Some evidence for heightened sexual attraction under conditions of high anxiety

Bibliographic Data

ID6202633
AuthorsDonald G Dutton, Arthur Aron (0000-0003-2887-9400), Arthur P Aron
Year1974
Volume30
Issue4
Pages510-517
Publication date1974-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/h0037031
PMID4455773
OpenAlexW2149820118
LanguageEN
Citations received178
References cited11

Male passersby were contacted either on a fear-arousing suspension bridge or a non-fear-arousing bridge by an attractive female interviewer who asked them to fill out questionnaires containing Thematic Apperception Test pictures. Sexual content of stories written by subjects on the fear-arousing bridge and tendency of these subjects to attempt postexperimental contact with the interviewer were both significantly greater. No significant differences between bridges were obtained on either measure for subjects contacted by a male interviewer. A third study manipulated anticipated shock to male subjects and an attractive female confederate independently. Anticipation of own shock but not anticipation of shock to confederate increased sexual imagery scores on the Thematic Apperception Test and attraction to the confederate. Some theoretical implications of these findings are discussed. There is a substantial body of indirect evidence suggesting that sexual attractions occur with increased frequency during states of

Anxiety · Attraction · Developmental psychology · Interpersonal attraction · Psychiatry · Sexual attraction · Sexual behavior · Clinical Psychology · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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