Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1979
An Empirical Investigation of Experimentally Induced Masturbatory Fantasies Paul R. Abramson, Ph.D., 1,3 and Donald L. Mosher, Ph.D. 2
The nature and correlates o f experimentally induced masturbatory fantasies were studied, Subjects were requested to construct a story using the film o f either a male or a female masturbating to orgasm as the eliciting stimulus. Results indicated that there are many sex differences in masturbatory fantasies which are most likely a consequence o f the differential ability o f men and women to form a positive projective identification with the same-sex protagonist in a film o f masturbation as well as a function o f the variations in the process by which men and women assimilate masturbation into a larger set o f social meanings. The findings also attest to the ability o f sex guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation to account for the variability in masturbatory fantasies in a theoretically consistent and reliable manner. KEY WORDS: masturbation; sexuality; fantasy; pornography; erotica.
INTRODUCTION Fantasy is often an integral part o f the masturbatory experience. Gagnon and Simon (1973) suggest that masturbatory fantasies are the preliminary rehearsals and vicarious organizations o f sociosexual dramas which typically incorporate symbolic material from the particular stage of development in which these fantasies occur. Furthermore, these sexual scripts or dramas are signifi-
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024. 2Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut. 3 Address correspondence to Dr. Paul R. Abramson, Department of Psychology, University of California, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90024. 27 0 0 0 4 - 0 0 0 2 / 7 9 / 0 1 0 0 - 0 0 2 7 5 0 3 . 0 0 / 0 © 1979 Plenum Publishing Corporation
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cant because they are likely to acquire reinforcing properties through their repeated association with the pleasurable sensations of masturbation and orgasm. Insofar as the masturbatory fantasy focuses on relationships and activities preparatory to or extrapolated from the coital act, the masturbatory experience could have the effect of strengthening or sustaining heterosexual activity (Gagnon and Simon, 1973). However, it is probably also true that the contiguous pairing of atypical sexual fantasies with masturbation inadvertently reinforces atypical sexual preferences. This is more likely to occur when the masturbatory fantasies serve as an exclusive sexual outlet since the pleasurable experiences received through masturbation can have the effect of exaggerating the stimulus value of the fantasy (Evans, 1968; McGuire et al., 1965; Mees, 1966; Thorpe et al., 1964). Guilt and shame may also accompany masturbation. These feelings evolve from cultural prohibitions concerning self-stimulation and lead to the belief that masturbation is a behavior which should be avoided or at least concealed. Gagnon and Simon (1973) suggest that guilt may also be produced by the fantasies which accompany masturbation. Given that children routinely utilize affectively bounded figures (siblings, parents, relatives)within their sexual fantasies (Gagnon and Simon, 1973), this practice has the effect of interrelating sexuality and normative violation. Furthermore, the guilt experienced in response to these fantasies is complicated by the ambivalence exhibited by adolescent peer groups toward masturbatory behavior. Such hypotheses concerning guilt and masturbation suggest that guilt may be a useful concept in theorizing about the fantasies which accompany masturbation. Our research addresses itself to examining the nature and correlates of experimentally induced masturbatory fantasies. Although research exists on fantasies during intercourse (Hariton and Singer, 1974) and retrospective reports of masturbatory fantasies (Hessellund, 1976; Kinsey et al., 1953), there is no experimental research on the fantasies which accompany masturbation. Sex guilt (Abramson et al., 1977b) and negative attitudes toward masturbation (Abramson and Mosher, 1975; Mosher and Abramson, 1977) were included as the personality variables under study because of their conceptual significance in theorizing about masturbatory behavior. Since sexually explicit films of masturbation were employed as a means of obtaining the fantasies, this study is also concerned with gender differences in projective identification with the male and female protagonists in films of masturbation. Our interest in projective identification stems from a previous investigation (Mosher and Abramson, 1977) which attempted to define the limits of objectification and projective identification hypotheses for interpreting responses to sexually explicit stimuli.
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METHOD Subjects The subjects were 96 undergraduate males and 102 undergraduate females enrolled in introductory psychology at the University of Connecticut who volunteered as part of their course requirement to participate in a study of sexual attitudes and fantasies.
Experimenters Two recent investigations (Abramson et al., 1975; Abramson and Handschumacher, 1978) have suggested that sex, status, and style of interacting of an experimenter may produce either a restraining or a permissive social context, which in turn can account for a significant portion of the variance of a subject's responses to sexual material. To control for such an effect, eight experimenters (four males and four females) with varied styles of interaction and status (full professor to undergraduate) were employed. To minimize any sex of experimenter effect, both male and female subjects were tested by both male and female experimenters.
Procedure Subjects were tested in small same-sex groups. After being told of the nature of the investigation, the subjects signed an informed consent modeled after Mosher (1970). This was the only form on which subjects put their names, and it was collected prior to completing any other measure. Subjects then completed the self-report measures in the following order: sex guilt, sex experience, negative attitudes toward masturbation, and masturbation experience. The subjects continued by viewing an explicitly sexual film of either a man or a woman masturbating to orgasm and by completing measures of subjective sexual arousal and affective responses. The subjects wrote fantasies to the film, after which they were debriefed (Abramson, 1977).
Films Films used were made at the Institute of Sex Research in Hamburg, Germany. The films portrayed either the man or the woman in the same physical
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setting with a nearly identical sequence of behaviors. The stimulus person was alone, lay down on a bed to read a book, then arose and undressed, fondled his/her body, and began to masturbate. Masturbation continued in supine and prone positions until orgasm/ejaculation was achieved. The films were in color, silent, and 10 min in duration.
Measures
Negative A ttitudes Toward Masturbation Subjects rated 30 items on a 5-point Likert scale. Item selection was based on the results of an internal consistency item analysis. A factor analysis o f the 30 items generated three factors: positive attitudes towards masturbation (e.g., "Masturbation can provide an outlet for sex fantasies without harming anyone else or endangering oneself"), false beliefs about the harmful nature of masturabtion (e.g., "Masturbation can lead to homosexuality"), and personally experienced ne,gative affects associated with masturbation (e.g., "When I masturbate, I am disgusted with myself"). The split-half reliability coefficient for the measure was 0.75. Scores on the measure of negative attitudes toward masturbation were significantly correlated, in a negative direction, with the average frequency of masturbation per month for men (r = - 0 . 2 6 ) and women (r = - 0 . 4 0 ) (Abramson and Mosher, 1975). No significant differences existed between the total scores for men (M = 72.06, SD = 15.29) and women (M = 72.44, SD = 16.36) on negative attitudes toward masturbation.
Sex Guilt The sex guilt subscale (Abramson et al., 1977a,b) of the Mosher Forced k Choice Guilt Inventory (1966a), which consists of 28 forced-choice items that have a corrected split-half reliability of 0.97, was used. An item example is as follows: As a child, sex play: A. was a big taboo and I was deathly afraid of it. B. was common without guilt feelings. In this sample, the mean sex guilt score for men w a s - 2 1 . 0 2 (SD = 13.92) and for females was -15.81 (SD = 15.00).
