Abstract
Effects of positive and negative musical mood induction on subjective and objective sexual arousal were examined in a group of sexually functional males (N = 24). Subjects evidenced significantly greater objective and subjective sexual response in the positive mood induction condition relative to both baseline and a neutral control condition. In contrast, the negative mood induction condition yielded significantly less objective sexual arousal than baseline and a neutral control condition. Data provide additional empirical support for the hypothesized impact of mood on sexual arousal.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Abrahamson, D. J., Barlow, D. H., Sakheim, D. K., Beck, J. G., and Athanasiou, R. (1985). Effects of distraction on sexual responding in functional and dysfunctional men. Behav. Ther. 16: 503-515.
Barlow, D. H. (1986). Causes of sexual dysfunction: The role of anxiety and cognitive interference. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 54: 140-148.
Barlow, D. H., Becker, R., Leitenberg, H., and Agras, W. S. (1970). A mechanical strain gauge for recording penile circumference change. J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 6: 355-367.
Barlow, D. H., Chorpita, B. F., and Turovsky, J. (1996). Fear, panic, anxiety, and disorders of emotion. In Hope, D. A. (ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation: Vol. 43. Perspectives on Anxiety, Panic, and Fear. Univ. of Nebraska Press, Lincoln.
Barlow, D. H., Sakheim, D. K., and Beck, J. G. (1983). Anxiety increases sexual arousal. J. Abn. Psychol. 92: 49-54.
Beck, J. G., and Barlow, D. H. (1986). The effects of anxiety and attentional focus on sexual responding: Cognitive and affective patterns in erectile dysfunction. Behav. Res. Ther. 24: 19-26.
Bozman, A. W., and Beck, J. G. (1991). Covariation of sexual desire and sexual arousal: The effects of anger and anxiety. Arch. Sex. Behav. 20: 47-60.
Byrne, D. (1983). The antecedents, correlates, and consequents of erotophobia-erotophilia. In Davis, C. M. (ed.), Challenges in Sexual Science, Society for the Scientific Study of Sex, Philadelphia, pp. 53-75.
Clark, D. M., and Teasdale, J. D. (1982). Diurnal variation in clinical depression and accessibility of memories of positive and negative experiences. J. Abn. Psychol. 91: 87-95.
Clark, L. A., and Watson, D. (1988). Tripartite model of anxiety and depression: Psychometric evidence and taxonomic implications. J. Abn. Psychol. 100: 316-336.
Cranston-Cuebas, M. A., and Barlow, D. H. (1990). Cognitive and affective contributions to sexual functioning. In Bancroft, J. (ed.), Annual Review of Sex Research, Society for the Scientific Study of Sex, Philadelphia, pp. 119-161.
Eich, E., and Metcalfe, J. (1989). Mood-dependent memory for internal versus external events. J. Exp. Psychol. Learn. Mem. Cognit. 15: 443-455.
Heiman, J. R., and Rowland, D. L. (1983). Affective and physiological response patterns: The effects of instructions on sexually functional and dysfunctional men. J. Psychosom. Res. 27: 105-116.
Hoon, P., Wincze, J., and Hoon, E. (1977). A test of reciprocal inhibition: Are anxiety and sexual arousal in women mutually inhibitory? J. Abn. Psychol 86: 65-74.
Kaplan, H. S. (1981). The New Sex Therapy: Active Treatmen t of Sexual Dysfunctions, Brunner/Mazel, New York.
Masters, W., and Johnson, V. (1970). Human Sexual Inadequacy, Little, Brown, Boston.
Meisler, A. W., and Carey, M. P. (1991). Depressed affect and male sexual arousal. Arch. Sex. Behav. 20: 541-554.
Othmer, E., Penick, E., and Powell, B. (1981). Psychiatric Diagnostic Interview, Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles.
Rowland, D. L., Cooper, S. E., and Heiman, J. R. (1995). A preliminary investigation of affective and cognitive response to erotic stimulation in men before and after sex therapy. J. Sex. Marital Ther. 21: 3-20.
Sakheim, D. K., Barlow, D. H., Abrahamson, D. J., and Beck, J. G. (1987). Distinguishing between organogenic and psychogenic erectile dysfunction. Behav. Res. Ther. 25: 379-390.
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., and Carey, G. (1988a). Positive and negative affect and their relation to anxiety and depressive disorders. J. Abn. Psychol. 97: 346-353.
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., and Tellegen, A. (1988b). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 54: 1063-1070.
Weissberg, R. B., Sbrocco, T., and Barlow, D. H. (1994). The relationship of imagery ability, fantasy content, and sexual arousal in sexually functional males. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Wincze, J., Vendetti, E., Barlow, D. H., and Mavissakalian, M. (1980). The effects of a subjective monitoring task on the physiological measure of genital response to erotic stimulation. Arch. Sex. Behav. 9: 533-547.
Wolchik, S. A., Beggs, V. E., Wincze, J. P., Sakheim, D. K., Barlow, D. H., and Mavissakalian, M. (1980). The effect of emotional arousal on subsequent sexual arousal in men. J. Abn. Psychol. 89: 595-598.
Yates, E. P., Barbaree, H., and Marshall, W. L. (1984). Anger and deviant sexual arousal. Behav. Ther. 15: 287-294.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mitchell, W.B., Dibartolo, P.M., Brown, T.A. et al. Effects of Positive and Negative Mood on Sexual Arousal in Sexually Functional Males. Arch Sex Behav 27, 197–207 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018686631428
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018686631428