Psychological Reports, 1979, 4 4 , 1067-1073. @ Psychological Reports 1979
RESPONSE T O SEXUAL FILMS AS A FUNCTION OF ANXIETY LEVEL WALTER PAWLOWSKI
Nova U~aiversity Summa~y.-72 subjects between the ages of 18 and 30 yr. were shown 2 sexually explicit films. 12 males and 12 females were classified as high, medium, and low in anxiety according to their scores on [he Taylor Manifest Anxiery Scale. Multiple analysis of variance showed no s ~ g n ~ f ~ c adifferences nt in the sexual stimulation, thought change, or ratings of change in physical state for subjects' level of anxiety or sex. This was true for films showing one and two couples. These findings do not support an inverse relationship between anxiety and favorable response to sexually explicit films. 95% of the subjects reported some degree of sexual arousal to each film. A significant number of subjects ( a ) reported an increase in the pleasantness of physical state and thoughts for both films and ( b ) preferred the film they found to be more sexually stimulating. The positive reaction to the films provides a basis for their possible clinical use.
The role of sex in response to sexually oriented visual stimuli has been investigated. Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, and Gebhard ( 1953) collected survey data indicating that males have a greater predisposition to arousal by external stimuli than do females. Data supporting Kinsey's hypotheses were reported by Levi ( 1969). However, some females were more responsive to the filmed sexual stimuli than any of the males on both psychological and catecholamine reactions. On both the reported sexual arousal and adrenaline excretion, the males generally reacted more than the females. Using slides, Sigusch, et al. (1970) found males were more aroused than females especially when presented with pictures of solitary figures. Schmidt and Sigusch (1970) concluded that the idea of distinct differences in arousal of males and females viewing sexual pictures and films needed revision. Slightly higher arousal of males, especially in response to depictions of more unusual heterosexual practices, was less than expected from Kinsey's data and only representative of the group. About 40% of the women reported stronger sexual arousal than did the men. Most men and women had physiosexual reactions in the genital area. Byrne and Lamberth (1970) concluded that there was no over-all sex difference in the sexual response to sexual stimuli. However, there were sex differences regarding arousal for specific themes. The main objective of the present study was to examine the self-reported psychological and physical reactions to visual sexual stimuli given by males and females of different levels of anxiety. Significant group differences representing heightened positive or negative reactions were of inreiest. Bernick, Kling, and Borowitz ( 1971) tried to specify physiologically the emotional states of
1068
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sexual arousal and anxiety occurring independently or together. They used a heterosexual, a homosexual, and a suspense movie. In most cases, sexual arousal and anxiety were not evidenced in the same person at the same time. However, level of anxiety has apparently not received much attention as a determinant of reaction to sexually oriented visual materials. Research on this issue was seen as important because of the supposed hypersensitivity of persons higher in anxiety to sexually oriented visual materials and the use of sexual arousal as a counter-agent for anxiety in systematic desensitization. Summary articles by Schmidt, Sigusch, and Meyberg (1969) and Byrne and Lamberth (1970) noted that relatively few studies used films as stimuli to study human's responses to sexually oriented visual stimuli. Sandford ( 1974) found that films caused much greater changes in penile volume of all subjects than slides concerning the same theme. Scenes depicting heterosexual intercourse were the most arousing for all subjects. Films were selected for the present study to allow generalizing beyond less intense stimuli. Byrne and Lamberth ( 1970) also indicated that rating scales of varying length and design were often used over several decades to assess sexual arousal and other emotional reactions to sexually oriented visual stimuli (cf. Kinsey, et al., 1948). The subjects used a rating scale and were tested individually since previous research showed that an audience seemed to restrict response to sexual stimuli (Martin', 1964; Brown, et al., 1973). The subjects were also attached to an artificial physiological monitoring device as such an arrangement tends to increase the likelihood of stimuli to be seen as more pornographic and to be rated as more stimulating. Perhaps physiological monitoring increases honescy of selfreported reactions. Anxiety level, sex, and the films were treated as independent variables. Level of anxiety was based on the score each subject received on the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale. The score range for each group was established from normative data involved in the development of the scale (Taylor, 1953). The dependent variables were the ratings assigned by a subject to each of the two films. These ratings were recorded on 7-point rating scales. The scales were as follows: Indicate the extent to which this film stimulated you sexually; Indicate the direction and amount of any change in your thoughts caused by this film (pleasant-unpleasant quality); Indicate the direction and amount of any change in your physical state caused by this film (pleasant-unpleasant quality). The subject's film preference was also treated as a dependent variable. After viewing both films, each subject was asked to state his preference. Finally, subjects were asked to express their feelings about each film by responding to the following questions: What segments of the film held your interest the most? The least? What came across to you as the major idea of the film? What are your general comments on what you saw in the film?