Projective Fantasy Subjects were requested to construct a story using the film as a projective stimulus. As a general guide they were asked to include "what events led up to
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31
the action of the male/female in the film; why he/she chose this action; what he/ she was fantasizing while masturbating; what he/she felt like when he/she was done; and what happens in the future?" These stories were then scored by two judges for affective tone, familiarity with object-choice, erotic elaboration, feelings about orgasm, motive for masturbating, future masturbation, fantasy beyond personal experience, and protagonist's mood. The median interrater reliability of the two judges was 0.94. The following is a more complete description of the fantasy categories and the scoring system.
Affective Tone The affective tone category assessed the valence of affect pervading the entire fantasy. There was a 5-pbint scale ranging from extremely positive to extremely negative. A score of 5 was assigned to an extremely erotic fantasy or to an arousing story which displayed a positive attitude toward the protagonist and the act of masturbation. A score of 4 was given to a somewhat erotic story with positive attitudes toward the protagonist and masturbation. A score of 3 was assigned to fantasies in which there was no affect involvement but merely a descriptive account of what happened in the film. A score of 2 was given to a story which displayed a minimum of positive affect but was also accompanied by negative attitudes such as disgust or remorse. A score of 1 was assigned to a fantasy in which the entire affect was negative, such as general feelings of disgust, guilt, or shame.
Familiarity with Obfect-Choice The subject's projection of whom the protagonist in the film was fantasizing about was scored for familiarity of the fantasized sex partner. There was a 3-point descending familiarity score, with 3 assigned when the fantasized character was the actor's fiance, husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, lover, etc.; a score of 2 when the fantasized character was the actor's previous boyfriend/girlfriend, lover, or ex-husband/wife, or acquaintance, co-worker, etc.; a score of 1 when the fantasized character was a stranger or not identified.
Erotic Elaboration A 3-point erotic elaboration category assessed the explicitness and sensuality of the erotic images and content in contrast to perfunctory descriptions of sexual actions. Examples of items and their scoring weights follow: Score 3
Item As she reads, her hand starts to wander over her body and she enjoys the sensation. She begins to outrightty masturbate by stimulating her clitoris and by occasionallyplunging her fingers into her vagina.
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She was feeling really great while doing it and she was thinking that she was getting laid while doing it. The girl seemed very nervous about masturbating. I imagine she was fantasizing making love with a man.
Feelings About Orgasm The category of feelings about orgasm examined the valence o f affect surrounding the orgasm itself. There was 4-point scale, with a score of 4 given to positive affects such as feeling relaxed, satisfied, peaceful, or great. A score of 3 was assigned when a contradiction or a disclaiming qualification accompanied a positive affect: "he felt great, but a little sad"; "he felt good but he would rather have had intercourse." A score of 2 was given when no affect was mentioned. A score o f 1 was given when the affect over orgasm was negative, such as feeling sad, disgusted, embarrassed, or guilty after reaching orgasm.
Mo tire for Masturbating The category of motive for masturbation examined the motive which the subjects attributed to the protagonist in the film. There was a 5-point scale, with a score of 5 assigned to reasons of specific sexual need, such as being " h o r n y , " pleasant genital sensations, or because it feels good; a score of 4 was assigned to reasons implying arousal resulting from specific stimuli, such as a book, a shower, a fantasy, or seeing an attractive man; a score o f 3 was assigned when there was no mention of reasons for masturbating; a score o f 2 was given when reasons of sexual need (score 5) or exciting sexual stimuli (score 4) were accompanied with strong negative affects (e.g., rejection, depression, or anxiety). A score of 1 was given when the reasons for masturbating were solely negative in nature (e.g., rejection, anxiety, depression, or isolation).
Future Masturbation The category of future masturbation assessed the subject's impression of whether the protagonist in the film will masturbate in the future. There was a 5-point scale which ranged from "definitely continue" to "'definitely stop." Examples of items and their scoring weights follow: Score
Item
5
She enjoys herself to such a degree that she wilt masturbate much the same in the future. (Inherent in this item is the reason of enjoyment vs. feeling trapped or obsessed.) In the future he will probably continue to masturbate for release of tension, but I don't think he'll confine his sexual activities to just this personal action.
4
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No mention of the future. She might decide to try and look up the man she was thinking of to begin with because masturbation can't replace the real thing. In the future I feel he is going to be increasing his reading instead.
Fantasy Beyond Prior Experience The category of fantasy beyond prior experience was scored either yes or no by comparing the sexual action in the fantasy to the storyteller's own sexual experience (as indicated on the Brady and Levitt, 1965, measure) to determine if the sexual action in the fantasy was beyond prior experience. Since almost all stories were of fantasies of sexual intercourse, this category largely reflects the presence or absence of personal coital experience.
Protagonist's Mood The mood of the protagonist as the story began was categorized as either positive or negative: positive: "On the way home, Bill saw some of the best pieces he's ever seen"; negative: "He just came home from a long day at work. He was in a bitchy mood and kind of tired."
Design Small groups of subjects were randomly assigned to film conditions. The film of the male masturbating was viewed by 51 males and 54 females, while the film of the female masturbating was seen by 45 males and 48 females. The individual difference measures were partitioned at the median for each sex to form high and low groups. The subjective sexual arousal data were analyzed by a threeway unweighted means analysis of variance, with the independent factors being sex of subject, the film condition (i.e., a film o f either a male or a female masturbating) and one of four individual difference measures which were divided at their respective medians within sexes to form high and low groups.
