Experimental Sex Research in the Context of Clinical Sexology: Gaps, Strengths, and the Need to Build a Communication Bridge Between Basic Sexology Research and Clinical Practice

Abstract

Experimental sex research consists of the application of experimental paradigms and laboratory metrics such as psychophysiological assessments, measurement of individuals’ motor responses or brain activity toward stimuli to the study of fundamental processes underpinning sexual (dys)function. Those processes are usually captured by the cognitive and emotional responses involved in the processing of sexual stimuli, usually presented in the form of pictures, film clips, or narratives. With those methodologies, researchers can evaluate low order (eg, automatic responses toward a sexual stimulus) and high order (eg, conscious decisions in the sexual context) phenomena, unveiling pathological and adaptive processes in sexual functioning.