Responses to Complex Erotic Stimuli in Homosexual and Heterosexual Males
MATIG MAVISSAKALIAN, EDWARD B. BLANCHARD, GENE G. ABEL and DAVID H. BARLOW BJP 1975, 126:252-257. Access the most recent version at DOI: 10.1192/bjp.126.3.252
References Reprints/ permissions You can respond to this article at Downloaded from
This article cites 0 articles, 0 of which you can access for free at: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/126/3/252#BIBL To obtain reprints or permission to reproduce material from this paper, please write to [email protected] http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/eletter-submit/126/3/252 http://bjp.rcpsych.org/ on June 13, 2012 Published by The Royal College of Psychiatrists
To subscribe to The British Journal of Psychiatry go to: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/site/subscriptions/
Brit.J.
Psychiat. (1975), 126, 252—7
Responses
By MATIG
to Complex Erotic Stimuli in Homosexual and Heterosexual Males*
MAVISSAKALIAN,
EDWARD
B. BLANCHARD,
GENE
C. ABEL
and DAVID H. BARLOW The technique of measuring penile erection is the most valid assessment of sexual arousal in males (Zuckerman, 1971). The stimuli used during assessments of sexual preference with this technique have for the most part, been still or moving pictures of nude single females and males (Freund, 1963; McConaghy, 1967; Barlow, Becker, Leitenberg and Agras, ‘¿970). Recently Abel, Barlow, Blanchard and Mavis sakalian (in press) have shown that erotic films produce significantly greater penile cir cumference changes than either slides or audiotaped descriptions in homosexual males. Similarly, Sandford (i@@@)showed the supe riority of films over slides in heterosexual males and suggested that sexual activity rather than nakedness
per se may be the more
important
ratings
of subjective
sexual
research
was
supported
in
part
by
the relationship
between
by erotic films of explicit
sexual
activities.
It is commonplace to state that one's attitude toward an object influences one's assessment of and reaction to that object. The usefulness of measuring sexual attitude in the assessment and treatment of sexual deviations has been reported (Marks and Sartorius, 1968). The third purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the two specific measures of sexual arousal (erection and subjective reports) and the concomitantly measured attitudinal response on the Semantic Differential pleasant-unpleasant scale. METHOD
Subjects
Homosexual
and
heterosexual
subjects
were
selected on the basis of Kinsey Scale ratings (1948) determined during the initial interview of sexual
arousal
were also taken. McConaghy (1969) reported poor correlation between penile volume changes and the subjects' stated awareness of their sexual responses during the showing of films of male and female nudes. Less than half of his homosexual subjects, for example, could identify which sex had elicited greater erectile responses. Bancroft (1971) correlated erectile responses with ‘¿sexual interest' in 25 homoesexuals, and found that the degree of correlation was a function of the amount of erection produced. He speculated that awareness of erection was an important factor in the subjective assessment of sexual arousal. The second purpose of this * This
was to examine
erection and subjective ratings of sexual arousal under the high-arousal conditions produced
in
producing sexual arousal. The main purpose of this study was to determine what sexual activities produce significantly different sexual responses in homosexual and heterosexual males. In an attempt to assess the sexual response in its totality,
study
history
taking.
research
team
An independent verified
these
assessor from our ratings
in
a second,
shorter interview. The homosexual group consisted of six male subjects who were seeking evaluation
and/or
treat
ment for their patterns of sexual arousal at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and ranged in age from i8 to 24 (mean 21 P5). Five had a Kinsey
rating of 5 (predominately homosexual but inci dentally
heterosexual),
one of 6 (exclusively homo
sexual), and none had undergone previous laboratory measurement. The heterosexual group was composed of six male medical student volunteers ranging in age from 21 to
27 (mean 22.6) with Kinsey ratings of o (exclusively heterosexual). They were paid for their participation. Measures
Research
One physiological and two subjective responses
Grant MH-2o258 from the National Institute of Mental
were measured
Health. 25S
BY MATIG MAVISSAKALIAN,
EDWARD
B. BLANCHARD,
GENE C. ABEL AND DAVID H. BARLOW
253
for measuring penile circumference change has been
not be based on size of erection but rather on subjective ‘¿feelings' of sexual arousal.
described by Barlow ci ci. (‘970). The degree of change from a flaccid penis to a fully erect one (by self-stimulation) was counted as 100 per cent of a
to seven days apart. The same eight stimuli (two examples of each of the four stimulus conditions) were
i.
