Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Correlational and experimental analyses of the relation between disgust and sexual arousal

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Motivation and Emotion Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Theoretical work has proposed an inhibitory effect of disgust on sexual arousal, but this effect has yet to be examined experimentally. In order to experimentally examine the effect of disgust on sexual arousal, a sample of 306 adults recruited from two southwestern universities was randomly assigned to one of two conditions. Participants in the experimental condition viewed disgust priming images and subsequently viewed sexually explicit images. Participants in the control condition viewed neutral primes and sexually explicit images. In both conditions, participants were asked to provide ratings of sexual arousal, and were timed for the length of time they viewed the sexual images. Participants also completed the Three Domain Disgust Scale and a demographic questionnaire. Two hierarchical linear models—one per each dependent variable—were conducted with image observations nested within individuals. Sexual arousal was lower in the disgust condition compared to the neutral condition, and lower for women compared to men. With additional pairings of disgust and sexual stimuli, the effect of disgust on sexual arousal became larger for women and smaller for men. Data support the inhibitory effect of disgust on sexual arousal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. IAPS images numbered 1945, 7359, 7380, 9290, 9300, 9301, 9320, 9330, 9373, 9390, 9570, and 9830 were used as disgust primes.

  2. IAPS images numbered 2980, 5120, 5130, 5390, 5500, 5731, 5740, 7000, 7002, 7004, 7006, and 7009 were used as neutral primes.

  3. IAPS images numbered 4647, 4651, 4652, 4653, 4656, 4664, 4670, 4672, 4676, 4687, 4694, and 4800 were used as sexual images rated by participants.

  4. IAPS images 4647, 4664, and 4672 were cropped to remove depictions of genitals and pubic hair.

  5. IAPS images numbered 2038, 2102, 2104, 2190, 2393, 2397, 2480, 2570, 2580, 2620, 2850, and 2890 were used as neutral images rated by participants.

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (Ed.). (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric.

  • Angyal, A. (1941). Disgust and related aversions. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 36(3), 393–412. doi:10.1037/h0058254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ariely, D., & Loewenstein, G. (2006). The heat of the moment: The effect of sexual arousal on sexual decision making. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 19, 87–98. doi:10.1002/bdm.501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, T., McClenahan, L., Kittle, J., & Olatunji, B. O. (2014). Don’t look now! Oculomotor avoidance as a conditioned disgust response. Emotion, 14(1), 95–104. doi:10.1037/a0034558.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barlow, D. H., Sakheim, D. K., & Beck, J. G. (1983). Anxiety increases sexual arousal. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 92(1), 49–54. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.92.1.49.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Basson, R. (2000). The female sexual response: A different model. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 26(1), 51–65. doi:10.1080/009262300278641.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borg, C., & de Jong, P. J. (2012). Feelings of disgust and disgust-induced avoidance weaken following induced sexual arousal in women. PLoS One, 7, e44111.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borg, C., de Jong, P. J., Renken, R. J., & Georgiadis, J. R. (2013). Disgust trait modulates frontal-posterior coupling as a function of disgust domain. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 8(3), 351–358. doi:10.1093/scan/nss006.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borg, C., de Jong, P. J., & Schultz, W. W. (2010). Vaginismus and dyspareunia: Automatic vs. deliberate disgust responsivity. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7, 2149–2157. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01800.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borg, C., de Jong, P. J., & Schultz, W. W. (2011). Vaginismus and dyspareunia: Relationship with general and sex-related moral standards. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 8, 223–231. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.02080.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, J. S., Padilla-Walker, L. M., Nelson, L. J., Olson, C. D., Barry, C. M., & Madsen, S. D. (2008). Generation XXX pornography acceptance and use among emerging adults. Journal of Adolescent Research, 23(1), 6–30. doi:10.1177/0743558407306348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chivers, M. L., Seto, M. C., Lalumiere, M. L., Laan, E., & Grimbos, T. (2010). Agreement of self-reported and genital measures of sexual arousal in men and women: A meta-analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 5–56. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9556-9.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Curran, P. J., Bauer, D. J., & Willoughby, M. T. (2006). Testing and probing interactions in hierarchical linear growth models. In C. S. Bergeman & S. M. Boker (Eds.), Methodological issues in aging research. Notre Dame series on quantitative methods (pp. 99–129). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Jong, P. J., van Lankveld, J., Elgersma, H. J., & Borg, C. (2010). Disgust and sexual problems-theoretical conceptualization and case illustrations. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3, 23–39. doi:10.1521/ijct.2010.3.1.23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Jong, P. J., van Overveld, M., & Borg, C. (2013). Giving into arousal or staying stuck in disgust? Disgust-based mechanisms in sex and sexual dysfunction. Journal of Sex Research, 50, 247–262. doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.746280.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Jong, P. J., van Overveld, M., Schultz, W. W., Peters, M., & Buwalda, F. (2009). Disgust and contamination sensitivity in vaginismus and dyspareunia. Archives Sexual Behavior, 38, 244–252. doi:10.1007/s10508-007-9240-x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutton, D. G., & Aron, A. P. (1974). Some evidence for heightened sexual attraction under conditions of high anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30(4), 510–517. doi:10.1037/h0037031.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Enders, C. K. (2001). The performance of the full information maximum likelihood estimator in multiple regression models with missing data. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 61(5), 713–740. doi:10.1177/0013164401615001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fessler, D. M., Eng, S. J., & Navarrete, C. D. (2005). Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester of pregnancy: Evidence supporting the compensatory prophylaxis hypothesis. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26(4), 344–351. doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2004.12.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fessler, D. M., & Navarrete, C. D. (2003). Domain-specific variation in disgust sensitivity across the menstrual cycle. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24(6), 406–417. doi:10.1016/S1090-5138(03)00054-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fleischman, D. S., & Fessler, D. M. (2011). Progesterone’s effects on the psychology of disease avoidance: Support for the compensatory behavioral prophylaxis hypothesis. Hormones and Behavior, 59, 271–275. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.11.014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Georgiadis, J. R., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2012). The human sexual response cycle: Brain imaging evidence linking sex to other pleasures. Progress in Neurobiology, 98(1), 49–81. doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Giles, K. R., & McCabe, M. P. (2009). Conceptualizing women’s sexual function: Linear vs. circular models of sexual response. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 6(10), 2761–2771. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01425.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goetz, A. R., Cougle, J. R., & Lee, H. J. (2013). Revisiting the factor structure of the 12-item Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-revised: Evidence for a third component. Personality and Individual Differences, 55(5), 579–584. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2013.04.029.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodson, P., McCormick, D., & Evans, A. (2000). Sex on the internet: College students’ emotional arousal when viewing sexually explicit materials on-line. Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, 25, 252–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grauvogl, A., de Jong, P., Peters, M., Evers, S., van Overveld, M., & van Lankveld, J. (2014). Disgust and sexual arousal in young adult men and women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1–11. doi:10.1007/s10508-014-0349-4.

