The effects of stimuli that vary in erotic content on cognitive processes

Datos Bibliográficos

ID10209331
AutoresLester W Wright (University of Georgia, autor de correspondencia), Henry E Adams (University of Georgia)
Año1999
Volumen36
Número2
Páginas145-151
Fecha de publicación1999-05-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaThe Journal of Sex Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0022-4499 • E-ISSN: 1559-8519
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00224499909551979
OpenAlexW1980126836
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas25
Referencias citadas10

This study investigated the effects of stimuli that vary in erotic content on performance during a choice reaction time (CRT) task. Eighty subjects, 20 from each of four groups—heterosexual men, heterosexual women, gay men, and lesbian women—completed the study. Participants were required to locate the position of a dot on slides of nude and clothed men and women as well as neutral stimuli as rapidly as possible. It was hypothesized that sexual interest would influence cognitive processes and cause longer latencies to preferred‐gender stimuli. Subjects also completed an incidental learning task to determine if a relationship existed between stated sexual orientation and memory for stimuli. Results indicate that reaction times were longest with nude stimuli of the preferred gender for each group. The nude stimuli had the highest accuracy rate for correctly classifying groups based on sexual orientation with the possible exception of heterosexual women. Results for clothed stimuli on the CRT task were similar but not as strong. Results of the incidental learning task indicate that participants had the greatest memory for nude preferred‐gender stimuli. The data indicate that sexual interest in a stimulus may cause distraction during performance of a cognitive task but may facilitate memory for the stimulus during a memory task

Audiology · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Distraction · Incidental learning · Sexual orientation · Stimulus (psychology · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Medicine · Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies · Neuroscience · Psychology · Social Psychology