Erectile
response:
The
apparatus
and
procedure
full erection, and all further measurements converted to a percentage of full erection.
maximum
change
in strain
gauge reading
were The
presented in each session, the order of presentation
during
reiterating the purpose and procedure of the study
each stimulus presentation constituted the erectile response. 2. Subjective report of sexual arousal:
Immediately
after each stimulus presentation the subject estimated the amount of sexual arousal experienced during the showing of a film on a 0 to ioo scale where o per cent
equalled no arousal and ioo per cent equalled maximum arousal. 3. Subjective rating of pleasantness: Following each stimulus presentation, the subject also rated the film on a seven point semantic
differential
scale in which
—¿3 represented very unpleasant, o neutral, and +3 very pleasant. points.
One
and
2 represented
intermediate
Each stimulus consisted of a two-minute video
tape
clip.
There
were
black and
two
different
examples of each of the four following stimulus conditions: i. Single girl:
sexually
being counterbalanced were
given
at the
for each group. Instructions
beginning
of each
session.
The
homosexual subjects were told, ‘¿This is part of your evaluation in which we will compare your reactions to different kinds of sexual situations.' The hetero sexual subjects were told, ‘¿Thisis an experiment
comparing the reactions of different people to different kinds of sexual situations.
You have been chosen to
participate in this study because we want to see how normal, healthy heterosexuals react to these different situations.'
Further
instructions
to the
groups
did
not differ. ‘¿In a moment I'm going to show you some films. There will be eight different fIlms, all of a sexual nature. What I want you to do is simply to relax, attend to the films, and let yourself get involved in them. After each film clip I'm going to ask you
Stimuli white
Two experimental sessions were administered one
Nude,
provocative
young,
adult
behaviour,
female
e.g.
from
a
sofa down to the floor, caressing thighs and breasts,
looking invitingly at the camera, etc. 2. Lesbian activity: Two
adult
females
scale. ‘¿After you have rated the films on the two scales
I will start the next film and we will continue the same way. Are there any questions?..
displaying
sliding
to make a judgement of that film based on the two rating scales.' Instructions were given, again em phasizing the subjective aspect of the sexual arousal rating and the asexual aspect of the pleasantness
yourself get involved in them.' Care was taken that
the subject
had returned
state, as indicated engaging
in
explicit sexual behaviour such as cunnilingus, mutual masturbation, general body pressure simulating intercourse, etc.
. All right now,
remember, just relax, attend to the films, and let to the non-aroused,
by the polygraph
flaccid
record, before
each new stimulus was introduced. A five-minute recess occurred after the fourth stimulus presentation
in each session. Thus, a total of i6 stimuli presented in two sessions to each subject.
were
3. Heterosexual activity: Adult male and female engaging in sexual intercourse positions. 4. Homosexual activity:
Two adult
explicit sexual behaviour intercourse,
with varying
coital
males engaging
in
such as fellatio, anal
etc.
RESULTS
The results of a two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures on one factor for each dependent variable separately showed no signi ficant
Procedure Following the determination of the Kinsey ratings the subject was adapted to the laboratory situation until he became comfortable wearing the penile transducer and responded with erections to a variety of sexual slides (usually within 30 minutes). At the end of the adaptation session the use of the two subjective scales was explained to the subject, emphasizing that the rating of sexual arousal should
difference
between
the
two
groups
in
overall response (all F's < . o), but revealed a significant interaction of groups x stimuli for each dependent variable (erection: F 9.79, p < ooz; sexual arousal: F = 27 90, p < 001; pleasantness: F = i8'@z, p < 001; d.f. = 3.3()) The mean values of each group of subjects under each stimulus condition for all three dependent variables, as well as the results of
254
RESPONSES
TO COMPLEX
EROTIC
STIMULI
IN HOMOSEXUAL
group,
between-group differences (F Tests) and within group differences (Newman Keuls Test), are
AND HETEROSEXUAL
responses
to the homosexual
heterosexual stimuli did responses to the lesbian
presented in Table I. Between-group differences: The two groups differed significantly in their response to the lesbian and the homosexual stimuli on all three dependent measures. There was a difference in the two groups' response to the single girl, which failed to reach significance with the measures of erection and sexual arousal but was significant (p < .o5) with the ratings of pleasantness. The two groups did not differ in their response to the video tape of heterosexual intercourse. Within-group differences: In the homosexual
MALES
and the
not differ, nor and the single
did girl
stimuli. There were significantly larger responses to
the
homosexual
and
heterosexual
stimuli
than to the lesbian and single girl stimuli on all measures.