RESULTS The independent factors for the analyses were sex of subject, sex of the actor in the film, and median splits of high and low sex guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation. Three-way analyses of variance (or X2 where necessary) were performed separately for sex guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation, with sex o f subject and sex of actor in the film being the other two factors. Since the patterns of findings for the main effects of the sex o f sub-
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Table I. Means and Standard Deviations for the Significant Interaction Effects Male subjects
Erotic elaboration
M SD
Female subjects
Male film
Female film
Male film
Female film
1.51 0.55
1.54 0.67
1.39 0.62
1.80 0.69
Male subjects
Future M masturbation SD
Female subjects
Low NATM
High NATM
Low NATM
Nigh NATM
2.39 1.02
3.17 1.12
3.01 1.07
3.04 1.09
Male subjects Male film
Female subjects
Female film
L NATM H NATM L NATM H NATM Motive for M masturbation SD
1.83 1.43
2.20 1.65
3.37 0.92
2.52 1.74
Male film
Female film
L NATM H NATM L NATM H NATM 2.57 1.25
1.50 1.61
2.05 1.70
2.50 1.63
ject and sex o f actor in the film and their interaction were the same for all three-way analyses, only one set of these findings will be reported. The analyses of variance revealed several significant interactions, the means and standard deviations of which are presented in Table I. Cell comparisons for these effects were made with the Scheff~ procedure. A significant sex of subject by sex of the actor in the film interaction indicated that females who saw the female film included more erotic elaboration in their fantasies than females who saw the male film, males who saw the male film, or males who saw the female film (F = 5.31, df = 1, 185, p < 0 . 0 5 ) . Furthermore, a significant three-way interaction for sex of subject by sex of the actor in the film by negative attitudes toward masturbation demonstrated that males who saw the female film and were low in negative attitudes toward masturbation were the least likely group to attribute the motive for masturbating to ambivalence or negative affects (F = 9.81, df = 1,184, p < 0,005). A sex of subject by negative attitudes toward masturbation interaction for reference to future masturbation indicated that males who were low in negative attitudes toward masturbation were the group who made the most references to future masturbation (F = 5.52, df = 1, 184, p < 0.02). The data also indicated that males who were high in sex guilt were the most likely group to perceive the protagonist's mood as negative (X 2 = 4.72, p < 0.05) and that women who were high in negative attitudes toward masturbation were the most likely group to include a sexual behavior in their fantasies which was beyond their prior experience (X2 = 7.81, p < 0.01). Several main effects emerged for negative attitudes toward masturbation and sex guilt. Subjects high in negative attitudes toward masturbation were more likely to express fantasies in which there was a less positive affective tone (affective tone: high, M = 3.41, SD = 0.86; l o w , M = 3.62, SD = 0 . 8 9 ; F = 3.41, df = 1, 184, p < 0.06) and describe the protagonist as feeling less positive about the orgasm (feelings about orgasm: high, M = 3.11, SD = 1.10; low, M =
Experimentally Induced Masturbatory Fantasies
35
2.70, SD = 1.09; F = 6.79, df = 1, 184, p < 0.01) than subjects low in negative attitudes toward masturbation. The findings for sex guilt indicated that subjects high in sex guilt were more likely to include negative affects as the motive for masturbating (motive for masturbating: high, M = 2.06, SD = 1.59; Iow, M = 2.54, SD = 1.52; F = 3.31, df = 1 , 1 8 5 , p < 0 . 0 7 ) and include a sexual behavior in the fantasy which was beyond prior experience (X2 = 10.02,p < 0.001)than subjects low in sex guilt. Main effects for sex of subject and sex of the protagonist in the film were also discovered. The fantasies o f female subjects displayed more positive attitudes toward the protagonist and masturbation (affective tone: female subjects, M = 3.64, SD = 0.88; male subjects, M = 3.33, SD = 0 . 8 4 ; F = 5.96, df = I, 185, p < 0.05) and expressed more positive affects about the orgasm (feelings about orgasm: female subjects, M = 3.31, SD = 0.93; male subjects, M = 3.07, SD = 1.09, F = 3.45, df = 1, 184, p < 0.07) than the fantasies of male subjects. For sex of the protagonist in the film, the' results indicate that the fantasies o f subjects who viewed the film of the female masturbating to orgasm displayed a more positive attitude toward the protagonist and the act of masturbation (affective tone: female film, M = 3.66, SD = 0.88; male film, M = 3.34, SD = 0.85; F = 6.22, df = 1, 185, p < 0 . 0 1 ) , devoted more time to erotic images (erotic elaboration: female film, M = 1.66, SD = 0.68; male film, M = 1.42, SD = 0 . 6 0 ; F = 5.31, df = 1, 155, p < 0 . 0 5 ) , displayed more positive feelings about orgasm (feelings about orgasm: female film, M = 3.36, SD = 0.93; male f i l m , M = 3.04, SD = 1.07; F = 7.42, df = 1, 184, p < 0.01), expressed greater familiarity with the fantasized sex partner (familiarity with object-choice: female film, M = 1.67, SD = 0.89; male film, M = 1.39, SD = 0 . 6 8 ; F = 5.09, df = 1, 183, p < 0 . 0 5 ) , included fewer negative affects as motives for masturbating (motive for masturbating: female Film, M = 2.63, SD = 1.56; male film, M = 2.00, SD = 1 . 5 3 ; F = 6.93, df = 1, 185, p < 0 . 0 1 ) , displayed more sexual action which was beyond prior experience (X2 = 6,85, p < 0.01), and described the protagonist's mood as the story began as more positive (X2 = 9.78, p < 0 . 0 0 1 ) than the fantasies o f subjects who viewed the film of the male masturbating to orgasm.
DISCUSSION
One of the most important findings in the present study was the interaction between sex o f subject and sex of the protagonist in the film for the extent of erotic elaboration. The results indicate that women who viewed the film o f the female masturbating devoted a substantial part o f their fantasies to the delineation of erotic images, whereas the fantasies of men who viewed the film o f the male masturbating were void of erotic elaboration. This finding suggests a positive projective identification with the same-sex protagonist for women and a negative projective identification with the same-sex protagonist for men. Mosher and Abramson (1977) reported similar differences concerning projective identi-
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fication with measures of self-reported sexual arousal and affective responses to films of masturbation. The findings that women are capable of expressing sexual arousal to a same- and an opposite-sex protagonist in a film of masturbation (Mosher and Abramson, 1977) accounts for several of the significant differences obtained in this investigation. Since males were not likely to express a positive attitude toward the male protagonist, the fantasies written by female subjects were generally more positive in affective tone and included more positive affects concerning the protagonist's response to reaching orgasm. The results also indicate that the female film elicited more positive feelings toward the protagonist, the act of masturbation, and the resultant orgasm. This is not surprising, given that both men and women are capable of experiencing sexual arousal to the female protagonist, whereas only women are capable of experiencing sexual arousal to the male protagonist (Mosher and Abramson, 1977). It is interesting to note that subjects perceived the male protagonist's mood at the start of the film as more negative. However, since there was only one film each of a man and a woman masturbating, it is impossible to eliminate the possibility that differences in perceptions of the protagonist's mood as the film began do not reflect accurate assessments of the nonverbal cues of the actor and actress. The first category in a sequential analysis of the fantasies would be the subjects' impression of the events and motives leading to the action in the film. It was possible to reliably characterize the protagonist's mood as either positive or negative from the subjects's account of mood and events leading up to the action in the film. There was a significant interaction between sex-guilt and sex of subject. The interaction was such that males who scored high in sex-guilt portrayed the protagonist's mood as more anxious, nervous, or frustrated, in comparison to the other three cells. Although the significant main effect for sex of protagonist may be specific to the stimulus persons in the film, the interaction between sex of subject and sex guilt may be eliciting a projection of the subject's own typical mood prior to masturbating. Subjects also began their stories by considering the protagonist's motive for masturbating. They wrote stories which varied along a continuum where positive sexual needs or exciting stimuli were one extreme and negative affects such as depression, anxiety, and rejection were the other extreme. The most interesting datum was the three-way interaction of sex of subject, film conditions, and negative attitudes toward masturbation. Whereas males with positive attitudes toward masturbation who saw the film of the female masturbating were the least likely group to attribute a motive for masturbating, the means for the remaining seven cells suggest that the majority of subjects were likely to attribute the motive for masturbating to a conflict between positive (sexual drive) and negative (tension) sources of arousal. However, the results do indicate that it was women with negative attitudes toward masturbation who viewed the film o f the male masturbating who were the group most likely to include a nega-
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37
