Abstract
Chinese women in Western nations frequently report less engagement with sexuality, such as lower sexual response and behaviors, and more restrictive sexual attitudes, than their Euro-Caucasian peers. This difference is likely related to sexual conservatism within traditional Chinese culture, though the mechanisms underlying how culture influences sexual responding are not well understood. The current study investigated if these differences were consistent with the dual control model, a well-established model for understanding regulation of sexual response. Chinese and Euro-Caucasian women (N = 471; age M = 20.7 years, SD = 3.3) residing in Canada from a university sample completed self-report questionnaires on sexual excitation and inhibition, sexual attitudes, and various sexual response and behavior measures. Sexual excitation was significantly lower in Chinese than Euro-Caucasian women and was significantly associated with sexual response in both groups. Structural equation modeling showed that sexual response variables were associated with a latent sexual excitation factor and that sexual attitudes partially mediated the relationship between this latent factor and ethnicity. The findings showed that sexual excitation and sexual attitudes contribute to cross-cultural differences in women’s sexual responding. Theoretical and clinical considerations are discussed.
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S. S. Dang is funded by a stipend from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Award No. 767-2016-2329).
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Appendix
Appendix
Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) for Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women in Euro-Caucasian (n = 201) and Chinese (n = 270) women. Consistent with Graham et al. (2006), an eight-factor model was extracted using maximum likelihood EFA with varimax rotation. For Euro-Caucasian women, the model explained 46.11% of the variance in the scale, while for Chinese women the model explained 44.77% of the variance. Only the largest factor loading per item is shown.
F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | F6 | F7 | F8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Euro-Caucasian | ||||||||
Excitation items | ||||||||
Arousability | ||||||||
Seeing an attractive partner’s naked body really turns me on | .471 | |||||||
Just being physically close with a partner is enough to turn me on | .469 | |||||||
I get very turned on when someone really wants me sexually | .415 | |||||||
Fantasizing about sex can quickly get me sexually excited | .593 | |||||||
When I think about someone I find sexually attractive, I easily become… | .748 | |||||||
With a new partner I am easily aroused | .423 | |||||||
If I see someone dressed in a sexy way, I easily become sexually aroused | .581 | |||||||
Certain hormonal changes definitely increase my sexual arousal | .330 | |||||||
Sometimes I am so attracted to someone, I cannot stop myself from… | .550 | |||||||
Partner characteristics | ||||||||
Someone doing something that shows he/she is intelligent turns me on | .625 | |||||||
If I see a partner interacting well with others, I am more easily sexually… | .718 | |||||||
Seeing a partner doing something that shows his/her talent can make me… | .618 | |||||||
Eye contact with someone I find sexually attractive really turns me on… | .450 | |||||||
Sexual power dynamics | ||||||||
It turns me on if my partner “talks dirty” to me during sex | .408 | |||||||
Feeling overpowered in a sexual situation by someone I trust increases… | .959 | |||||||
If a partner is forceful during sex, it reduces my arousal | − .495 | |||||||
Dominating my partner sexually is arousing to me | .254 | |||||||
Smell | ||||||||
Particular scents are very arousing to me | .611 | |||||||
Often just how someone smells can be a turn-on | .943 | |||||||
Setting (unusual or unconcealed) | ||||||||
Having sex in a different setting than usual is a real turn-on for me | − .368 | |||||||
If it is possible someone might see or hear us having sex, it is more… | .732 | |||||||
I find it harder to get sexually aroused if other people are nearby | .791 | |||||||
I get really turned on if I think I may get caught while having sex | − .644 | |||||||
Inhibition items | ||||||||
Concerns about sexual function | ||||||||
If I am concerned about being a good lover, I am less likely to become… | .637 | |||||||
If I think about whether I will have an orgasm, it is much harder for me… | .588 | |||||||
