Sex differences in visual attention to sexually explicit videos: a preliminary study.
BACKGROUND
Although men appear to be more interested in sexual stimuli than women, this difference is not completely understood. Eye-tracking technology has been used to investigate visual attention to still sexual images; however, it has not been applied to moving sexual images.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether sex difference exists in visual attention to sexual videos.


METHODS
Eleven male and 11 female healthy volunteers were studied by our new methodology.


METHODS
The subjects viewed two sexual videos (one depicting sexual intercourse and one not) in which several regions were designated for eye-gaze analysis in each frame. Visual attention was measured across each designated region according to gaze duration. Sex differences, the region attracting the most attention, and visually favored sex were evaluated.


RESULTS
In the nonintercourse clip, gaze time for the face and body of the actress was significantly shorter among women than among men. Gaze time for the face and body of the actor and nonhuman regions was significantly longer for women than men. The region attracting the most attention was the face of the actress for both men and women. Men viewed the opposite sex for a significantly longer period than did women, and women viewed their own sex for a significantly longer period than did men. However, gaze times for the clip showing intercourse were not significantly different between sexes.


CONCLUSIONS
A sex difference existed in visual attention to a sexual video without heterosexual intercourse; men viewed the opposite sex for longer periods than did women, and women viewed the same sex for longer periods than did men. There was no statistically significant sex difference in viewing patterns in a sexual video showing heterosexual intercourse, and we speculate that men and women may have similar visual attention patterns if the sexual stimuli are sufficiently explicit.
Tsujimura
Akira
A
Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan;. Electronic address: akitsuji@uro.med.osaka-u.ac.jp.
Miyagawa
Yasushi
Y
Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Takada
Shingo
S
Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Matsuoka
Yasuhiro
Y
Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Takao
Tetsuya
T
Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Hirai
Toshiaki
T
Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Matsushita
Masateru
M
Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Nonomura
Norio
N
Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Okuyama
Akihiko
A
Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D004882:Erotica; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014743:Videotape Recording; D014796:Visual Perception