Research has demonstrated that for a significant minority of men, exposure to sexually violent media results in a series of changes. These men are more likely to be sexually aroused by sexually violent stimuli, and also believe in certain rape myths and admit a greater likelihood to sexual aggression. The construct Attraction to Sexual Aggression, which comprises the affective, cognitive and behavioral responses to sexually aggressive media, has been proposed by Malamuth (1989a, 1989b). The Attraction to Sexual Aggression Scale has been developed as a dependent measure of the construct. A study by Malamuth and Check (1983) proposed that lack of pleasurable physically affectionate experiences with women may contribute to sexual aggression. This proposal reflects the theory put forward by Prescott (1977), who hypothesized that lack of physical affection at critical stages of development results in a greater propensity towards aggressive behavior. The current study is an initial investigation into attraction to sexual aggression and physical affection experiences.

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The scientific study of sex has developed significantly since the inception of psychophysiological methods to assess sexual arousal. Sexual psychophysiology involves assessing the physiological activation of the sexual response system, in addition to mental, behavioral, and emotional processes or experiences (Rosen & Beck, 1988). Measures of sexual arousal are reviewed in Chapter One. Chapter Two describes a study testing the validity of the most commonly used measure of genital arousal in women, vaginal photoplethysmography. Results indicate that vaginal photoplethysmography is sensitive to sexual arousal only, and that there are important sex differences in patterns of physiological arousal to sexual stimuli. Directions for future research are discussed. / x, 176 leaves ; 29 cm.

Using a photoplethysmograph, vaginal blood volume (VBV) and pulse pressure (VPP) responses of 53 women volunteers were compared and related to immediate self-reports of either sexual or genital arousal. The responses were examined across a sequence of experimental phases and, in one of these phases as a function of high or low erotic stimulus intensity. Results indicated that both physiological and subjective responses were specifically affected by the erotic stimuli. After these stimuli VPP and subjective responses returned to prestimulation levels whereas VBV did not. Intensity of erotic stimulus affected subjective responses but not the physiological responses. Correlations between the measures indicated that VBV and VPP were moderately well correlated at all times but became more so during the high intensity erotic stimulus and when physiological responses were strong. The correlation between physiological and subjective responses was also enhanced during the erotic stimulus phase as a function of both erotic stimulus intensity and strength of physiological response. Following the erotic stimuli, subjective reports of declining arousal were still strongly correlated with VPP but not with VBV. Results were discussed in terms of the nature of the haemodynamic system underlying changes in blood flow and the possible mechanism by which women detect such changes. Four factors shown to influence the correlation between physiological response and self-report (i.e. response change, physiological response strength, particular physiological response, and erotic stimulus intensity) were discussed in terms of this process, and in terms of cognitive variables which may affect subjective judgments of sexual arousal. Methodological and statistical implications of this research were examined, as well as implications for the clinical assessment of female sexual arousal.

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Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

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This series of studies was designed to investigate the residual erectile capacity of paraplegic rats. Results from human studies suggest that erectile capacity in paraplegic men may be maintained following psychogenic, but not reflexogenic, stimulation. Using an animal model to overcome methodological difficulties associated with human studies, reflexogenic stimulation was defined as local stimulation of the genitals, and psychogenic stimulation as stimulation of a key central structure. Results from higher CNS stimulation showed that electrical stimulation of the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus reliably triggers penile responses in rats and elicits penile responses as a post-stimulation effect. Optimal stimulation parameters were identified and used to maximize the effect on spinal animals. The effect of central stimulation was then compared to that of local stimulation to examine whether truly sexual responses were elicited. Results demonstrated that central stimulation elicits primarily erectile responses with a few urine-marking responses. The two stimulation sources were then used to test the residual erectile capacity of paraplegic rats whose lesions interrupted the L6-S1 fibers. Results showed that a high proportion of animals (85%) indeed maintain erectile responses to central stimulation but lose reflex activity from the genital area. These results support the hypothesis under study and are discussed in terms of the neural substrates of erection and their implication at the human level.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.