International review of sexual behaviour assessment labs

Abstract

This article provides a comparison and comprehensive analysis of varied approaches to the assessment of sexual interest and behaviours at different international sexual behaviour assessment labs. The assessment protocols are described for four sexual behaviour laboratories: the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre’s Sexual Behaviours Clinic in Canada; the Medical University of South Carolina’s Sexual Behaviours Clinic and Laboratory in the US; the Laboratory of Evolutionary Sexology and Psychopathology in the Czech Republic; and the Laboratory of Forensic Sexology in Russia. An overview of examinee demographics and types of cases assessed is provided for each lab. Assessment protocols, including psychometric measures and objective measures of sexual interest and arousal, such as penile plethysmography or eye-tracking, are also reviewed. The differences across labs may lead to interesting and productive cross-cultural investigations and studies about the efficacy of specific assessment methods.

Keywords:

• Sexual behaviour
• assessment
• disorders of sexual preference
• paraphilic disorders
• penile plethysmography
• psychometry
• polygraph

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

Dr. K. Klapilová was supported by the Czech Science Foundation GACR [16-18891S] and by the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, under NPU I program Nr. LO1611