The role of visual attention toward sexual attributes in men and women's sexual arousal and thoughts

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction Human sexual response is believed to depend on the attention toward the sexual attributes of stimuli. Pre-attentional models of sexual response emphasize that sexual attributes are prioritized given the biologically relevant function of sex, i.e., reproduction. Similarly, cognitive-emotional models of sexual response stress the role of attention in sexual arousal. Attention toward sexual cues, whether these cues are real or fantasized, is expected to improve sexual arousal and enhance sexual functioning. On the other hand, distraction from sexual stimuli will likely result in impaired sexual response and sexual difficulties. However, despite this theoretical assumption, there is little research directly measuring individuals’ attention toward sexual attributes and its relationship with sexual response. Objective In line with this theoretical background, the aim of the present study was twofold: 1) to assess how individuals process sexually explicit stimuli in terms of visual attention, and 2) to assess the relationship between visual attention to the sexual attributes of a stimulus and individuals’ sexual response. Methods Sixty-eight women and 48 men were exposed to an erotic 3-minute film-clip displaying oral and penile-vaginal intercourse. Two dynamic areas of interest (AOIs) were designed with an eye tracker: genital area and body interaction area. Visual attention as measured by percent dwell time and average pupil size to the AOIs were considered. Subjective sexual arousal and sexual thoughts to the film clip were further evaluated as markers of sexual response. Results Findings revealed that women presented increased visual attention toward the genital area, while men presented increased visual attention toward the body interaction area. Contrary to expectations, visual attention to sexual attributes was not related to subjective sexual arousal and sexual thoughts in men. On the other hand, women revealed a negative relationship between attention to sexual attributes and subjective sexual arousal and erotic thoughts, and a positive relationship between visual attention and negative body image thoughts. Conclusions Based on previous theoretical assumptions stressing the role of attention in sexual response, this study directly measured participants’ attention to sexual stimuli and tested its relationship with markers of sexual response. Findings suggest that the relationship between attention and sexual response may be more complex, and eventually mediated by other yet unknown factors. Indeed, women's visual attention to sexual attributes seemed to have had a negative impact on subjective sexual arousal and thoughts, suggesting that women may actually compare their physical appearance and performance with the female character displayed in the scene. This process may eventually result in reduced sexual response rather than increased sexual arousal. Accordingly, and despite training of attention has been considered a clinical target in psychological interventions for sexual dysfunction, women's appraisal of sexual cues should be given priority and assessed in advance. Findings regarding men suggest that male subjective sexual responses, such as erotic thoughts, may be prompted by mechanisms other than visual attention. Future studies are expected to clarify current intriguing findings, and offer deeper evidence on the cognitive and emotional processes underpinning human sexual response. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.