ANXIETY AND SEXUAL FILMS
METHOD Subjecjs This study was conducted on the campus of a community college. The 72 subjects were volunteers responding to posted announcements of the study and were all between the ages of 18 and 30 yr. There were 12 subjects in each of the following sex-anxiecy groups: males of high anxiety, males of medium anxiety, males of low anxiety, females of high anxiety, females of medium anxiety, and females of low anxiety. The age range and average age for each group was 18-30 yr., 23.83; 18-29 yr., 22.08; 18-30 yr., 23.33; 19-26 yr., 20.60; 18-30 yr., 22.82; and 20-30 yr., 26.67, respectively. The 12 subjects in each of the six sex-anxiety groups were randomly selected from a larger 'number of subjects of the same type.
A meter was the central feature in a system designed to create the appearance of physiological monitoring. A Super-8 motion picture projector was used to show each film on a wall directly in front of the subject. Both films contained explicit heterosexual behavior. One film emphasized a "romantic" relationship of a couple while the ocher film concerned two couples engaging in sexual intercouse in a variety of "acrobatic" positions. The sexual behavior in both films occurred outdoors. Each film was approximately 10 min. long.
Procedure All subjects were tested individually. They came to the experimental room as the result of reading posted announcements of the study. Each person volunteering to act as a subject was immediately informed of the sexually explicit nature of the films. It was emphasized that the films were being shown as part of a research study in clinical psychology. Each prospective subject was then told that he would be required to read and sign a release form indicating that he wished to participate in the siudy and that he agreed to accept full responsibility for his reactions to the films. Subjects who indicated their intention to continue with the study by signing the release form were asked to complete the subject data sheet and the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale. Following completion of these forms the subject was attached to a physiological recording unit. This attachment was accomplished by having the subject hold a metal clip at the end of a wire in his left hand while viewing the films. The other end of the wire was attached to a meter. The subject was told that this system was designed to follow his emotional reactions to the films. Subjects who asked about the specific physiological response being monitored were told it was the galvanic skin response. Actually this system was artificial and no physiological monitoring was taking place. Once the subject was seated and attached to the physiological recording
1070
W. PAWLOWSKI
unit, tape-recorded instructions were played. The instructions indicated that the subject would be shown rwo films and be required to rate his reactions to each film on three scales. The subjects were also told about a questionnaire requiring their responses regarding the content of each film. There was no time limit set on the completion of the scales or the questionnaire. The subjects were instructed to avoid analyzing the films while viewing them. Their task was to react to each film as it was being seen and to record their reactions afterwards on the sheets provided. The order of the presentation was alternated from subject to subject. After data were collected from a subject, his Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale was scored and on the basis of this score his data were placed into the appropriate sex-anxiety group. For analysis 12 subjects in each of the six sexanxiety groups were randomly selected from a larger number of subjects in the same group.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A split-plot multivariate analysis of variance showed no significant difference between the groups on anxiety ( F = 1.09, p < .37), sex ( F = 1.17, p < . 3 2 ) , or film ( F = 1.95, p < .12). There were also no significant interactions (films X anxiety, F = .48, p < .82; films X sex, F = 1.84, p < .14; anxiety X sex, F = 1.42, p < .21; films X anxiety X sex, F = .61, p < .73). Hypotheses I and I1 These results did not support Hypothesis I but provide support for Hypothesis 11. Hypothesis I predicted a significant difference in ratings by the groups high, medium, and low in anxiety. Specifically, subjects higher in anxiety were expected to give higher ratings on at least one and possibly all three scales. It was thought that quite anxious subjects, because their tension level was higher, would perceive the sexual excitement caused by the films as more tension-relieving than would lower anxiety subjects. The failure of these data to support this hypothesis suggests these methods do not yield supporting data. Others might of course. Responses dealing specifically with the tension relieving effects of sexual arousal would be most likely to demonstrate differences berween subjects exhibiting different levels of anxiety. These responses might be either verbal or physiological. Hypothesis I1 predicted that subjects higher in anxiety would not give ratings significantly lower than those of subjects lower in anxiety. While there may be some basis for an expectation, that highly anxious individuals can be expected to react negatively to expressions of sexuality, the basis is speculation rather than empirical data. In this study subjects higher in anxiety did not give significantly lower, or more negative, responses on any of the three rating scales. More anxious subjects were not more negative in their interactions with the experimenter either. While the only subject to drop out of the study
ANXIETY AND SEXUAL FILMS
1071
was a medium-anxiety female, she indicated that her withdrawal was based on a self-consciousness in viewing sexual materials in front of an unknown male experimenter rather than negative reaction to the materials. Her background data indicated that she had had some contact with sexual magazines and sexual movies at adult theaters.