Sometimes I feel so “shy” or self-conscious during sex that I cannot… | .591 | |||||||
If I am worried about taking too long to become aroused, this can… | .587 | |||||||
Arousal contingency | ||||||||
It is difficult for me to stay sexually aroused | .536 | |||||||
When I am sexually aroused the slightest thing can turn me off… | .569 | |||||||
Unless things are “just right” it is difficult for me to become sexually… | .712 | |||||||
Relationship importance | ||||||||
If I think that a partner might hurt me emotionally, I put the brakes on… | .486 | |||||||
It would be hard for me to become sexually aroused with someone who is… | .571 | |||||||
If I think that I am being used sexually it completely turns me off | .653 | |||||||
It is easier for me to become aroused with someone who has… | .528 | |||||||
If I am uncertain about how my partner feels about me, it is harder for me… | .643 | |||||||
I really need to trust a partner to become fully aroused… | .675 | |||||||
Chinese | ||||||||
Excitation items | ||||||||
Arousability | ||||||||
Seeing an attractive partner’s naked body really turns me on | .439 | |||||||
Just being physically close with a partner is enough to turn me on | .469 | |||||||
I get very turned on when someone really wants me sexually | .613 | |||||||
Fantasizing about sex can quickly get me sexually excited | .557 | |||||||
When I think about someone I find sexually attractive, I easily become… | .436 | |||||||
With a new partner I am easily aroused | .560 | |||||||
If I see someone dressed in a sexy way, I easily become sexually aroused | .658 | |||||||
Certain hormonal changes definitely increase my sexual arousal | .274 | |||||||
Sometimes I am so attracted to someone, I cannot stop myself from… | .518 | |||||||
Partner characteristics | ||||||||
Someone doing something that shows he/she is intelligent turns me on | .644 | |||||||
If I see a partner interacting well with others, I am more easily sexually… | .559 | |||||||
Seeing a partner doing something that shows his/her talent can make me… | .731 | |||||||
Eye contact with someone I find sexually attractive really turns me on… | .406 | |||||||
Sexual power dynamics | ||||||||
It turns me on if my partner “talks dirty” to me during sex | .588 | |||||||
Feeling overpowered in a sexual situation by someone I trust increases… | .566 | |||||||
If a partner is forceful during sex, it reduces my arousal | .225 | |||||||
Dominating my partner sexually is arousing to me | .340 | |||||||
Smell | ||||||||
Particular scents are very arousing to me | .714 | |||||||
Often just how someone smells can be a turn-on | .721 | |||||||
Setting | ||||||||
Having sex in a different setting than usual is a real turn-on for me | .456 | |||||||
If it is possible someone might see or hear us having sex, it is more… | .703 | |||||||
I find it harder to get sexually aroused if other people are nearby | .739 | |||||||
I get really turned on if I think I may get caught while having sex | − .462 | |||||||
Inhibition items | ||||||||
Concerns about sexual function | ||||||||
If I am concerned about being a good lover, I am less likely to become… | .362 | |||||||
If I think about whether I will have an orgasm, it is much harder for me… | .517 | |||||||
Sometimes I feel so “shy” or self-conscious during sex that I cannot… | .554 | |||||||
If I am worried about taking too long to become aroused, this can… | .668 | |||||||
Arousal contingency | ||||||||
It is difficult for me to stay sexually aroused | .477 | |||||||
When I am sexually aroused the slightest thing can turn me off… | .469 | |||||||
Unless things are “just right” it is difficult for me to become sexually… | .755 | |||||||
Relationship importance | ||||||||
If I think that a partner might hurt me emotionally, I put the brakes on… | .582 | |||||||
It would be hard for me to become sexually aroused with someone who is… | .585 | |||||||
If I think that I am being used sexually it completely turns me off | .681 | |||||||
It is easier for me to become aroused with someone who has… | .444 | |||||||
If I am uncertain about how my partner feels about me, it is harder for me… | .619 | |||||||
I really need to trust a partner to become fully aroused… | .591 | |||||||
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Dang, S.S., Gorzalka, B.B. & Brotto, L.A. Dual Control Model in a Cross-Cultural Context: Role of Sexual Excitation in Sexual Response and Behavior Differences Between Chinese and Euro-Caucasian Women in Canada. Arch Sex Behav 48, 2519–2535 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01535-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01535-7