tive attribute as a motive for masturbating. A main effect for sex-guilt supports the view that the individual difference approach is an efficient way of accounting for the variability in motives for masturbation and, perhaps through the logic of projective extension, real-life motives for masturbation. Subjects who scored higher on sex guilt were more likely to attribute negative affects as motives for masturbating than low sex-guilt subjects. Finally, the male film elicited more conflicting and negative affects as motives for the protagonist's masturbation than did the female film. The next guiding question given the subjects dealt with the feelings and fantasies of the protagonist and permitted a description of the action or plot of the film. Affective tone, erotic elaboration, familiarity with object-choice, and fantasy beyond personal experience were derived from this portion of the stories. While a number of findings related to affective tone have already been discussed, the results also indicate that subjects low in negative attitudes toward masturbation displayed a more positive attitude toward the protagonist and the act of masturbation than subjects who were high in negative attitudes toward masturbation. For the category of erotic elaboration, which refers to the explicitness and detail of the description of sexual activity and of the protagonist's sexual fantasy, a significant main effect for film condition was also obtained. Both men and women wrote more erotically elaborate stories to the film of the woman masturbating. Again, this finding is consistent with the males' greater reported sexual arousal to this film and with the ability of female subjects to form a positive identification with a female stimulus person. Almost all subjects mentioned that the protagonist was fantasizing about sexual intercourse. The person identified as the object of the protagonist's fantasy was more likely to be a familiar person in the female film condition, whereas the protagonist in the male film condition was more likely to be fantasizing about a stranger or nonintimate partner. This finding suggests that both men and women attribute more importance to affectionate attachment to the female than to the male protagonist, who was more often portrayed as imagining having sex with a more casual partner. Given the availability of self-reports of sex experience (Brady and Levitt, 1965), it was possible to compare the subject's own behavior with the sexual experience attributed to the protagonists in the films. Subjects who were high on sex-guilt, and thus less sex experienced, imagined that the protagonist was fantasizing about behaviors that were more sexually intimate or diverse than the subjects had personally encountered. Since sex-guilt serves to inhibit sexual expression, it appears that fantasies of guilty subjects extend beyond their personal experience. It is unclear if this finding is somehow compensatory or merely reflects the attribution of sexual intercourse fantasies to the protagonists by guilty subjects who were liable to be less coitally experienced. There was also a main effect for film condition such that stories told about the male film were more
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Abramson and Mosher
likely to portray the male protagonist as fantasizing about sex experiences which exceeded the personal sex experiences of the storyteller, whereas the stories told about the female film were more likely to portray the protagonist as imagining sexual activities that the subjects had also experienced. This may indicate that college men and women are conversant with the belief that males' masturbatory fantasies are quite diverse or erotic and thus beyond the level of the storyteller's own personal sexual experiences. The stories concluded with a consideration of how the protagonist felt after masturbating and what would happen in the future. While some of the data for affect over orgasm have been discussed above, the results also indicate that subjects low in negative attitudes toward masturbation expressed more positive feelings about the protagonist's orgasm than subjects high in negative attitudes toward masturbation. Responses to the question about what happens in the future refers to subjects' impressions of whether the protagonist will continue to masturbate. There was a significant interaction between sex of subject and negative attitudes toward masturbation, demonstrating that males low in negative attitudes toward masturbation were the group most likely to make a reference to future masturbation. However, it should be pointed out that the reference to future masturbation was usually couched in terms of seeking alternative sources of sexual release. Since males who are low in negative attitudes toward masturbation are more likely to be masturbating at a greater frequency than the other three groups (Abramson, 1973; Abramson and Mosher, 1975), this result may reflect their concern with obtaining other means of sexual involvement. The finding that the other three groups make no mention of masturbation in the future lends support to this interpretation. In summation, the results of this research demonstrate that there are many sex differences within the symbolic components of masturbation. These findings are most likely a consequence of the differential ability of men and women to form a positive projective identification with a same-sex protagonist in a film of masturbation as well as a function of the variations in the process by which men and women assimilate masturbation into a larger set of social meanings (Abramson, 1979). The results also attest to the ability of sex guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation to account for the variability in masturbatory fantasies in a theoretically consistent and reliable manner. Whereas the present investigators have had little success in getting college students to articulate their own fantasies which accompany masturbation (Abramson, 1973; Abramson and Mosher, 1975), experimenters will ultimately have to obtain spontaneous masturbatory fantasies as a means of substantiating the external validity of this research strategy. REFERENCES
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Abramson, P. R. (1977). Ethical requirements for research on human sexual behavior: From the perspective of participating subjects. J. Soc. Issues 33: 184-192. Abramson, P. R. (1979). The Sexual System: A Theory o f Human Sexual Behavior, Academic Press, New York. Abramson, P. R., and Handschumacher, 1. W. (1978). Experimenter effects on responses to double-entendre words. J. Personal. Assess. (in press). Abramson, P. R., and Mosher, D. L. (1975). The development of a measure of negative attitudes towards masturbation. J.. Consult. Clin. Psyehol. 43: 485-490. Abramson, P. R., Goldberg, P. A., IVlosher, D. L., Abramson, L. M., and Gottesdiener, M. (1975). Experimenter effects on responses to erotic stimuli. J. Res. Personal. 9: 136-146. Abramson, P. R., Michalak, P., and Ailing, C. (1977a), Perception of parental sex guilt and the sexual behavior and arousal of college students. Percept, Motor Skills 45: 337338. Abramson, P. R., Mosher, D. L., Abramson, L. M., and Woychowski, B. (1977). Personality correlates of the Mosher Guilt Scales. J. Personal. Assess. 41(4): 375-382. Bandura, A. (1969). Principles o f Behavior Modification, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York. Brady, J. P., and Levitt, E. E. (1965). The scalability of sexual experiences. Psychol. Ree. 15: 275-279. Evans, D. R. (1968). Masturbatory fantasy and sexual deviation. Behav. Res. Ther. 6: 17-19. Gagnon, J. H., and Simon, W. (1973). Sexual Conduct, Aldine, Chicago. Hariton, E. B., and Singer, J. L. (1974). Women's fantasies during sexual intercourse: Normative and theoretical implications. J. Consult. Clin. Psyehol. 42: 313-322. Hessellund, H. (1976). Masturbation and sexual fantasies in married couples. Arch. Sex. Behav. 5: 133-147. Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., and Martin, C. E. (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, Saunders, Philadelphia. Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. F., and Gebhard, P. H. (1953). SexualBehavior in the Human Female, Saunders, Philadelphia. McGuire, R. J., Carlisle, J. M., and Young, B. G. (1965). Sexual deviations as conditioned behavior: A hypothesis. Behav. Res. Ther. 2: 185-190. Mees, H. L. (1966). Sadistic fantasies modified by aversive conditioning and substitution: A case study. Behav. Res. Ther. 4: 317-320. Mosher, D. L. (1966a). The development and multitrait-multidimensional matrix analysis of three measures of three aspects of guilt. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 30: 25-29. Mosher, D. L. (1966b). The differential influence of guilt on the verbal operant conditioning of hostile and "superego" verbs. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 30: 280. Mosher, D. L. (1970). Psychological reactions to pornographic films. Technieal Report o f the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, Vol. 8, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Mosher, D. L. (1973). Sex differences, sex experience, sex guilt, and explicitly sexual films. di Soc. Issues 29:95-112. Mosher, D. L., and Abramson, P. R. (1977). Subjective sexual arousal to films of masturbation. J. Consult. Clin. Psyehol. 45 : 796-807. Mosher, D. L., and Cross, H. J. (1971). Sex guilt and premarital sexual experiences of college students. J. Consult. Clin. Psyehol. 36: 27-32. Oliver, W. A., and Mosher, D. L. (1968). Psychopathology and guilt in heterosexual and subgroups of homosexual reformatory inmates. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 73: 323-329. Schwartz, S. (1973) Effects of sex guilt and sexual arousal on the retention of birth control information. J. Consult. Clin. Psyehol. 41 : 61-64. Sears, R. R , Maccoby, E. E., and Levin, H. (1957). Patterns o f Child Rearing, Row, Peterson, Evanston, Ill. Thorpe, J. C., Schmidt, E., and Castell, D. (1964). Aversion-relief therapy: A new method for general application. Behav. Res. Ther. 2: 71-82.
