Abstract
To test Kaplan's model of hypoactive sexual desire, this investigation examined the effects of anger and anxiety presented during sexual stimuli. Subjects included 24 male undergraduates, free from psychological and medical problems that interfere with sexual function. Each subject was presented with three audiotapes, containing sexual content and statements by the participants that were designed to evoke anger or anxiety or that were situationally appropriate (control condition). Penile tumescence and sexual desire were monitored continuously. Results indicated significant differences in sexual desire in each of the three conditions, with desire highest during the control condition, followed by the anxiety condition, and last, the anger condition. Tumescence was decreased during the anger condition, relative to the control and anxiety conditions, which were not significantly different from one another. These findings partially support Kaplan's model of maintaining factors in hypoactive sexual desire, by demonstrating that anger may be the primary mechanism through which sexual desire and arousal are inhibited. In this study, anxiety impaired desire but did not affect tumescence. Implications for the study of emotional influences on sexual responding are discussed, including the need for investigation of other parameters of sexual motivation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Abel, G. G., Barlow, D. H., Blanchard, E. B., and Guild, D. (1977). The components of rapists' sexual arousal.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 34: 895–903.
Abel, G. G., Blanchard, E. B., Barlow, D. H., and Mavissakalian, M. (1975). Identifying specific erotic cues in sexual deviations by audiotaped descriptions.J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 8: 247–260.
American Psychiatric Association (1980).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd ed., American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC.
American Psychiatric Association (1987).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd ed., rev., American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC.
Apfelbaum, B., and Apfelbaum, C. (1985). The egoanalytic approach to sexual apathy. In Goldberg, D. C. (ed.),Contemporary Marriage: Special Issues in Couples Therapy Dorsey, Homewood, IL.
Bancroft, J. (1983).Human Sexuality and Its Problems Churchill, Livingstone, London.
Barfield, R., and Sachs, B. (1968). Sexual behavior: Stimulation by painful electric shock to skin in male rats.Science 161: 392–395.
Barlow, D. H. (1977). Assessment of sexual behavior. In Ciminero, A., Calhoun, K., and Adams, H. (eds.),Handbook of Behavioral Assessment Wiley, New York.
Barlow, D. H., Becker, R., Leitenberg, H., and Agras, W. S. (1970). A mechanical strain gauge for recording penile circumference change.J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 3: 73–76.
Barlow, D. H., Sakheim, D. K., and Beck, J. G. (1983). Anxiety increases sexual arousal.J. Abn. Psychol. 92: 49–54.
Beck, J. G., and Barlow, D. H. (1984). Current conceptualizations of sexual dysfunction. A review and an alternative perspective.Clin. Psychol. Rev. 4: 363–378.
Beck, J. G., Barlow, D. H., Sakheim, D. K., and Abrahamson, D. J. (1987). Shock threat and sexual arousal: The role of attention, thought content, and affective states.Psychophysiology 24: 165–172.
Fisher, W. A., Byrne, D., and White, L. A. (1983). Adolescent contraception. In Byrne, D., and Fisher, W. A. (eds.),Adolescents, Sex and Contraception Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
Hoon, E. F., and Chambless, D. (1988). Sexual Arousability Inventory (SAI) and Sexual Arousability Inventory-Expanded (SAI-E). In Davis, C. M., Yarber, W. L., and Davis, S. L. (eds.),Sexuality-Related Measures. Lake Mills: Graphic Publishing.
Hoon, E., Hoon, P., and Wincze, J. (1976). An inventory for the measurement of female sexual arousability: the SAI.Arch. Sex. Behav. 5: 291–300.
Hoon, P., Wincze, J., and Hoon, E. (1977). A test of reciprocal inhibition: Are anxiety and sexual arousal in women mutually inhibitory?J. Abn. Psychol. 86: 65–74.
Kaplan, H. S. (1977). Hypoactive Sexual Desire.J. Sex Marital Ther. 3: 3–10.
Kaplan, H. S. (1979).Disorders of Sexual Desire. Brunner/Mazel, New York.
Kaplan, H. S. (1984).The Evaluation of Sexual Disorders. Brunner/Mazel, New York.
Leiblum, S. R., and Rosen, R. C. (1988).Sexual Desire Disorders. Guilford, New York.
Levine, S. B. (1984). An essay on the nature of sexual desire.J. Sex Marital Ther. 10: 83–96.
Lief, H. I. (1977). Inhibited sexual desire.Med. Aspects Hum. Sex. 7: 94–95.
Masters, W. H., and Johnson, V. E. (1970).Human Sexual Inadequacy Little Brown, Boston.
McNair, D. M., Lorr, M., and Droppleman, L. F. (1971).Profile of Mood States Educational and Industrial Testing Service, San Diego, CA.
Norusis, M. J. (1986). SPSS/PC+: SPSS for the IBM PC/XT/AT, SPSS Inc., Chicago.
Schwartz, G. E., and Weinberger, D. A. (1980). Patterns of emotional responses to affective situations: Relations among happiness, sadness, anger, fear, depression, and anxiety.Motiv. Emot. 4: 175–191.
Singer, B., and Toates, F. M. (1987). Sexual motivation.J. Sex Res. 23: 481–501.
Vasey, M. W., and Thayer, J. F. (1987). The continuing problem of false positives in repeated measures ANOVA in psychophysiology: A multivariate solution.Psychophysiology 24: 479–486.
Wincze, J., Hoon, P., and Hoon, E. (1976). Sexual arousal in women: A comparison of cognitive and physiological responses by continuous measurement.Arch. Sex. Behav. 5: 121–133.
Wincze, J. P., Venditti, E., Barlow, D., and Mavissakalian, M. (1980). The effects of a subjective monitoring task on the physiological measure of genital response to erotic stimulation.Arch. Sex. Behav. 9: 533–547.
Wolchik, S. A., Beggs, V., Wincze, J. P., Sakheim, D. K., Barlow, D. H., and Mavissakalian, M. (1980). The effects of emotional arousal on subsequent sexual arousal in men.J. Abn. Psychol. 89: 595–598.
Zilbergeld, B. (1978).Male Sexuality. Little Brown, Boston.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study is based on portions of a masters thesis submitted by Alan W. Bozman to the University of Houston, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bozman, A.W., Beck, J.G. Covariation of sexual desire and sexual arousal: The effects of anger and anxiety. Arch Sex Behav 20, 47–60 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01543007
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01543007