Data from: The effect of static versus dynamic stimuli on visual processing of sexual cues in androphilic women and gynephilic men

Models of sexual response posit that attentional processing of sexual cues is requisite for sexual responding. Despite hypothesized similarities in the underlying processes resulting in sexual response, gender differences in sexual arousal patterns are abundant. One such gender difference relates to the stimulus features (e.g., gender cues, sexual activity cues) that elicit a response in men and women. In the current study, we examined how stimulus modality (static visual images versus dynamic audiovisual films) and stimulus features (gender, sexual activity, and nonsexual contextual cues) influences attentional (i.e., gaze) and elaborative (i.e., self-reported attraction, self-reported arousal) processing of sexual stimuli. Men's initial and controlled attention was consistently gender-specific (i.e., greater attention towards female targets), and this was not influenced by stimulus modality or the presence of sexual activity cues. In contrast, gender-specificity of women's attention patterns differed as a function of attentional stage, stimulus modality, and the features within the stimulus. Degree of specificity was positively predictive of self-reported attraction in both genders; however, it was not significantly predictive of self-reported arousal. These findings are discussed in the context of gendered processing of visual sexual information, including a discussion of implications for research designs.

性反应理论模型指出，对性线索的注意加工（attentional processing）是性反应产生的必要前提。尽管学界曾假设介导性反应的潜在过程存在相似性，但性唤醒模式（sexual arousal patterns）的性别差异却广泛存在。其中一类典型的性别差异，与男女各自诱发反应的刺激特征（stimulus features，如性别线索、性活动线索）相关。在本研究中，我们考察了刺激呈现方式（stimulus modality，即静态视觉图像与动态视听影片）以及刺激特征（性别、性活动与非性情境线索），如何影响性刺激的注意加工与精细化加工（elaborative processing），其中注意加工以眼动指标（gaze）为代表，精细化加工以自我报告的吸引力（self-reported attraction）、自我报告的唤醒度（self-reported arousal）为代表。男性的初始注意与控制性注意（initial and controlled attention）均表现出稳定的性别特异性（gender-specific），即对女性靶目标的注意程度更高，且该模式不受刺激呈现方式或性活动线索存在与否的影响。与之相对，女性注意模式的性别特异性，则会随注意阶段、刺激呈现方式以及刺激内部特征的不同而发生变化。性别特异性程度对两性的自我报告吸引力均具有正向预测作用，但对自我报告的唤醒度无显著预测效应。本文结合视觉性信息的性别加工语境，对上述研究结果展开讨论，其中亦涵盖对研究设计的启示。