In the heterosexual
group,
responses
to the homosexual stimulus were significantly lower than to the single girl, lesbian, or hetero sexual stimuli, which did not differ. Relationship between erectile changes and subjective ratings of sexual arousal and pleasant ness:
In
assessing
the
correlation
erectile response and subjective
between
sexual arousal,
TABI..E I
Mean valuesof per centfull erection,per centsubjectivearousaland subjectiverating of pleasantnessin six homosexuals and sir heterosexualmalesunderfour eroticstimulusconditions Heterosexual
Group
couplei Single girl
erectionHeterosexual
..
..
..
..
42@83
60'17 at
..
Homosexual
couplestimuli
Per cent full penile
bHomosexual @
LesbianErotic
..
..
..
..
a51'oo
aI8@I7
a44@67
b54'67
28@5o a
bLevel of significance between group corn parison
..
..
..
..
arousalHeterosexual @
..
@O5fl.S.‘01i ..
•¿@()
Per cent subjective ..
..
.. a
bHomosexual ..
..
..
..
..
30.33
68.6@' a68@ 33@67
a
bLevel
@7 aIO@33
a72'33
b78'17
aI'96
a—I•33
a2.47
b2
of significance of between group com parison
..
..
..
..
pleasantnessHeterosexual ..
..
‘¿05n.s.•oO,i ..
.10
Subjective ratingof ..
..
I'92
200
a
bHomosexual ..
..
..
..
..
bLevel
0@25 a
O'54
‘¿46
of significance of between group corn parison
..
..
..
..
..
.05
‘¿05n.s.‘OOi
Note: Within any row, cell means that do not share subscripts are different at least the ‘¿05 level.
BY
MATIG
MAVISSAKALIAN,
intra-individual
Pearson
EDWARD
B.
BLANCHARD,
r's were computed
in each group
to all stimulus
conditions.
ABEL
AND
The homo
sexual subject had a severe personality disorder. The correlation between erection and sub jective arousal for each group was calculated using as data the mean values of the six subjects in each group. The correlation coefficients for the homosexual and heterosexual group were ‘¿57 and ‘¿74 respectively (p < ‘¿0 i). The correlation coefficients for each pair of dependent variables were computed based on the data of the 12 subjects across all stimulus presentations and are presented in Table III. They are all significant (p < ‘¿0 I). DISCUSSION
The failure of the heterosexual films to differentiate between the two groups is pro bably due to the presence of both a man and a woman in this stimulus condition, allowing the subject to focus on the figure of his preference.
DAVID
H.
BARLOW
255
[email protected] Correlation betweenper centfull erection, subjective aspect of arousal, and ratings of pleasantnessfor all subjects
showed
significant correlation between erection and sexual arousal. The magnitude of the individual correlations (o ‘¿6ior more) indicates that a high degree of the variance in one variable (@6 per cent or more) is accounted for by the second variable. Examination of the individual data of the two subjects who showed zero-degree correlations revealed that the heterosexual subject had responded indiscriminately with high erectile responses
C.
