. New York: Wiley. BYRNE, D. (1971). The attraction paradigm. New York: Academic Press. BYRNE, D. (1977). Social psychology and the study of sexual behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1, 3-30.
Students' interest in human sexuality topics: Sexual attitudes and sex differences. Manuscript submitted for publication Sex, sex guilt, and authoritarianism: Differences in responses to explicit heterosexual and masturbatory slides
- Fisher
- Byrne
- White
- K And Kelley Kelley
- K Kelley
FISHER, BYRNE, WHITE, AND KELLEY KELLEY, K. (1985b). Students' interest in human sexuality topics: Sexual attitudes and sex differences. Manuscript submitted for publication. KELLEY, K. (1985C). Sex, sex guilt, and authoritarianism: Differences in responses to explicit heterosexual and masturbatory slides. Journal of Sex Research, 21, 68-85.
Sex of sub-ject, recruitment procedure, and responses to an erotic film: A method of empiri-cally assessing volunteer bias
- D M Saunders
- W A Fisher
- E C Hewitt
- Clayton
SAUNDERS, D. M., FISHER, W. A., HEWITT, E. C, & CLAYTON, J. P. (1985). Sex of sub-ject, recruitment procedure, and responses to an erotic film: A method of empiri-cally assessing volunteer bias. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 1703-1712.
Emotional orientation toward sexuality: Its relation to expecting and perceiving contraceptive side effects. Unpublished honors thesis The relation of anxiety (drive) level to performance in competitional and noncompetitional paired-associates learning
- M E Semph
- Ontario
- K W Spence
- I E Farber
- H H Mcfann
SEMPH, M. E. (1979). Emotional orientation toward sexuality: Its relation to expecting and perceiving contraceptive side effects. Unpublished honors thesis, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. SPENCE, K. W., FARBER, I. E., & MCFANN, H. H. (1956). The relation of anxiety (drive) level to performance in competitional and noncompetitional paired-associates learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 52, 296-305.
- Yarber W. L.
Socialization antecedents of erotophobia-erotophilia in traditional and liberal Indian students
- S Bose
- S K Dasgupta
- A K Burman
Heterosexuals’ and homosexuals’ responses to the SOS. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex
- J Clayton
- W A Fisher
Development and validation of a measure of affective orientation to erotic stimuli: The Sexual Opinion Survey. Paper presented at the meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association
- L A White
- W A Fisher
- D Byrne
- R Kingma