Mixed Emotions: An Incentive Motivational Model of Sexual Deviance

Abstract

Sexual offending behavior is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Most existing etiological models describe sexual offending behavior as a variant of offending behavior and mostly include factors referring to disinhibition and sexual deviance. In this article, we argue that there is additional value in describing sexual offending behavior as sexual behavior in terms of an incentive model of sexual motivation. The model describes sexual arousal as an emotion, triggered by a competent stimulus signaling potential reward, and comparable to other emotions coupled with strong bodily reactions. Consequently, we describe sexual offending behavior in terms of this new model with emphasis on the development of deviant sexual interests and preferences. Summarized, the model states that because sexual arousal itself is an emotion, there is a bidirectional relationship between sexual self-regulation and emotional self-regulation. Not only can sex be used to regulate emotional states (i.e., sexual coping), emotions can also be used, consciously or automatically, to regulate sexual arousal (i.e., sexual deviance). Preliminary support for the model is drawn from studies in the field of sex offender research as well as sexology and motivation research.

The Application of Network Analysis to Dynamic Risk Factors in Adult Male Sex Offenders

“…Despite the above limitations, we believe our findings—to the extent that the estimated network structure indeed describes a pattern of mutualistic causal interactions—have several theoretical, clinical, and social implications. Because network analyses provide insight in the interrelations among risk factors and possible shortest pathways to (sexual) offending behavior, without the need for a priori assumptions, they can be used to contribute to the further development of theories on sex offending (e.g., Malamuth & Hald, 2016; Malamuth et al, 1995; Seto, 2019; Smid & Wever, 2019; Toates, Smid, & van den Berg, 2017; Ward & Beech, 2016; Ward, Polaschek, & Beech, 2006). For example, our network analyses provide support for the idea that different clusters of dynamic risk factors and pathways to recidivism exist, as was found in earlier research in adult male sex offenders (Malamuth, 1986, 2003; Malamuth & Hald, 2016; Malamuth et al, 1995).…”

Exploring Hostility Toward Women in High-Risk Rapists: The Relevance of Ambivalence and Relational Experience

“…Finding lower hostility in high-risk rapists could be explained because high-risk sex offenders may be qualitatively different from typical sex offenders and may follow different routes to their offending behavior (Smid & Wever, 2019). Systematic reviews with specific rapist samples conclude that hostile beliefs may indeed play no significant part in some types of offenders (James & Proulx, 2016;Johnson & Beech, 2017).…”

“…We hypothesized that high-risk rapists would show more ambivalence, that is, more hostility and more relatively "positive" attitudes toward women than nonsexual offenders and community controls. This is important, because it has been hypothesized that high-risk sex offenders may be qualitatively different from typical sex offenders and may follow different routes to their offending behavior (Smid & Wever, 2019). These high-risk sex offenders are relatively rare and usually comprise a very small part of mixed/routine research samples, which are used in the majority of the available studies on this topic.…”

Stopped cold: Motor-response inhibition reduces the capacity of sexually-explicit stimuli to elicit subjective and physiological sexual arousal

“…It should be noted, however, that although we found significant differences in both subjective and physiological sexual response when sexual content was associated with motor-response inhibition, the stimuli did still elicit a sexual response in participants. Ultimately, it can be argued that the motivational goal of sexual activity is sexual gratification, and that any significant increase sexual arousal, despite some stimulus-linked devaluation, could elicit enough interest to continue towards that goal (Smid & Wever, 2019).…”