An Empirical Investigation of Experimentally Induced Masturbatory Fantasies Paul R. Abramson, Ph.D., 1,3 and Donald L. Mosher, Ph.D. 2
The nature and correlates o f experimentally induced masturbatory fantasies were studied, Subjects were requested to construct a story using the film o f either a male or a female masturbating to orgasm as the eliciting stimulus. Results indicated that there are many sex differences in masturbatory fantasies which are most likely a consequence o f the differential ability o f men and women to form a positive projective identification with the same-sex protagonist in a film o f masturbation as well as a function o f the variations in the process by which men and women assimilate masturbation into a larger set o f social meanings. The findings also attest to the ability o f sex guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation to account for the variability in masturbatory fantasies in a theoretically consistent and reliable manner. KEY WORDS: masturbation; sexuality; fantasy; pornography; erotica.
INTRODUCTION Fantasy is often an integral part o f the masturbatory experience. Gagnon and Simon (1973) suggest that masturbatory fantasies are the preliminary rehearsals and vicarious organizations o f sociosexual dramas which typically incorporate symbolic material from the particular stage of development in which these fantasies occur. Furthermore, these sexual scripts or dramas are signifi-
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024. 2Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut. 3 Address correspondence to Dr. Paul R. Abramson, Department of Psychology, University of California, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90024. 27 0 0 0 4 - 0 0 0 2 / 7 9 / 0 1 0 0 - 0 0 2 7 5 0 3 . 0 0 / 0 © 1979 Plenum Publishing Corporation
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cant because they are likely to acquire reinforcing properties through their repeated association with the pleasurable sensations of masturbation and orgasm. Insofar as the masturbatory fantasy focuses on relationships and activities preparatory to or extrapolated from the coital act, the masturbatory experience could have the effect of strengthening or sustaining heterosexual activity (Gagnon and Simon, 1973). However, it is probably also true that the contiguous pairing of atypical sexual fantasies with masturbation inadvertently reinforces atypical sexual preferences. This is more likely to occur when the masturbatory fantasies serve as an exclusive sexual outlet since the pleasurable experiences received through masturbation can have the effect of exaggerating the stimulus value of the fantasy (Evans, 1968; McGuire et al., 1965; Mees, 1966; Thorpe et al., 1964). Guilt and shame may also accompany masturbation. These feelings evolve from cultural prohibitions concerning self-stimulation and lead to the belief that masturbation is a behavior which should be avoided or at least concealed. Gagnon and Simon (1973) suggest that guilt may also be produced by the fantasies which accompany masturbation. Given that children routinely utilize affectively bounded figures (siblings, parents, relatives)within their sexual fantasies (Gagnon and Simon, 1973), this practice has the effect of interrelating sexuality and normative violation. Furthermore, the guilt experienced in response to these fantasies is complicated by the ambivalence exhibited by adolescent peer groups toward masturbatory behavior. Such hypotheses concerning guilt and masturbation suggest that guilt may be a useful concept in theorizing about the fantasies which accompany masturbation. Our research addresses itself to examining the nature and correlates of experimentally induced masturbatory fantasies. Although research exists on fantasies during intercourse (Hariton and Singer, 1974) and retrospective reports of masturbatory fantasies (Hessellund, 1976; Kinsey et al., 1953), there is no experimental research on the fantasies which accompany masturbation. Sex guilt (Abramson et al., 1977b) and negative attitudes toward masturbation (Abramson and Mosher, 1975; Mosher and Abramson, 1977) were included as the personality variables under study because of their conceptual significance in theorizing about masturbatory behavior. Since sexually explicit films of masturbation were employed as a means of obtaining the fantasies, this study is also concerned with gender differences in projective identification with the male and female protagonists in films of masturbation. Our interest in projective identification stems from a previous investigation (Mosher and Abramson, 1977) which attempted to define the limits of objectification and projective identification hypotheses for interpreting responses to sexually explicit stimuli.
ExpetimentaUy Induced MasturbatoryFantasies
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METHOD Subjects The subjects were 96 undergraduate males and 102 undergraduate females enrolled in introductory psychology at the University of Connecticut who volunteered as part of their course requirement to participate in a study of sexual attitudes and fantasies.
Experimenters Two recent investigations (Abramson et al., 1975; Abramson and Handschumacher, 1978) have suggested that sex, status, and style of interacting of an experimenter may produce either a restraining or a permissive social context, which in turn can account for a significant portion of the variance of a subject's responses to sexual material. To control for such an effect, eight experimenters (four males and four females) with varied styles of interaction and status (full professor to undergraduate) were employed. To minimize any sex of experimenter effect, both male and female subjects were tested by both male and female experimenters.
Procedure Subjects were tested in small same-sex groups. After being told of the nature of the investigation, the subjects signed an informed consent modeled after Mosher (1970). This was the only form on which subjects put their names, and it was collected prior to completing any other measure. Subjects then completed the self-report measures in the following order: sex guilt, sex experience, negative attitudes toward masturbation, and masturbation experience. The subjects continued by viewing an explicitly sexual film of either a man or a woman masturbating to orgasm and by completing measures of subjective sexual arousal and affective responses. The subjects wrote fantasies to the film, after which they were debriefed (Abramson, 1977).
