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Cognitive and physiological indices of sexual arousal in homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual males

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Abstract

Cognitive and physiological indices of sexual arousal were investigated utilizing groups of homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual subjects (ten subjects per group) who were presented both homosexual and heterosexual films and slides. The results indicated that both homosexual and heterosexual subjects were able to estimate accurately their degree of erection to the erotic stimuli. Bisexual subjects, however, showed a large discrepancy between the magnitude of actual erection and verbally reported estimates of penile tumescence. In terms of physiological arousal, the erectile responses of the homosexual and bisexual groups were indistinguishable, a finding which questions the existence of male bisexuality as distinct from homosexuality or as a different sexual orientation in males.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 30602, Athens, Georgia

    C. David Tollison & Henry E. Adams

  2. Department of Family Practise, Medical College of Georgia, 30902, Augusta, Georgia

    Joseph W. Tollison

Authors
  1. C. David Tollison
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  2. Henry E. Adams
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  3. Joseph W. Tollison
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Tollison, C.D., Adams, H.E. & Tollison, J.W. Cognitive and physiological indices of sexual arousal in homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual males. Journal of Behavioral Assessment 1, 305–314 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321372

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321372

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