Assessment of Distraction From Erotic Stimuli by Nonerotic Interference

Abstract

Distraction from erotic cues during sexual encounters is a major contributor to sexual difficulties in men and women. Being able to assess distraction in studies of sexual arousal will help clarify underlying contributions to sexual problems. The current study aimed to identify the most accurate assessment of distraction from erotic cues in healthy men (n = 29) and women (n = 38). Participants were assigned to a no distraction, low distraction, or high distraction condition. Distraction was induced using an auditory distraction task presented during the viewing of an erotic video. Attention to erotic cues was assessed using three methods: a written quiz, a visual quiz, and a self-reported distraction measure. Genital and psychological sexual responses were also measured. Self-reported distraction and written quiz scores most accurately represented the level of distraction present, while self-reported distraction also corresponded with a decrease in genital arousal. Findings support the usefulness of self-report measures in conjunction with a brief quiz on the erotic material as the most accurate and sensitive ways to simply measure experimentally-induced distraction. Insight into distraction assessment techniques will enable evaluation of naturally occurring distraction in patients suffering from sexual problems.

Acknowledgments

Hannah Burroughs, Patrick Joyce, Amanda Julian, Shawn Seeley, and Lindsay Sherwood assisted in the recruitment of participants and the collection and entering of data for this research. Pilot data for the distraction task were collected by Dexter Van Dam and Samantha Binns.

Notes

Note. Sentences were counterbalanced across the two videos and across the order of presentation.

*Indicates a significant correlation at p < .01.