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Nocturnal penile tumescence and sleep of convicted rapists and other prisoners

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Abstract

Nocturnal penile tumescence, sleep EEG, and eye movement patterns were monitored for three consecutive nights among 12 convicted rapists, 12 prison controls, and 12 normal controls. Both prison groups exhibited significantly greater frequencies and amounts of non-REM semitumescence; shorter periods in bed, shorter sleep periods, and shorter total sleep times; lower sleep efficiency indexes; greater percentages of awake time; and shorter latencies to the first awakening after sleep onset than normal controls. Rapists experienced less slow-wave sleep than prison controls, and prison controls showed a greater number of awakenings and a smaller percentage of stage 2 sleep than normal controls. There were no significant nocturnal penile tumescence differences between prison groups. MMPI profiles of the two prison groups did not differ significantly, but both indicated significant psychopathology on several scales. Quick Test IQ scores of rapists were slightly, but significantly, lower than those of prison controls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Ismet Karacan M.D., (Med.) D.Sc. (Director of Sleep Laboratories, Staff Physician), Patricia J. Salis M.A. & Carolyn J. Hursch Ph.D.

  2. Psychiatry Service, Veterans Administration Hospital, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Ismet Karacan M.D., (Med.) D.Sc. (Director of Sleep Laboratories, Staff Physician)

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA

    Robert L. Williams M.D. (Chairman)

  4. Union Correctional Institution, Raiford, Florida, USA

    Manuel W. Guerrero M.D. (Chief Psychiatrist)

  5. Department of Statistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    John I. Thornby Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Ismet Karacan M.D., (Med.) D.Sc.
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  2. Robert L. Williams M.D.
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  3. Manuel W. Guerrero M.D.
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  4. Patricia J. Salis M.A.
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  5. John I. Thornby Ph.D.
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  6. Carolyn J. Hursch Ph.D.
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Additional information

Supported by a grant from the Florida Council on Training and Research, U.S. Public Health Service Grant MH 15508, and Gainesville and Houston Veterans Administration Research Grant Funds.

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Karacan, I., Williams, R.L., Guerrero, M.W. et al. Nocturnal penile tumescence and sleep of convicted rapists and other prisoners. Arch Sex Behav 3, 19–26 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541039

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