  • Haidt, J., McCauley, C., & Rozin, P. (1994). Individual differences in sensitivity to disgust: A scale sampling seven domains of disgust elicitors. Personality and Individual Differences, 16(5), 701–713. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(94)90212-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, R. D. (2011). Circular and linear modeling of female sexual desire and arousal. Journal of Sex Research, 4(2–3), 130–141. doi:10.1080/00224499.2010.548611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoon, P. W., Wincze, J. P., & Hoon, E. F. (1977). A test of reciprocal inhibition: Are anxiety and sexual arousal in women mutually inhibitory? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 86, 65–74. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.86.1.65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koukounas, E., & McCabe, M. (1997). Sexual and emotional variables influencing sexual response to erotica. Behavior Research and Therapy, 35, 221–230. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(96)00097-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lang, P., Bradley, M. M., & Cuthbert, B. N. (2008). International affective picture system (IAPS): Instruction manual and affective ratings. Technical report A-8. Gainesville, FL: The Center for Research in Psychophysiology, University of Florida.

  • Lee, E. M., Ambler, J. K., & Sagarin, B. J. (2014). Effects of subjective sexual arousal on sexual, pathogen, and moral disgust sensitivity in women and men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1–7. doi:10.1007/s10508-014-0271-9.

  • Mikels, J. A., Fredrickson, B. L., Larkin, G. R., Lindberg, C. M., Maglio, S. J., & Reuter-Lorenz, P. A. (2005). Emotional category data on images from the international affective picture system. Behavior Research Methods, 37, 626–630. doi:10.3758/BF03192732.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moll, J., de Oliveira-Souza, R., Moll, F. T., Ignácio, F. A., Bramati, I. E., Caparelli-Dáquer, E. M., & Eslinger, P. J. (2005). The moral affiliations of disgust: A functional MRI study. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, 18(1), 68–78. doi:10.1097/01.wnn.0000152236.46475.a7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, E. M. (2011). Associations between young adults’ use of sexually explicit materials and their sexual preferences, behaviors, and satisfaction. Journal of Sex Research, 48(6), 520–530. doi:10.1080/00224499.2010.543960.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mosher, D. L., & MacIan, P. (1994). College men and women respond to X-rated videos intended for male or female audiences: Gender and sexual scripts. Journal of Sex Research, 31(2), 99–113. doi:10.1080/00224499409551736.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olatunji, B. O., Cisler, J. M., Deacon, B. J., Connolly, K., & Lohr, J. M. (2007a). The Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-revised: Psychometric properties and specificity in relation to anxiety disorder symptoms. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21(7), 918–930. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.12.005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olatunji, B. O., Haidt, J., McKay, D., & David, B. (2008). Core, animal reminder, and contamination disgust: Three kinds of disgust with distinct personality, behavioral, physiological, and clinical correlates. Journal of Research in Personality, 42(5), 1243–1259. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2008.03.009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olatunji, B. O., & McKay, D. (2009). Disgust and its disorders: Theory, assessment, and treatment implications. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