Films Films used were made at the Institute of Sex Research in Hamburg, Germany. The films portrayed either the man or the woman in the same physical
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setting with a nearly identical sequence of behaviors. The stimulus person was alone, lay down on a bed to read a book, then arose and undressed, fondled his/her body, and began to masturbate. Masturbation continued in supine and prone positions until orgasm/ejaculation was achieved. The films were in color, silent, and 10 min in duration.
Measures
Negative A ttitudes Toward Masturbation Subjects rated 30 items on a 5-point Likert scale. Item selection was based on the results of an internal consistency item analysis. A factor analysis o f the 30 items generated three factors: positive attitudes towards masturbation (e.g., "Masturbation can provide an outlet for sex fantasies without harming anyone else or endangering oneself"), false beliefs about the harmful nature of masturabtion (e.g., "Masturbation can lead to homosexuality"), and personally experienced ne,gative affects associated with masturbation (e.g., "When I masturbate, I am disgusted with myself"). The split-half reliability coefficient for the measure was 0.75. Scores on the measure of negative attitudes toward masturbation were significantly correlated, in a negative direction, with the average frequency of masturbation per month for men (r = - 0 . 2 6 ) and women (r = - 0 . 4 0 ) (Abramson and Mosher, 1975). No significant differences existed between the total scores for men (M = 72.06, SD = 15.29) and women (M = 72.44, SD = 16.36) on negative attitudes toward masturbation.
Sex Guilt The sex guilt subscale (Abramson et al., 1977a,b) of the Mosher Forced k Choice Guilt Inventory (1966a), which consists of 28 forced-choice items that have a corrected split-half reliability of 0.97, was used. An item example is as follows: As a child, sex play: A. was a big taboo and I was deathly afraid of it. B. was common without guilt feelings. In this sample, the mean sex guilt score for men w a s - 2 1 . 0 2 (SD = 13.92) and for females was -15.81 (SD = 15.00).
Projective Fantasy Subjects were requested to construct a story using the film as a projective stimulus. As a general guide they were asked to include "what events led up to
Experimentally Induced Masturbatory Fantasies
31
the action of the male/female in the film; why he/she chose this action; what he/ she was fantasizing while masturbating; what he/she felt like when he/she was done; and what happens in the future?" These stories were then scored by two judges for affective tone, familiarity with object-choice, erotic elaboration, feelings about orgasm, motive for masturbating, future masturbation, fantasy beyond personal experience, and protagonist's mood. The median interrater reliability of the two judges was 0.94. The following is a more complete description of the fantasy categories and the scoring system.
Affective Tone The affective tone category assessed the valence of affect pervading the entire fantasy. There was a 5-pbint scale ranging from extremely positive to extremely negative. A score of 5 was assigned to an extremely erotic fantasy or to an arousing story which displayed a positive attitude toward the protagonist and the act of masturbation. A score of 4 was given to a somewhat erotic story with positive attitudes toward the protagonist and masturbation. A score of 3 was assigned to fantasies in which there was no affect involvement but merely a descriptive account of what happened in the film. A score of 2 was given to a story which displayed a minimum of positive affect but was also accompanied by negative attitudes such as disgust or remorse. A score of 1 was assigned to a fantasy in which the entire affect was negative, such as general feelings of disgust, guilt, or shame.
Familiarity with Obfect-Choice The subject's projection of whom the protagonist in the film was fantasizing about was scored for familiarity of the fantasized sex partner. There was a 3-point descending familiarity score, with 3 assigned when the fantasized character was the actor's fiance, husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, lover, etc.; a score of 2 when the fantasized character was the actor's previous boyfriend/girlfriend, lover, or ex-husband/wife, or acquaintance, co-worker, etc.; a score of 1 when the fantasized character was a stranger or not identified.
Erotic Elaboration A 3-point erotic elaboration category assessed the explicitness and sensuality of the erotic images and content in contrast to perfunctory descriptions of sexual actions. Examples of items and their scoring weights follow: Score 3
Item As she reads, her hand starts to wander over her body and she enjoys the sensation. She begins to outrightty masturbate by stimulating her clitoris and by occasionallyplunging her fingers into her vagina.
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She was feeling really great while doing it and she was thinking that she was getting laid while doing it. The girl seemed very nervous about masturbating. I imagine she was fantasizing making love with a man.
Feelings About Orgasm The category of feelings about orgasm examined the valence o f affect surrounding the orgasm itself. There was 4-point scale, with a score of 4 given to positive affects such as feeling relaxed, satisfied, peaceful, or great. A score of 3 was assigned when a contradiction or a disclaiming qualification accompanied a positive affect: "he felt great, but a little sad"; "he felt good but he would rather have had intercourse." A score of 2 was given when no affect was mentioned. A score o f 1 was given when the affect over orgasm was negative, such as feeling sad, disgusted, embarrassed, or guilty after reaching orgasm.
Mo tire for Masturbating The category of motive for masturbation examined the motive which the subjects attributed to the protagonist in the film. There was a 5-point scale, with a score of 5 assigned to reasons of specific sexual need, such as being " h o r n y , " pleasant genital sensations, or because it feels good; a score of 4 was assigned to reasons implying arousal resulting from specific stimuli, such as a book, a shower, a fantasy, or seeing an attractive man; a score o f 3 was assigned when there was no mention of reasons for masturbating; a score o f 2 was given when reasons of sexual need (score 5) or exciting sexual stimuli (score 4) were accompanied with strong negative affects (e.g., rejection, depression, or anxiety). A score of 1 was given when the reasons for masturbating were solely negative in nature (e.g., rejection, anxiety, depression, or isolation).
Future Masturbation The category of future masturbation assessed the subject's impression of whether the protagonist in the film will masturbate in the future. There was a 5-point scale which ranged from "definitely continue" to "'definitely stop." Examples of items and their scoring weights follow: Score
Item
5
She enjoys herself to such a degree that she wilt masturbate much the same in the future. (Inherent in this item is the reason of enjoyment vs. feeling trapped or obsessed.) In the future he will probably continue to masturbate for release of tension, but I don't think he'll confine his sexual activities to just this personal action.
4
Experimentally Induced MasturbatoryFantasies
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No mention of the future. She might decide to try and look up the man she was thinking of to begin with because masturbation can't replace the real thing. In the future I feel he is going to be increasing his reading instead.
Fantasy Beyond Prior Experience The category of fantasy beyond prior experience was scored either yes or no by comparing the sexual action in the fantasy to the storyteller's own sexual experience (as indicated on the Brady and Levitt, 1965, measure) to determine if the sexual action in the fantasy was beyond prior experience. Since almost all stories were of fantasies of sexual intercourse, this category largely reflects the presence or absence of personal coital experience.
Protagonist's Mood The mood of the protagonist as the story began was categorized as either positive or negative: positive: "On the way home, Bill saw some of the best pieces he's ever seen"; negative: "He just came home from a long day at work. He was in a bitchy mood and kind of tired."
