Transcript Sex Differences in Attention to Visual Sexual Stimuli Heather Rupp & Kim Wallen Department of Psychology Emory University & Center for Behavioral Neuroscience Atlanta, GA.

Sex Differences in Attention to Visual
Sexual Stimuli
Heather Rupp & Kim Wallen
Department of Psychology
Emory University
&
Center for Behavioral Neuroscience
Atlanta, GA
Subjects
• recruited via email and flyers from Emory University and
Georgia State University graduate and professional schools
• heterosexual preference and some experience with
pornography, aged 23-35
• 15 female on oral contraception (OC) , 15 naturally cycling
women (NC) , and 15 males.
• Females counterbalanced for phase of their menstrual
cycle at time of session.
• Menstrual (1-5)
• Periovulatory (9-13)
• Luteal (20-24)
Stimuli
•collected from free sites on the internet
•photos varied on :
•Activity
• oral sex
to male
to female
• intercourse
Female dominant
Male dominant
•all photos pilot tested for sexual attractiveness
•total of 72 photos randomly viewed at own pace
Measures
Dependent
• View time
Whole slide
Look zones
Independent
• Sex
• Contraceptive Use
• Phase of cycle
MALES did not view the photos as long as OC or NC FEMALES
VIEWING TIME
OC FEMALES viewed the photos longer than NC FEMALES
10
*
8
*
*
6
4
2
0
OC
NC
OC FEMALES viewed photos of males receiving oral sex shorter than
other activities
MALES did not view photos of females receiving oral sex as long
as did OC or NC FEMALES
VIEWING TIME AND ACTIVITY
8
Oral to Male
Oral to Female
Intercourse
*
*
*
6
4
2
0
OC
NC
MALES looked most at Faces and Genitals least at male body and context
FEMALES looked most at Genitals least at Context
VIEWING TIME AND LOOK ZONE
MALES looked more at face and less at Male Body and Context than FEMALES
*
Face
Genitals
35
30
*
Female Body
A
A
Male Body
A
Context
25
20
15
10
* *
5
0
OC
NC
MALE
OC FEMALE
OC FEMALES
interest in all photos
during
VIEW
TIME show
ANDmore
MENSTRUAL
PHASE
their menstrual phase
NC FEMALES show more interest in all photos during their
periovulatory phase
10
***
Menstrual
***
**
8
**
Periovulatory
***
Luteal
6
4
2
0
Mens PO
OC
Lut
Mens PO
NC
Lut
Conclusions
• MALES and FEMALES do attend differently to visual sexual
stimuli
• males view shorter
• Observed sex differences vary with content of the stimuli
• FEMALES prefer photos of oral sex to females
• MALES look more at faces and less at the male
body and context than FEMALES
• FEMALE interest may vary with steroid hormone levels
• The cognitive aspect of sexual arousal may be important to
consider in the treatment of sexual dysfunction.
Acknowledgements
Emory University
Dr. Kim Wallen
Dr. Stephan Hamann
Dr. Debbie Mills
Dr. Jim Rilling
Dr. Hillary Rodman
Georgia State University
Dr. Kay Beck