on
the 16 stimulus presentations per subject. Table II presents the correlation coefficients between erectile response and sexual arousal for each subject. Five out of six subjects
GENE
Subjective
cent
report of
full penile
pleasantnessPer
erectionPer
subjectivearousal cent ....Subjective report
pleasantness
of
....55** **
p
MATIG MAVISSAKALIAN, EDWARD B. BLANCHARD, GENE G. ABEL and DAVID H. BARLOW BJP 1975, 126:252-257. Access the most recent version at DOI: 10.1192/bjp.126.3.252
References Reprints/ permissions You can respond to this article at Downloaded from
This article cites 0 articles, 0 of which you can access for free at: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/126/3/252#BIBL To obtain reprints or permission to reproduce material from this paper, please write to [email protected] http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/eletter-submit/126/3/252 http://bjp.rcpsych.org/ on June 13, 2012 Published by The Royal College of Psychiatrists
To subscribe to The British Journal of Psychiatry go to: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/site/subscriptions/
Brit.J.
Psychiat. (1975), 126, 252—7
Responses
By MATIG
to Complex Erotic Stimuli in Homosexual and Heterosexual Males*
MAVISSAKALIAN,
EDWARD
B. BLANCHARD,
GENE
C. ABEL
and DAVID H. BARLOW The technique of measuring penile erection is the most valid assessment of sexual arousal in males (Zuckerman, 1971). The stimuli used during assessments of sexual preference with this technique have for the most part, been still or moving pictures of nude single females and males (Freund, 1963; McConaghy, 1967; Barlow, Becker, Leitenberg and Agras, ‘¿970). Recently Abel, Barlow, Blanchard and Mavis sakalian (in press) have shown that erotic films produce significantly greater penile cir cumference changes than either slides or audiotaped descriptions in homosexual males. Similarly, Sandford (i@@@)showed the supe riority of films over slides in heterosexual males and suggested that sexual activity rather than nakedness
per se may be the more
important
ratings
of subjective
sexual
research
was
supported
in
part
by
the relationship
between
by erotic films of explicit
sexual
activities.
It is commonplace to state that one's attitude toward an object influences one's assessment of and reaction to that object. The usefulness of measuring sexual attitude in the assessment and treatment of sexual deviations has been reported (Marks and Sartorius, 1968). The third purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the two specific measures of sexual arousal (erection and subjective reports) and the concomitantly measured attitudinal response on the Semantic Differential pleasant-unpleasant scale. METHOD
Subjects
Homosexual
and
heterosexual
subjects
were
selected on the basis of Kinsey Scale ratings (1948) determined during the initial interview of sexual
arousal
were also taken. McConaghy (1969) reported poor correlation between penile volume changes and the subjects' stated awareness of their sexual responses during the showing of films of male and female nudes. Less than half of his homosexual subjects, for example, could identify which sex had elicited greater erectile responses. Bancroft (1971) correlated erectile responses with ‘¿sexual interest' in 25 homoesexuals, and found that the degree of correlation was a function of the amount of erection produced. He speculated that awareness of erection was an important factor in the subjective assessment of sexual arousal. The second purpose of this * This
was to examine
erection and subjective ratings of sexual arousal under the high-arousal conditions produced
in
producing sexual arousal. The main purpose of this study was to determine what sexual activities produce significantly different sexual responses in homosexual and heterosexual males. In an attempt to assess the sexual response in its totality,
study
history
taking.
research
team
An independent verified
these
assessor from our ratings
in
a second,
shorter interview. The homosexual group consisted of six male subjects who were seeking evaluation
and/or
treat
ment for their patterns of sexual arousal at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and ranged in age from i8 to 24 (mean 21 P5). Five had a Kinsey
rating of 5 (predominately homosexual but inci dentally
heterosexual),
one of 6 (exclusively homo
sexual), and none had undergone previous laboratory measurement. The heterosexual group was composed of six male medical student volunteers ranging in age from 21 to
27 (mean 22.6) with Kinsey ratings of o (exclusively heterosexual). They were paid for their participation. Measures
Research
One physiological and two subjective responses
Grant MH-2o258 from the National Institute of Mental
were measured
Health. 25S
BY MATIG MAVISSAKALIAN,
EDWARD
B. BLANCHARD,
GENE C. ABEL AND DAVID H. BARLOW
253
for measuring penile circumference change has been
not be based on size of erection but rather on subjective ‘¿feelings' of sexual arousal.
described by Barlow ci ci. (‘970). The degree of change from a flaccid penis to a fully erect one (by self-stimulation) was counted as 100 per cent of a
to seven days apart. The same eight stimuli (two examples of each of the four stimulus conditions) were
i.