Design Small groups of subjects were randomly assigned to film conditions. The film of the male masturbating was viewed by 51 males and 54 females, while the film of the female masturbating was seen by 45 males and 48 females. The individual difference measures were partitioned at the median for each sex to form high and low groups. The subjective sexual arousal data were analyzed by a threeway unweighted means analysis of variance, with the independent factors being sex of subject, the film condition (i.e., a film o f either a male or a female masturbating) and one of four individual difference measures which were divided at their respective medians within sexes to form high and low groups.
RESULTS The independent factors for the analyses were sex of subject, sex of the actor in the film, and median splits of high and low sex guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation. Three-way analyses of variance (or X2 where necessary) were performed separately for sex guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation, with sex o f subject and sex of actor in the film being the other two factors. Since the patterns of findings for the main effects of the sex o f sub-
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Table I. Means and Standard Deviations for the Significant Interaction Effects Male subjects
Erotic elaboration
M SD
Female subjects
Male film
Female film
Male film
Female film
1.51 0.55
1.54 0.67
1.39 0.62
1.80 0.69
Male subjects
Future M masturbation SD
Female subjects
Low NATM
High NATM
Low NATM
Nigh NATM
2.39 1.02
3.17 1.12
3.01 1.07
3.04 1.09
Male subjects Male film
Female subjects
Female film
L NATM H NATM L NATM H NATM Motive for M masturbation SD
1.83 1.43
2.20 1.65
3.37 0.92
2.52 1.74
Male film
Female film
L NATM H NATM L NATM H NATM 2.57 1.25
1.50 1.61
2.05 1.70
2.50 1.63
ject and sex o f actor in the film and their interaction were the same for all three-way analyses, only one set of these findings will be reported. The analyses of variance revealed several significant interactions, the means and standard deviations of which are presented in Table I. Cell comparisons for these effects were made with the Scheff~ procedure. A significant sex of subject by sex of the actor in the film interaction indicated that females who saw the female film included more erotic elaboration in their fantasies than females who saw the male film, males who saw the male film, or males who saw the female film (F = 5.31, df = 1, 185, p < 0 . 0 5 ) . Furthermore, a significant three-way interaction for sex of subject by sex of the actor in the film by negative attitudes toward masturbation demonstrated that males who saw the female film and were low in negative attitudes toward masturbation were the least likely group to attribute the motive for masturbating to ambivalence or negative affects (F = 9.81, df = 1,184, p < 0,005). A sex of subject by negative attitudes toward masturbation interaction for reference to future masturbation indicated that males who were low in negative attitudes toward masturbation were the group who made the most references to future masturbation (F = 5.52, df = 1, 184, p < 0.02). The data also indicated that males who were high in sex guilt were the most likely group to perceive the protagonist's mood as negative (X 2 = 4.72, p < 0.05) and that women who were high in negative attitudes toward masturbation were the most likely group to include a sexual behavior in their fantasies which was beyond their prior experience (X2 = 7.81, p < 0.01). Several main effects emerged for negative attitudes toward masturbation and sex guilt. Subjects high in negative attitudes toward masturbation were more likely to express fantasies in which there was a less positive affective tone (affective tone: high, M = 3.41, SD = 0.86; l o w , M = 3.62, SD = 0 . 8 9 ; F = 3.41, df = 1, 184, p < 0.06) and describe the protagonist as feeling less positive about the orgasm (feelings about orgasm: high, M = 3.11, SD = 1.10; low, M =
Experimentally Induced Masturbatory Fantasies
35
2.70, SD = 1.09; F = 6.79, df = 1, 184, p < 0.01) than subjects low in negative attitudes toward masturbation. The findings for sex guilt indicated that subjects high in sex guilt were more likely to include negative affects as the motive for masturbating (motive for masturbating: high, M = 2.06, SD = 1.59; Iow, M = 2.54, SD = 1.52; F = 3.31, df = 1 , 1 8 5 , p < 0 . 0 7 ) and include a sexual behavior in the fantasy which was beyond prior experience (X2 = 10.02,p < 0.001)than subjects low in sex guilt. Main effects for sex of subject and sex of the protagonist in the film were also discovered. The fantasies o f female subjects displayed more positive attitudes toward the protagonist and masturbation (affective tone: female subjects, M = 3.64, SD = 0.88; male subjects, M = 3.33, SD = 0 . 8 4 ; F = 5.96, df = I, 185, p < 0.05) and expressed more positive affects about the orgasm (feelings about orgasm: female subjects, M = 3.31, SD = 0.93; male subjects, M = 3.07, SD = 1.09, F = 3.45, df = 1, 184, p < 0.07) than the fantasies of male subjects. For sex of the protagonist in the film, the' results indicate that the fantasies o f subjects who viewed the film of the female masturbating to orgasm displayed a more positive attitude toward the protagonist and the act of masturbation (affective tone: female film, M = 3.66, SD = 0.88; male film, M = 3.34, SD = 0.85; F = 6.22, df = 1, 185, p < 0 . 0 1 ) , devoted more time to erotic images (erotic elaboration: female film, M = 1.66, SD = 0.68; male film, M = 1.42, SD = 0 . 6 0 ; F = 5.31, df = 1, 155, p < 0 . 0 5 ) , displayed more positive feelings about orgasm (feelings about orgasm: female film, M = 3.36, SD = 0.93; male f i l m , M = 3.04, SD = 1.07; F = 7.42, df = 1, 184, p < 0.01), expressed greater familiarity with the fantasized sex partner (familiarity with object-choice: female film, M = 1.67, SD = 0.89; male film, M = 1.39, SD = 0 . 6 8 ; F = 5.09, df = 1, 183, p < 0 . 0 5 ) , included fewer negative affects as motives for masturbating (motive for masturbating: female Film, M = 2.63, SD = 1.56; male film, M = 2.00, SD = 1 . 5 3 ; F = 6.93, df = 1, 185, p < 0 . 0 1 ) , displayed more sexual action which was beyond prior experience (X2 = 6,85, p < 0.01), and described the protagonist's mood as the story began as more positive (X2 = 9.78, p < 0 . 0 0 1 ) than the fantasies o f subjects who viewed the film of the male masturbating to orgasm.