Hypothesis I11 Hypothesis 111 predicted no significant difference between the males' and females' reactions to the films. This hypothesis was supported by the data and is consistent with those of Schmidt and Sigusch (1971) and Byrne and Lamberth (1970). Although there was no over-all difference between the sexes regarding response to sexually explicit visual stimuli, there were some indications of a possible differentiation. Female subjects were much slower in volunteering for the study; maIe volunteers outnumbered females by at least four to one. This difference was probably related to both the suspected nature of the study surmised from the posted announcements and to the presence of a male experimenter. During the study four female subjects returned to the experimental room to indicate that they had not reported the extent of their reactions to the films. One female returned within an hour of seeing the films and three came back on the following day. All four stated that their reactions were stronger than they had indicated. Two females commented on the buildup of their reactions after they had left the experimental room. One female who returned one day after her participation in the study wrote an explanation of her failure to report honestly the higher level of her reaction to the films. This concentrated on the cultural factors which make females feel inhibited about reacting openly to sexual influences. It appears that, while there are probably no real differences between males' and females' psychological and physiological responses to explicit sexual materials, there are still cultural effects. These cultural effects sometimes shape the expression of the responses. Males seemed more able to approach such material and to describe their responses assertively. Research should include female experimenters.
Additional Findings For each film, only four subjects out of 72, or G%, indicated that they were not at all sexually stimulated. The other 68 subjects indicated some degree o i sexual arousal to both films on the remaining 6 points of the 7-point scale. For the filrn about the single couple, the sexual stimulation ratings were 4 slightly, 13 a little, 22 moderately, 20 quite a bit, 6 a lot, and 3 extremely. The corresponding figures for the film depicting two couples were 8, 10, 24, 14, 11, and 1. A chi squared analysis was done on the change in physical state and the change in thought ratings given by the 72 subjects for both of the films. The results of all four analyses indicated significantly more subjects reporting
1072
W. PAWLOWSKI
RESPONSE T O SEXUAL FILMS AS A FUNCTION OF ANXIETY LEVEL WALTER PAWLOWSKI
Nova U~aiversity Summa~y.-72 subjects between the ages of 18 and 30 yr. were shown 2 sexually explicit films. 12 males and 12 females were classified as high, medium, and low in anxiety according to their scores on [he Taylor Manifest Anxiery Scale. Multiple analysis of variance showed no s ~ g n ~ f ~ c adifferences nt in the sexual stimulation, thought change, or ratings of change in physical state for subjects' level of anxiety or sex. This was true for films showing one and two couples. These findings do not support an inverse relationship between anxiety and favorable response to sexually explicit films. 95% of the subjects reported some degree of sexual arousal to each film. A significant number of subjects ( a ) reported an increase in the pleasantness of physical state and thoughts for both films and ( b ) preferred the film they found to be more sexually stimulating. The positive reaction to the films provides a basis for their possible clinical use.