Erectile
response:
The
apparatus
and
procedure
full erection, and all further measurements converted to a percentage of full erection.
maximum
change
in strain
gauge reading
were The
presented in each session, the order of presentation
during
reiterating the purpose and procedure of the study
each stimulus presentation constituted the erectile response. 2. Subjective report of sexual arousal:
Immediately
after each stimulus presentation the subject estimated the amount of sexual arousal experienced during the showing of a film on a 0 to ioo scale where o per cent
equalled no arousal and ioo per cent equalled maximum arousal. 3. Subjective rating of pleasantness: Following each stimulus presentation, the subject also rated the film on a seven point semantic
differential
scale in which
—¿3 represented very unpleasant, o neutral, and +3 very pleasant. points.
One
and
2 represented
intermediate
Each stimulus consisted of a two-minute video
tape
clip.
There
were
black and
two
different
examples of each of the four following stimulus conditions: i. Single girl:
sexually
being counterbalanced were
given
at the
for each group. Instructions
beginning
of each
session.
The
homosexual subjects were told, ‘¿This is part of your evaluation in which we will compare your reactions to different kinds of sexual situations.' The hetero sexual subjects were told, ‘¿Thisis an experiment
comparing the reactions of different people to different kinds of sexual situations.
You have been chosen to
participate in this study because we want to see how normal, healthy heterosexuals react to these different situations.'
Further
instructions
to the
groups
did
not differ. ‘¿In a moment I'm going to show you some films. There will be eight different fIlms, all of a sexual nature. What I want you to do is simply to relax, attend to the films, and let yourself get involved in them. After each film clip I'm going to ask you
Stimuli white
Two experimental sessions were administered one
Nude,
provocative
young,
adult
behaviour,
female
e.g.
from
a
sofa down to the floor, caressing thighs and breasts,
looking invitingly at the camera, etc. 2. Lesbian activity: Two
adult
females
scale. ‘¿After you have rated the films on the two scales
I will start the next film and we will continue the same way. Are there any questions?..
displaying
sliding
to make a judgement of that film based on the two rating scales.' Instructions were given, again em phasizing the subjective aspect of the sexual arousal rating and the asexual aspect of the pleasantness
yourself get involved in them.' Care was taken that
the subject
had returned
state, as indicated engaging
in
explicit sexual behaviour such as cunnilingus, mutual masturbation, general body pressure simulating intercourse, etc.
. All right now,
remember, just relax, attend to the films, and let to the non-aroused,
by the polygraph
flaccid
record, before
each new stimulus was introduced. A five-minute recess occurred after the fourth stimulus presentation
in each session. Thus, a total of i6 stimuli presented in two sessions to each subject.
were
3. Heterosexual activity: Adult male and female engaging in sexual intercourse positions. 4. Homosexual activity:
Two adult
explicit sexual behaviour intercourse,
with varying
coital
males engaging
in
such as fellatio, anal
etc.
RESULTS
The results of a two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures on one factor for each dependent variable separately showed no signi ficant
Procedure Following the determination of the Kinsey ratings the subject was adapted to the laboratory situation until he became comfortable wearing the penile transducer and responded with erections to a variety of sexual slides (usually within 30 minutes). At the end of the adaptation session the use of the two subjective scales was explained to the subject, emphasizing that the rating of sexual arousal should
difference
between
the
two
groups
in
overall response (all F's < . o), but revealed a significant interaction of groups x stimuli for each dependent variable (erection: F 9.79, p < ooz; sexual arousal: F = 27 90, p < 001; pleasantness: F = i8'@z, p < 001; d.f. = 3.3()) The mean values of each group of subjects under each stimulus condition for all three dependent variables, as well as the results of
254
RESPONSES
TO COMPLEX
EROTIC
STIMULI
IN HOMOSEXUAL
group,
between-group differences (F Tests) and within group differences (Newman Keuls Test), are
AND HETEROSEXUAL
responses
to the homosexual
heterosexual stimuli did responses to the lesbian
presented in Table I. Between-group differences: The two groups differed significantly in their response to the lesbian and the homosexual stimuli on all three dependent measures. There was a difference in the two groups' response to the single girl, which failed to reach significance with the measures of erection and sexual arousal but was significant (p < .o5) with the ratings of pleasantness. The two groups did not differ in their response to the video tape of heterosexual intercourse. Within-group differences: In the homosexual
MALES
and the
not differ, nor and the single
did girl
stimuli. There were significantly larger responses to
the
homosexual
and
heterosexual
stimuli
than to the lesbian and single girl stimuli on all measures.