DISCUSSION
One of the most important findings in the present study was the interaction between sex o f subject and sex of the protagonist in the film for the extent of erotic elaboration. The results indicate that women who viewed the film o f the female masturbating devoted a substantial part o f their fantasies to the delineation of erotic images, whereas the fantasies of men who viewed the film o f the male masturbating were void of erotic elaboration. This finding suggests a positive projective identification with the same-sex protagonist for women and a negative projective identification with the same-sex protagonist for men. Mosher and Abramson (1977) reported similar differences concerning projective identi-
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Abtamson and Mosher
fication with measures of self-reported sexual arousal and affective responses to films of masturbation. The findings that women are capable of expressing sexual arousal to a same- and an opposite-sex protagonist in a film of masturbation (Mosher and Abramson, 1977) accounts for several of the significant differences obtained in this investigation. Since males were not likely to express a positive attitude toward the male protagonist, the fantasies written by female subjects were generally more positive in affective tone and included more positive affects concerning the protagonist's response to reaching orgasm. The results also indicate that the female film elicited more positive feelings toward the protagonist, the act of masturbation, and the resultant orgasm. This is not surprising, given that both men and women are capable of experiencing sexual arousal to the female protagonist, whereas only women are capable of experiencing sexual arousal to the male protagonist (Mosher and Abramson, 1977). It is interesting to note that subjects perceived the male protagonist's mood at the start of the film as more negative. However, since there was only one film each of a man and a woman masturbating, it is impossible to eliminate the possibility that differences in perceptions of the protagonist's mood as the film began do not reflect accurate assessments of the nonverbal cues of the actor and actress. The first category in a sequential analysis of the fantasies would be the subjects' impression of the events and motives leading to the action in the film. It was possible to reliably characterize the protagonist's mood as either positive or negative from the subjects's account of mood and events leading up to the action in the film. There was a significant interaction between sex-guilt and sex of subject. The interaction was such that males who scored high in sex-guilt portrayed the protagonist's mood as more anxious, nervous, or frustrated, in comparison to the other three cells. Although the significant main effect for sex of protagonist may be specific to the stimulus persons in the film, the interaction between sex of subject and sex guilt may be eliciting a projection of the subject's own typical mood prior to masturbating. Subjects also began their stories by considering the protagonist's motive for masturbating. They wrote stories which varied along a continuum where positive sexual needs or exciting stimuli were one extreme and negative affects such as depression, anxiety, and rejection were the other extreme. The most interesting datum was the three-way interaction of sex of subject, film conditions, and negative attitudes toward masturbation. Whereas males with positive attitudes toward masturbation who saw the film of the female masturbating were the least likely group to attribute a motive for masturbating, the means for the remaining seven cells suggest that the majority of subjects were likely to attribute the motive for masturbating to a conflict between positive (sexual drive) and negative (tension) sources of arousal. However, the results do indicate that it was women with negative attitudes toward masturbation who viewed the film o f the male masturbating who were the group most likely to include a nega-
Experimentally Induced Masturbatory Fantasies
37
tive attribute as a motive for masturbating. A main effect for sex-guilt supports the view that the individual difference approach is an efficient way of accounting for the variability in motives for masturbation and, perhaps through the logic of projective extension, real-life motives for masturbation. Subjects who scored higher on sex guilt were more likely to attribute negative affects as motives for masturbating than low sex-guilt subjects. Finally, the male film elicited more conflicting and negative affects as motives for the protagonist's masturbation than did the female film. The next guiding question given the subjects dealt with the feelings and fantasies of the protagonist and permitted a description of the action or plot of the film. Affective tone, erotic elaboration, familiarity with object-choice, and fantasy beyond personal experience were derived from this portion of the stories. While a number of findings related to affective tone have already been discussed, the results also indicate that subjects low in negative attitudes toward masturbation displayed a more positive attitude toward the protagonist and the act of masturbation than subjects who were high in negative attitudes toward masturbation. For the category of erotic elaboration, which refers to the explicitness and detail of the description of sexual activity and of the protagonist's sexual fantasy, a significant main effect for film condition was also obtained. Both men and women wrote more erotically elaborate stories to the film of the woman masturbating. Again, this finding is consistent with the males' greater reported sexual arousal to this film and with the ability of female subjects to form a positive identification with a female stimulus person. Almost all subjects mentioned that the protagonist was fantasizing about sexual intercourse. The person identified as the object of the protagonist's fantasy was more likely to be a familiar person in the female film condition, whereas the protagonist in the male film condition was more likely to be fantasizing about a stranger or nonintimate partner. This finding suggests that both men and women attribute more importance to affectionate attachment to the female than to the male protagonist, who was more often portrayed as imagining having sex with a more casual partner. Given the availability of self-reports of sex experience (Brady and Levitt, 1965), it was possible to compare the subject's own behavior with the sexual experience attributed to the protagonists in the films. Subjects who were high on sex-guilt, and thus less sex experienced, imagined that the protagonist was fantasizing about behaviors that were more sexually intimate or diverse than the subjects had personally encountered. Since sex-guilt serves to inhibit sexual expression, it appears that fantasies of guilty subjects extend beyond their personal experience. It is unclear if this finding is somehow compensatory or merely reflects the attribution of sexual intercourse fantasies to the protagonists by guilty subjects who were liable to be less coitally experienced. There was also a main effect for film condition such that stories told about the male film were more
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Abramson and Mosher
likely to portray the male protagonist as fantasizing about sex experiences which exceeded the personal sex experiences of the storyteller, whereas the stories told about the female film were more likely to portray the protagonist as imagining sexual activities that the subjects had also experienced. This may indicate that college men and women are conversant with the belief that males' masturbatory fantasies are quite diverse or erotic and thus beyond the level of the storyteller's own personal sexual experiences. The stories concluded with a consideration of how the protagonist felt after masturbating and what would happen in the future. While some of the data for affect over orgasm have been discussed above, the results also indicate that subjects low in negative attitudes toward masturbation expressed more positive feelings about the protagonist's orgasm than subjects high in negative attitudes toward masturbation. Responses to the question about what happens in the future refers to subjects' impressions of whether the protagonist will continue to masturbate. There was a significant interaction between sex of subject and negative attitudes toward masturbation, demonstrating that males low in negative attitudes toward masturbation were the group most likely to make a reference to future masturbation. However, it should be pointed out that the reference to future masturbation was usually couched in terms of seeking alternative sources of sexual release. Since males who are low in negative attitudes toward masturbation are more likely to be masturbating at a greater frequency than the other three groups (Abramson, 1973; Abramson and Mosher, 1975), this result may reflect their concern with obtaining other means of sexual involvement. The finding that the other three groups make no mention of masturbation in the future lends support to this interpretation. In summation, the results of this research demonstrate that there are many sex differences within the symbolic components of masturbation. These findings are most likely a consequence of the differential ability of men and women to form a positive projective identification with a same-sex protagonist in a film of masturbation as well as a function of the variations in the process by which men and women assimilate masturbation into a larger set of social meanings (Abramson, 1979). The results also attest to the ability of sex guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation to account for the variability in masturbatory fantasies in a theoretically consistent and reliable manner. Whereas the present investigators have had little success in getting college students to articulate their own fantasies which accompany masturbation (Abramson, 1973; Abramson and Mosher, 1975), experimenters will ultimately have to obtain spontaneous masturbatory fantasies as a means of substantiating the external validity of this research strategy. REFERENCES
Abramson, P. R. (1973). The relationship of the frequency of masturbation to several aspects of behavior. J. Sex Res. 9: 132-142,
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