The role of sex in response to sexually oriented visual stimuli has been investigated. Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, and Gebhard ( 1953) collected survey data indicating that males have a greater predisposition to arousal by external stimuli than do females. Data supporting Kinsey's hypotheses were reported by Levi ( 1969). However, some females were more responsive to the filmed sexual stimuli than any of the males on both psychological and catecholamine reactions. On both the reported sexual arousal and adrenaline excretion, the males generally reacted more than the females. Using slides, Sigusch, et al. (1970) found males were more aroused than females especially when presented with pictures of solitary figures. Schmidt and Sigusch (1970) concluded that the idea of distinct differences in arousal of males and females viewing sexual pictures and films needed revision. Slightly higher arousal of males, especially in response to depictions of more unusual heterosexual practices, was less than expected from Kinsey's data and only representative of the group. About 40% of the women reported stronger sexual arousal than did the men. Most men and women had physiosexual reactions in the genital area. Byrne and Lamberth (1970) concluded that there was no over-all sex difference in the sexual response to sexual stimuli. However, there were sex differences regarding arousal for specific themes. The main objective of the present study was to examine the self-reported psychological and physical reactions to visual sexual stimuli given by males and females of different levels of anxiety. Significant group differences representing heightened positive or negative reactions were of inreiest. Bernick, Kling, and Borowitz ( 1971) tried to specify physiologically the emotional states of
1068
W. PAWLOWSKI
sexual arousal and anxiety occurring independently or together. They used a heterosexual, a homosexual, and a suspense movie. In most cases, sexual arousal and anxiety were not evidenced in the same person at the same time. However, level of anxiety has apparently not received much attention as a determinant of reaction to sexually oriented visual materials. Research on this issue was seen as important because of the supposed hypersensitivity of persons higher in anxiety to sexually oriented visual materials and the use of sexual arousal as a counter-agent for anxiety in systematic desensitization. Summary articles by Schmidt, Sigusch, and Meyberg (1969) and Byrne and Lamberth (1970) noted that relatively few studies used films as stimuli to study human's responses to sexually oriented visual stimuli. Sandford ( 1974) found that films caused much greater changes in penile volume of all subjects than slides concerning the same theme. Scenes depicting heterosexual intercourse were the most arousing for all subjects. Films were selected for the present study to allow generalizing beyond less intense stimuli. Byrne and Lamberth ( 1970) also indicated that rating scales of varying length and design were often used over several decades to assess sexual arousal and other emotional reactions to sexually oriented visual stimuli (cf. Kinsey, et al., 1948). The subjects used a rating scale and were tested individually since previous research showed that an audience seemed to restrict response to sexual stimuli (Martin', 1964; Brown, et al., 1973). The subjects were also attached to an artificial physiological monitoring device as such an arrangement tends to increase the likelihood of stimuli to be seen as more pornographic and to be rated as more stimulating. Perhaps physiological monitoring increases honescy of selfreported reactions. Anxiety level, sex, and the films were treated as independent variables. Level of anxiety was based on the score each subject received on the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale. The score range for each group was established from normative data involved in the development of the scale (Taylor, 1953). The dependent variables were the ratings assigned by a subject to each of the two films. These ratings were recorded on 7-point rating scales. The scales were as follows: Indicate the extent to which this film stimulated you sexually; Indicate the direction and amount of any change in your thoughts caused by this film (pleasant-unpleasant quality); Indicate the direction and amount of any change in your physical state caused by this film (pleasant-unpleasant quality). The subject's film preference was also treated as a dependent variable. After viewing both films, each subject was asked to state his preference. Finally, subjects were asked to express their feelings about each film by responding to the following questions: What segments of the film held your interest the most? The least? What came across to you as the major idea of the film? What are your general comments on what you saw in the film?
ANXIETY AND SEXUAL FILMS
METHOD Subjecjs This study was conducted on the campus of a community college. The 72 subjects were volunteers responding to posted announcements of the study and were all between the ages of 18 and 30 yr. There were 12 subjects in each of the following sex-anxiecy groups: males of high anxiety, males of medium anxiety, males of low anxiety, females of high anxiety, females of medium anxiety, and females of low anxiety. The age range and average age for each group was 18-30 yr., 23.83; 18-29 yr., 22.08; 18-30 yr., 23.33; 19-26 yr., 20.60; 18-30 yr., 22.82; and 20-30 yr., 26.67, respectively. The 12 subjects in each of the six sex-anxiety groups were randomly selected from a larger 'number of subjects of the same type.
A meter was the central feature in a system designed to create the appearance of physiological monitoring. A Super-8 motion picture projector was used to show each film on a wall directly in front of the subject. Both films contained explicit heterosexual behavior. One film emphasized a "romantic" relationship of a couple while the ocher film concerned two couples engaging in sexual intercouse in a variety of "acrobatic" positions. The sexual behavior in both films occurred outdoors. Each film was approximately 10 min. long.