In the heterosexual
group,
responses
to the homosexual stimulus were significantly lower than to the single girl, lesbian, or hetero sexual stimuli, which did not differ. Relationship between erectile changes and subjective ratings of sexual arousal and pleasant ness:
In
assessing
the
correlation
erectile response and subjective
between
sexual arousal,
TABI..E I
Mean valuesof per centfull erection,per centsubjectivearousaland subjectiverating of pleasantnessin six homosexuals and sir heterosexualmalesunderfour eroticstimulusconditions Heterosexual
Group
couplei Single girl
erectionHeterosexual
..
..
..
..
42@83
60'17 at
..
Homosexual
couplestimuli
Per cent full penile
bHomosexual @
LesbianErotic
..
..
..
..
a51'oo
aI8@I7
a44@67
b54'67
28@5o a
bLevel of significance between group corn parison
..
..
..
..
arousalHeterosexual @
..
@O5fl.S.‘01i ..
•¿@()
Per cent subjective ..
..
.. a
bHomosexual ..
..
..
..
..
30.33
68.6@' a68@ 33@67
a
bLevel
@7 aIO@33
a72'33
b78'17
aI'96
a—I•33
a2.47
b2
of significance of between group com parison
..
..
..
..
pleasantnessHeterosexual ..
..
‘¿05n.s.•oO,i ..
.10
Subjective ratingof ..
..
I'92
200
a
bHomosexual ..
..
..
..
..
bLevel
0@25 a
O'54
‘¿46
of significance of between group corn parison
..
..
..
..
..
.05
‘¿05n.s.‘OOi
Note: Within any row, cell means that do not share subscripts are different at least the ‘¿05 level.
BY
MATIG
MAVISSAKALIAN,
intra-individual
Pearson
EDWARD
B.
BLANCHARD,
r's were computed
in each group
to all stimulus
conditions.
ABEL
AND
The homo
sexual subject had a severe personality disorder. The correlation between erection and sub jective arousal for each group was calculated using as data the mean values of the six subjects in each group. The correlation coefficients for the homosexual and heterosexual group were ‘¿57 and ‘¿74 respectively (p < ‘¿0 i). The correlation coefficients for each pair of dependent variables were computed based on the data of the 12 subjects across all stimulus presentations and are presented in Table III. They are all significant (p < ‘¿0 I). DISCUSSION
The failure of the heterosexual films to differentiate between the two groups is pro bably due to the presence of both a man and a woman in this stimulus condition, allowing the subject to focus on the figure of his preference.
DAVID
H.
BARLOW
255
[email protected] Correlation betweenper centfull erection, subjective aspect of arousal, and ratings of pleasantnessfor all subjects
showed
significant correlation between erection and sexual arousal. The magnitude of the individual correlations (o ‘¿6ior more) indicates that a high degree of the variance in one variable (@6 per cent or more) is accounted for by the second variable. Examination of the individual data of the two subjects who showed zero-degree correlations revealed that the heterosexual subject had responded indiscriminately with high erectile responses
C.
on
the 16 stimulus presentations per subject. Table II presents the correlation coefficients between erectile response and sexual arousal for each subject. Five out of six subjects
GENE
Subjective
cent
report of
full penile
pleasantnessPer
erectionPer
subjectivearousal cent ....Subjective report
pleasantness
of
....55** **
p
