Can habituation of sexual responses be elicited in men and women when attention is maintained?

Abstract

Queen's University at KingstonStudies investigating men and women separately suggest a sex difference in the habituation of genital responses to sexual stimuli: Men's responses habituate readily whereas women's responses appear more resistant. These studies also demonstrate that attention is positively correlated with habituation effects when they occur. The preparation hypothesis asserts that women's genital responses occur automatically in the presence of sexual cues to protect them from injuries that may occur as a result of penetration. It follows that women may not habituate as much as men because the costs of not responding to sexual cues are likely higher for women than they are for men. In a recent study we found similar and pronounced habituation effects for genital responses and self-reported attention in men and in women. The aims of the current study were to examine whether habituation can be elicited when attention is maintained and if a sex difference would be observed. Thirty-six men and women were presented with 14 audiovisual stimuli following a within-subjects habituation design. Genital responses were measured using circumferential phallometry and vaginal photoplethysmography. Poststimulus ratings of sexual arousal and attention were recorded. Results showed habituation of genital but not subjective sexual responses in both sexes. Participants reported a high degree of attention across habituation trials, but controlling for changes in attention eliminated habituation effects for genital responses. The role of attention in sexual responses and the implications of our findings for the preparation hypothesis are discussed.

The Science of Female Orgasms: Pleasing Female Partners in Casual and Long-Term Relationships

“…When men and women are shown the same sexual stimuli over and over again, they both report feeling less sexually aroused and devices placed on their genitals also show that they are, in fact, less aroused (Dawson et al 2013;Koukounas and Over 1993;Meuwissen and Over 1990). Simply put, sexy material that once was arousing becomes considerably less arousing over time.…”

“…Simply put, sexy material that once was arousing becomes considerably less arousing over time. But, when men and women view novel sexual material-something new-they report feeling sexually aroused, and their genitals also show arousal (Both et al 2011;Dawson et al 2013;Over 1993, 2001;Meuwissen and Over 1990). Although there is evidence that both men and women habituate to sexual stimuli over time, a study by Both et al (2011) found that only women habituated to sexual stimuli (in this case a short erotic film), not men.…”

Concurrent measurement of genital lubrication and blood flow during sexual arousal

“…throughout each 270 s sexual stimulus so as to prevent habituation effects (Dawson, Lalumière, Allen, Vasey, & Suschinsky, 2013;. After each film, the participants were asked to rate the sexual intensity of the sexual activity depicted in the stimulus ("How sexually intense was the activity in the film?")…”

Gender Differences and Similarities in Sexual Desire

“…Studies of habituation to sexual stimuli in women and men demonstrate that genital [90][91][92][93][94][95][96] and subjective sexual arousal [90,91,[93][94][95][96] decline with repeated exposure to the same sexual stimulus, presumably because the hedonic quality associated with the stimulus changes as a function of repeated exposure. These studies also find that when novel stimuli are introduced, sexual arousal is restored [90][91][92][93][94][95][96]. Results from observational studies find a similar pattern; sexual desire can wane for both women and men in long-term relationships [56,57].…”