Abstract
Data from a non-clinical sample of 540 heterosexual women were used to examine the relationships between scores on the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) and ratings of current sexual problems, lifetime arousal difficulty, lifetime orgasm difficulty, and lifetime problems with low sexual interest. Multiple regression analyses also included several demographic/background variables as predictors: age, full-time employment, completed college, children in household, married, health ratings, importance of sex, and whether the woman was in a sexual relationship. The strongest statistical predictors of both current and lifetime sexual problems were the SESII-W inhibition factors Arousal Contingency and Concerns about Sexual Function. Demographic factors did not feature largely in any of the models predicting sexual problems even when statistically significant relationships were found. If future research supports the predictive utility of the SESII-W in identifying women who are more likely to experience sexual difficulties, these scales may be used as prognostic factors in treatment studies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, A. E., Haynes, S. N., & Brayer, M. A. (1985). Cognitive distraction in female sexual arousal. Psychophysiology, 22, 689–696.
Bancroft, J. (1999). Central inhibition of sexual response in the male: A theoretical perspective. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 23, 763–784.
Bancroft, J., Carnes, J., Janssen, E., Goodrich, D., & Long, J. S. (2005a). Erectile and ejaculatory problems in gay and heterosexual men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34, 285–297.
Bancroft, J., Herbenick, D., Barnes, T., Hallam-Jones, R., Wylie, K., Janssen, E., et al. (2005b). The relevance of the dual control model to male sexual dysfunction: The Kinsey Institute/BASRT Collaborative Project. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 20, 13–30.
Bancroft, J., & Janssen, E. (2000). The dual control model of male sexual response: A theoretical approach to centrally mediated erectile dysfunction. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 24, 571–579.
Bancroft J., Loftus J., & Long J. S. (2003). Distress about sex: A national survey of women in heterosexual relationships. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32, 193–208.
Barlow, D. H. (1986). The causes of sexual dysfunction: The role of anxiety and cognitive interference. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 140–148.
Beck, J. G., Bozman, A. W., & Qualtrough, T. (1991). The experience of sexual desire: Psychological correlates in a college sample. Journal of Sex Research, 28, 443–456.
Bjorklund, D. F., & Kipp, K. (1996). Parental investment theory and gender differences in the evolution of inhibition mechanisms. Psychological Bulletin, 120, 163–188.
Carpenter, D. L., Janssen, E., Graham, C. A., Vorst, H., & Wicherts, J. (in press). Estimating the factor structure, reliability, and validity of women’s scores on the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES). Journal of Sex Research.
Cranston-Cuebas, M. A., & Barlow, D. H. (1990). Cognitive and affective contributions to sexual functioning. Annual Review of Sex Research, 1, 119–162.
Dove, N. L., & Wiederman, M. W. (2000). Cognitive distraction and women’s sexual functioning. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 26, 67–78.
Elliott, A., & O’Donohue, W. T. (1997). The effects of anxiety and distraction on arousal in a nonclinical sample of heterosexual women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 26, 607–624.
Graham, C. A, Sanders, S. A., & Milhausen, R. (2006). The Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women: Psychometric properties. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35, 397–410.
Graham, C. A., Sanders, S. A., Milhausen, R., & McBride, K. (2004). Turning on and turning off: A focus group study of the factors that affect women’s sexual arousal. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 33, 527–538.
Gruszecki, L., Forchuk, C., & Fisher, W. A. (2005). Factors associated with common sexual concerns in women: New findings from the Canadian contraception study. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 14, 1–13.
Janssen, E., Vorst, H., Finn, P., & Bancroft, J. (2002). The Sexual Inhibition (SIS) and Sexual Excitation (SES) Scales: I. Measuring sexual inhibition and excitation proneness in men. Journal of Sex Research, 39, 114–126.
Kadri, N., Alami, K. M. H., & Tahiri, S. M. (2002). Sexual dysfunction in women: Population based epidemiology study. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 5, 59–63.
Karafa, J. A., & Cozzarella, C. (1997). Shyness and reduced sexual arousal in males: The transference of cognitive interference. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 19, 329–344.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., & Gebhard, P. H. (1953). Sexual behavior in the human female. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.
Koukanas, E., & McCabe, M. (1997). Sexual and emotional variables influencing sexual responses to erotica. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 221–230.
Laumann, E. O., Paik, A., & Rosen, R. C. (1999). Sexual dysfunction in the United States: Prevalence and predictors. Journal of the American Medical Association, 281, 537–544.
Meana, M., & Nunnink, S. E. (2006). Gender differences in the content of cognitive distraction during sex. Journal of Sex Research, 43, 59–67.
Mercer, C. H., Fenton, K. A., Johnson, A. M., Wellings, K., Macdowall, W., McManus, S., et al. (2003). Sexual function problems and help seeking behaviour in Britain: National probability sample survey. British Medical Journal, 327, 426–427.
Mercer, C. H., Fenton, K. A., Johnson, A. M., Copas, A. J., Macdowall, W., Erens, B., et al. (2005). Who reports sexual function problems? Evidence from the 2000 National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (‘Natsal 2000’). Sexually Transmitted Infections, 81, 394–399.
Meston, C. M., Levin, R. J., Sipski, M. L., Hull, E. M., & Heiman, J. R. (2004). Women’s orgasm. Annual Review of Sex Research, 15, 173–257.
Przybla, D. P. J., & Byrne, D. (1984). The mediating role of cognitive processes in self-reported sexual arousal. Journal of Research in Personality, 18, 54–63.
Rosen, R., Brown, C., Heiman, J., Leiblum, S., Meston, C., Shabsigh, D., et al. (2000). The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): A multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 26, 191–208.
Rosen, R. C., Taylor, J. F., & Leiblum, S. R. (1993). Prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women: Results of a survey study of 329 women in an outpatient gynecological clinic. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 19, 171–188.
Spielberger, C. D. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
West, S. L., Vinikoor, L. C., & Zolhoun, D. (2004). A systematic review of the literature on female sexual dysfunction prevalence and predictors. Annual Review of Sex Research, 15, 40–172.
Acknowledgments
This study was funded, in part, by a grant from the Lilly Centre for Women’s Health. We would like to thank Kimberly McBride for help with recruitment and data collection.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sanders, S.A., Graham, C.A. & Milhausen, R.R. Predicting Sexual Problems in Women: The Relevance of Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition. Arch Sex Behav 37, 241–251 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9235-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9235-7