Procedure All subjects were tested individually. They came to the experimental room as the result of reading posted announcements of the study. Each person volunteering to act as a subject was immediately informed of the sexually explicit nature of the films. It was emphasized that the films were being shown as part of a research study in clinical psychology. Each prospective subject was then told that he would be required to read and sign a release form indicating that he wished to participate in the siudy and that he agreed to accept full responsibility for his reactions to the films. Subjects who indicated their intention to continue with the study by signing the release form were asked to complete the subject data sheet and the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale. Following completion of these forms the subject was attached to a physiological recording unit. This attachment was accomplished by having the subject hold a metal clip at the end of a wire in his left hand while viewing the films. The other end of the wire was attached to a meter. The subject was told that this system was designed to follow his emotional reactions to the films. Subjects who asked about the specific physiological response being monitored were told it was the galvanic skin response. Actually this system was artificial and no physiological monitoring was taking place. Once the subject was seated and attached to the physiological recording
1070
W. PAWLOWSKI
unit, tape-recorded instructions were played. The instructions indicated that the subject would be shown rwo films and be required to rate his reactions to each film on three scales. The subjects were also told about a questionnaire requiring their responses regarding the content of each film. There was no time limit set on the completion of the scales or the questionnaire. The subjects were instructed to avoid analyzing the films while viewing them. Their task was to react to each film as it was being seen and to record their reactions afterwards on the sheets provided. The order of the presentation was alternated from subject to subject. After data were collected from a subject, his Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale was scored and on the basis of this score his data were placed into the appropriate sex-anxiety group. For analysis 12 subjects in each of the six sexanxiety groups were randomly selected from a larger number of subjects in the same group.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A split-plot multivariate analysis of variance showed no significant difference between the groups on anxiety ( F = 1.09, p < .37), sex ( F = 1.17, p < . 3 2 ) , or film ( F = 1.95, p < .12). There were also no significant interactions (films X anxiety, F = .48, p < .82; films X sex, F = 1.84, p < .14; anxiety X sex, F = 1.42, p < .21; films X anxiety X sex, F = .61, p < .73). Hypotheses I and I1 These results did not support Hypothesis I but provide support for Hypothesis 11. Hypothesis I predicted a significant difference in ratings by the groups high, medium, and low in anxiety. Specifically, subjects higher in anxiety were expected to give higher ratings on at least one and possibly all three scales. It was thought that quite anxious subjects, because their tension level was higher, would perceive the sexual excitement caused by the films as more tension-relieving than would lower anxiety subjects. The failure of these data to support this hypothesis suggests these methods do not yield supporting data. Others might of course. Responses dealing specifically with the tension relieving effects of sexual arousal would be most likely to demonstrate differences berween subjects exhibiting different levels of anxiety. These responses might be either verbal or physiological. Hypothesis I1 predicted that subjects higher in anxiety would not give ratings significantly lower than those of subjects lower in anxiety. While there may be some basis for an expectation, that highly anxious individuals can be expected to react negatively to expressions of sexuality, the basis is speculation rather than empirical data. In this study subjects higher in anxiety did not give significantly lower, or more negative, responses on any of the three rating scales. More anxious subjects were not more negative in their interactions with the experimenter either. While the only subject to drop out of the study
ANXIETY AND SEXUAL FILMS
1071
was a medium-anxiety female, she indicated that her withdrawal was based on a self-consciousness in viewing sexual materials in front of an unknown male experimenter rather than negative reaction to the materials. Her background data indicated that she had had some contact with sexual magazines and sexual movies at adult theaters.
Hypothesis I11 Hypothesis 111 predicted no significant difference between the males' and females' reactions to the films. This hypothesis was supported by the data and is consistent with those of Schmidt and Sigusch (1971) and Byrne and Lamberth (1970). Although there was no over-all difference between the sexes regarding response to sexually explicit visual stimuli, there were some indications of a possible differentiation. Female subjects were much slower in volunteering for the study; maIe volunteers outnumbered females by at least four to one. This difference was probably related to both the suspected nature of the study surmised from the posted announcements and to the presence of a male experimenter. During the study four female subjects returned to the experimental room to indicate that they had not reported the extent of their reactions to the films. One female returned within an hour of seeing the films and three came back on the following day. All four stated that their reactions were stronger than they had indicated. Two females commented on the buildup of their reactions after they had left the experimental room. One female who returned one day after her participation in the study wrote an explanation of her failure to report honestly the higher level of her reaction to the films. This concentrated on the cultural factors which make females feel inhibited about reacting openly to sexual influences. It appears that, while there are probably no real differences between males' and females' psychological and physiological responses to explicit sexual materials, there are still cultural effects. These cultural effects sometimes shape the expression of the responses. Males seemed more able to approach such material and to describe their responses assertively. Research should include female experimenters.
Additional Findings For each film, only four subjects out of 72, or G%, indicated that they were not at all sexually stimulated. The other 68 subjects indicated some degree o i sexual arousal to both films on the remaining 6 points of the 7-point scale. For the filrn about the single couple, the sexual stimulation ratings were 4 slightly, 13 a little, 22 moderately, 20 quite a bit, 6 a lot, and 3 extremely. The corresponding figures for the film depicting two couples were 8, 10, 24, 14, 11, and 1. A chi squared analysis was done on the change in physical state and the change in thought ratings given by the 72 subjects for both of the films. The results of all four analyses indicated significantly more subjects reporting
1072
W. PAWLOWSKI
