Sexual Fantasies and Harmful Sexual Interests: Exploring Differences in Sexual Memory Intensity and Sexual Fantasy Characteristics

Abstract

The perpetration of harmful sexual behavior is a global concern, with deviant sexual fantasies identified as a prominent etiological risk factor. However, the concepts of state sexual fantasy characteristics (e.g., vividness and emotionality) and associated trait sexual memory intensity have received minimal investigation concerning harmful sexual interests, formulating the impetus for this research. Two online surveys were conducted in community populations. Study 1 ( N = 414) aimed to validate the psychometric properties of a trait sexual memory intensity scale (SMIS) through principal components analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and evaluation of concurrent validity. Study 2 ( N = 820) endeavored to explore associations between state sexual fantasy characteristics and cognitive-behavior variables (e.g., frequency of masturbation to a reported fantasy), and evaluate differences in fantasy characteristics and SMIS scores between participants with and without harmful sexual interests. Collectively, results supported the factor structure, concurrent validity, and internal consistency of the SMIS, while revealing significant associations between the SMIS, sexual fantasy characteristics, and several variables. Significant differences in sexual fantasy characteristics and SMIS scores were evident but variable among harmful sexual interests. Findings encourage the consideration and research of interventions focused on impairing mental imagery and memory in the management of harmful sexual interests.

Implications of sexual fantasy characteristics and memory intensity for harmful sexual behaviour

“…This finding diverges from Allen et al (2023) where vividness, sensations, arousal, thought frequency and masturbation (but not emotional intensity) were significantly higher for individuals who reported a sexual interest in rape.…”

“…Building on the findings of Allen et al (2023), comparing sexual interest to behaviour, the significance of emotional intensity possibly parallels the importance of positive emotion associated with sexual fantasies as a predictor of anticipated sexual offending and re-offending behaviour (Renaud & Byers, 2005;Wheeler et al, 2002). However, participants' appraisals of emotional intensity from their sexual fantasies were not obtained (e.g.…”

“…Similarly, factors associated with fantasy imagery itself may influence sexual behaviour, known as phenomenological characteristics (Allen et al, 2023;Willis & Bartels, 2022).…”

“…intensity acting as a stimulus for motivation (e.g. desire and excitation; Allen et al, 2023;Smid & Wever, 2019).…”

Sexual Desire and Erotic Fantasies Questionnaire: Validation of the Erotic Fantasy Inventory Scale (SDEF3) in Italian Adults

“…In fact, a recent study [ 7 ] has suggested a modified version of the SFQ. No validation study of this SFQ modified version is available in the literature, although a suggested six-factor structure was proposed by Dyer et al [ 30 ] and used by Allen et al [ 31 ].…”