  • Olatunji, B. O., Williams, N. L., Tolin, D. F., Abramowitz, J. S., Sawchuk, C. N., Lohr, J. M., & Elwood, L. S. (2007b). The Disgust Scale: Item analysis, factor structure, and suggestions for refinement. Psychological Assessment, 19(3), 281–297. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.19.3.281.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palace, E. M., & Gorzalka, B. B. (1990). The enhancing effects of anxiety on arousal in sexually dysfunctional and functional women. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99(4), 403–411. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.99.4.403.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peyre, H., Leplège, A., & Coste, J. (2011). Missing data methods for dealing with missing items in quality of life questionnaires. A comparison by simulation of personal mean score, full information maximum likelihood, multiple imputation, and hot deck techniques applied to the SF-36 in the French 2003 decennial health survey. Quality of Life Research, 20(2), 287–300. doi:10.1007/s11136-010-9740-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., Curran, P. J., & Bauer, D. J. (2006). Computational tools for probing interactions in multiple linear regression, multilevel modeling, and latent curve analysis. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 31(4), 437–448. doi:10.3102/10769986031004437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozin, P., & Fallon, A. E. (1987). A perspective on disgust. Psychological Review, 94(1), 23. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.94.1.23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rozin, P., Haidt, J., McCauley, C., Dunlop, L., & Ashmore, M. (1999). Individual differences in disgust sensitivity: Comparisons and evaluations of paper-and-pencil versus behavioral measures. Journal of Research in Personality, 33(3), 330–351. doi:10.1006/jrpe.1999.2251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandín, B., Chorot, P., Santed, M. A., Valiente, R. M., Olmedo, M., & Campagne, D. M. (2013). 2318—Seven basic domains of disgust: The multidimensional disgust scale. European Psychiatry, 28, 1. doi:10.1016/S0924-9338(13)77165-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, R. J., Case, T. I., & Oaten, M. J. (2011). Effect of self-reported sexual arousal on responses to sex-related and non-sex-related disgust cues. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 79–85. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9529-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tybur, J. M., Bryan, A. D., Lieberman, D., Caldwell Hooper, A. E., & Merriman, L. A. (2011). Sex differences and sex similarities in disgust sensitivity. Journal of Individual Differences, 51, 343–348. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2011.04.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tybur, J. M., Lieberman, D., & Griskevicius, V. (2009). Microbes, mating, and morality: Individual differences in three functional domains of disgust. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 103–122. doi:10.1037/a0015474.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Overveld, W. J. M., De Jong, P. J., Peters, M. L., Cavanagh, K., & Davey, G. C. L. (2006). Disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity: Separate constructs that are differentially related to specific fears. Personality and Individual Differences, 41(7), 1241–1252. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2006.04.021.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Overveld, M., Jong, P. J. D., & Peters, M. L. (2010). The disgust propensity and sensitivity scale-revised: Its predictive value for avoidance behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(7), 706–711. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.06.008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolchik, S. A., Beggs, V. E., Wincze, J. P., Sakheim, D. K., Barlow, D. H., & Mavissakalian, M. (1980). The effect of emotional arousal on subsequent sexual arousal in men. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 89(4), 595–598. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.89.4.595.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, P., He, G., Shapira, N. A., Goodman, W. K., & Liu, Y. (2004). Disgust and the insula: fMRI responses to pictures of mutilation and contamination. NeuroReport, 15(15), 2347–2351. doi:10.1097/00001756-200410250-00009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This manuscript was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH18869-27S1), NIH. Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the funding agencies acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President St., Charleston, SC, 29425, USA

    Arthur R. Andrews III

  2. Department of Social Sciences, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, USA

    Travis Crone

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Texas, El Paso, USA

    Cecilia B. Cholka & Theodore V. Cooper

  4. Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA

    Ana J. Bridges

Authors
  1. Arthur R. Andrews III
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Travis Crone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cecilia B. Cholka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Theodore V. Cooper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ana J. Bridges
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arthur R. Andrews III.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Andrews, A.R., Crone, T., Cholka, C.B. et al. Correlational and experimental analyses of the relation between disgust and sexual arousal. Motiv Emot 39, 766–779 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-015-9485-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-015-9485-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation