Abstract
Penile circumference and subjective arousal were recorded while 66 men attempted to achieve erection by engaging in fantasy. Similar measures were taken while the same men viewed an erotic film. Not only was fantasyinduced sexual arousal relatively unrelated to film-induced sexual arousal, but the two sets of measures had different correlates. Over and above the contribution attributable to demographic and state variables, the subjects' rated level of fantasy during masturbation and their scores on the Betts QMI Scales predicted significant variance in subjective and physiological arousal. Subjects with low and high levels of fantasy-induced sexual arousal were differentiated on the basis of the vividness of their mental imagery as well as the frequency with which they used the most erotic sexual fantasies when attempting to achieve erection. In contrast to fantasy-induced arousal, filminduced arousal levels were independent of a person's capacity to form images.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arndt, W. B., Foehl, J. C. and Good, F. E. (1985). Specific sexual fantasy themes: A multidimensional study.J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 48: 472–478.
Bancroft, J. H., Jones, H. G., and Pullan, B. R. (1966). A single transducer for measuring penile erection, with comments on its use in the treatment of sexual disorders.Behav. Res. Ther. 4: 239–241.
Benjamin, L. S. (1967). Facts and artifacts in using analysis of covariance to ‘undo’ the law of initial values.Psychophysiology 4: 187–206.
Bentler, P. M. (1968). Heterosexual behavior assessment—I. Males.Behav. Res. Ther. 6: 21–25.
Block, J. D., and Bridger, W. H. (1962). The law of initial values in psychophysiology: A reformulation in terms of experimental and theoretical considerations.Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 98: 1229–1241.
Carroll, D., Baker, J., and Preston, M. (1979). Individual differences in visual imagery and the voluntary control of heart rate.Brit. J. Psychol. 70: 39–49.
Crepault, C., and Couture, M. (1980). Men's erotic fantasies.Arch. Sex. Behav. 9: 565–581.
Csillag. E. R. (1976). Modification of penile erectile response.J. Behav. Ther. and Exp. Psychiat. 7: 27–29.
Dekker, J., Everaerd, W., and Verhelst, N. (1985). Attending to stimuli or to images of sexual feelings: Effects on sexual arousal.Behav. Res. Ther. 23: 139–149.
Drummond, P., White, K., and Ashton, R. (1978). Imagery vividness affects habituation rate.Psychophysiology 15: 193–195.
Dugan, M., and Sheridan, C. (1976). Effects of instructional imagery on temperature of hands.Percept. Mot. Skills 42: 14.
Friday, N. (1980).Men in Love Dell Publishers, New York.
Fuhr, R. A. (1976). Facilitation of sexual arousal through imagery. Ph.D. dissertation, State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Harris, R., Yulis, S., and LaCoste, D. (1980). Relationship among sexual arousability, imagery ability, and introversion-extroversion.J. Sex. Res. 16: 72–86.
Henson, D. E., and Rubin, H. B. (1971). Voluntary control of eroticism.J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 4: 37–44.
Hirschman, R., and Favaro, L. (1980). Individual differences in imagery vividness and voluntary heart rate control.Pers. Indiv. Diff. 1: 129–133.
Hord, D. J., Johnson, L. C., and Lubbin, A. (1964). Differential effect of the law of initial value (LIV) on autonomic variables.Psychophysiology 1: 79–87.
Julien, E., and Over, R. (1981). Male sexual arousal and the law of initial value.Psychophysiology 18: 709–711.
Julien, E., and Over, R. (1984). Male sexual arousal with repeated exposure to erotic stimuli.Arch. Sex. Behav. 13: 211–222.
Laws, D. R., and Rubin, H. B. (1966). Instructional control of an autonomic sexual response.J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 2: 93–99.
Maslach, C., Marshall, G., and Zimbardo, P. G. (1972). Hypnotic control of peripheral skin temperature: A case report.Psychophysiology 9: 600–605.
Masters, W. H., and Johnson, V. E. (1970).Human Sexual Response Churchill, London.
Quinsey, V. L., and Bergersen, S. G. (1976). Instructional control of penile circumference in assessments of sexual preference.Behav. Ther. 7: 489–493.
Richardson, A. (1969).Mental Imagery Springer, New York.
Rosen, R. C. (1973). Suppression of penile tumescence by instrumental conditoning.Psychosom. Med. 35: 509–514.
Rosen, R. C., Shapiro, D., and Schwartz, G. E. (1975). Voluntary control of penile tumescence.Psychosom. Med. 37: 479–483.
Rubin, H. B., and Henson, D. E. (1975). Voluntary enhancement of penile erection.Bull. Psychon. Soc. 38: 666–673.
Schwartz, G. E. (1973). Biofeedback as therapy: Some theoretical and practical issues.Amer. Psychol. 28: 666–673.
Sheehan, P. W. (1967). A shortened form of the Bett's Questionnaire upon mental imagery (QMI).J. Clin. Psychol. 23: 386–389.
Singer, J. L., and Antrobus, J. S. (1972). Daydreaming, imaginal processes, and personality: A normative study. In Sheehan, P. W. (ed.),The Function and Nature of Imagery Academic Press, New York, pp. 175–202.
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., and Lushene, R. E. (1970).State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Manual Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, CA.
Stock, W. E., and Geer, J. H. (1982). A study of fantasy-based sexual arousal in women.Arch. Sex. Behav. 11: 33–47.
White, K. D. (1978). Salivation: The significance of imagery in its voluntary control.Psychophysiology 15: 196–203.
Wilder, J. (1953). Modern psychophysiology and the Law of Initial Value.Amer. J. Psychother. 12: 199–221.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smith, D., Over, R. Correlates of fantasy-induced and film-induced male sexual arousal. Arch Sex Behav 16, 395–409 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541422
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541422