title: Gender differences in sexual arousal and affective responses to erotica: the effects of type of film and fantasy instructions.
abstract: The present study examined men and women's sexual and affective responses to erotic film clips that were combined with different fantasy instructions. Men (n = 29) and women (n = 28) were presented with two types of erotic films (explicit vs. romantic) and two fantasy instructions (fantasizing about one's real-life partner vs. fantasizing about someone else). Genital response, subjective sexual arousal, and affective responses were assessed. Sexually explicit stimuli resulted in larger genital responses; women reported higher subjective sexual arousal than men; and fantasizing about one's partner resulted, overall, in higher subjective sexual arousal and higher levels of positive affect. Moreover, in women, the instruction to fantasize about one's partner resulted in stronger subjective sexual arousal to the explicit film than the instruction to fantasize about someone else. Results suggested that physiological, subjective, and affective responses to erotic film stimuli are impacted not only by stimulus characteristics but also by the viewer's interpretation of the depicted relationship.
authors.affiliation: Rua Sérgio Vieira de Melo, Bloco A, 2º R, Azurva, Eixo, 3800-809, Aveiro, Portugal. joana.pereira.carvalho@gmail.com
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Ana Quinta
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laja
authors.forename: Cátia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vilarinho
authors.forename: Erick
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nobre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D004882:Erotica; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D005835:Genitalia / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008571:Men; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women