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Original Articles

A brief review and discussion of sex differences in the specificity of sexual arousal

Pages 377-390 | Accepted 23 Jun 2005, Published online: 24 Feb 2007

Keep up to date with the latest research on this topic with citation updates for this article.

Read on this site (20)

Kiarah M. K. O’Kane, Sonia Milani, Meredith L. Chivers & Samantha J. Dawson. (2023) Gynephilic Men’s and Androphilic Women’s Visual Attention Patterns: The Effects of Gender and Sexual Activity Cues. The Journal of Sex Research 60:6, pages 880-889.
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Malvina N. Skorska, Morag A. Yule, Anthony F. Bogaert & Lori A. Brotto. (2023) Patterns of Genital and Subjective Sexual Arousal in Cisgender Asexual Men. The Journal of Sex Research 60:2, pages 253-270.
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Caroline Dugal, Audrey Brassard, Pierre-Yves Kusion, Audrey-Ann Lefebvre, Katherine Péloquin & Natacha Godbout. (2022) Romantic Attachment, Sex Motives and Sexual Difficulties in Emerging Adults: The Role of Childhood Interpersonal Victimization. The Journal of Sex Research 0:0, pages 1-15.
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Malachi Willis, Tiffany L. Marcantonio, Kristen N. Jozkowski, Terry Humphreys & Zoë D. Peterson. (2021) Sexual Consent at First-Time Intercourse: Retrospective Reports from University Students in Canada and the United States. International Journal of Sexual Health 33:2, pages 109-122.
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Ewelina Kowalewska, Mateusz Gola, Shane W Kraus & Michal Lew-Starowicz. (2020) Spotlight on Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder: A Systematic Review of Research on Women. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 16, pages 2025-2043.
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Amanda D. Timmers, Samantha J. Dawson & Meredith L. Chivers. (2018) The Effects of Gender and Relationship Context Cues on Responsive Sexual Desire in Exclusively and Predominantly Androphilic Women and Gynephilic Men. The Journal of Sex Research 55:9, pages 1167-1179.
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Kelly D. Suschinsky & Meredith L. Chivers. (2018) The Relationship Between Sexual Concordance and Orgasm Consistency in Women. The Journal of Sex Research 55:6, pages 704-718.
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Kristy N. Woods, Sandra S. Stroebel, Stephen L. O'Keefe, Karen Griffee, Karen V. Harper-Dorton, Keith W. Beard, Debra H. Young, Sam Swindell, Walter E. Stroupe, Kerri Steele & Megan Lawhon. (2018) Conditioning by Orgasm Produced by Heterosexual Oral Sex during the Critical Period. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 25:1, pages 96-119.
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Janice Attard-Johnson, Markus Bindemann & Caoilte Ó Ciardha. (2017) Heterosexual, Homosexual, and Bisexual Men’s Pupillary Responses to Persons at Different Stages of Sexual Development. The Journal of Sex Research 54:9, pages 1085-1096.
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Michael J. Clarke, Anthony D. G. Marks & Amy D. Lykins. (2015) Effects of Gender Group Norms on the Endorsement of Same-Sex Attraction, Behavior, and Identity. Journal of Bisexuality 15:3, pages 319-345.
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MeredithL. Chivers. (2010) A brief update on the specificity of sexual arousal. Sexual and Relationship Therapy 25:4, pages 407-414.
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Marta Meana. (2010) Elucidating Women's (hetero)Sexual Desire: Definitional Challenges and Content Expansion. The Journal of Sex Research 47:2-3, pages 104-122.
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Lori Boul, Ruth Hallam-Jones & KevanR. Wylie. (2008) Sexual Pleasure and Motivation. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy 35:1, pages 25-39.
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SandraR. Leiblum & MeredithL. Chivers. (2007) Normal and Persistent Genital Arousal in Women: New Perspectives. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy 33:4, pages 357-373.
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DavidP. Schmitt. (2007) Sexual Strategies Across Sexual Orientations. Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality 18:2-3, pages 183-214.
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MichaelR. Kauth. (2007) The Evolution of Human Sexuality. Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality 18:2-3, pages 1-22.
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Articles from other publishers (78)

Milena Vásquez-Amézquita, Juan David Leongómez, Alicia Salvador & Michael C Seto. (2023) What can the eyes tell us about atypical sexual preferences as a function of sex and age? Linking eye movements with child-related chronophilias. Forensic Sciences Research.
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Safiye Tozdan, Greta Hübener, Peer Briken & Johanna Schröder. (2023) What do women with sexual interest in children tell us about the assumed cause of their sexual interest in children, (non-)disclosure, and professional help?—Results of a qualitative content analysis. International Journal of Impotence Research.
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Malachi Willis & Rebecca Smith. (2021) Sexual Consent Across Diverse Behaviors and Contexts: Gender Differences and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 37:19-20, pages NP18908-NP18934.
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Nicholas J. Lawless, Gery C. Karantzas, Ellie R. Mullins & Marita P. McCabe. (2022) Does it Matter Who You Feel Sexually Aroused By? Associations Between Sexual Arousal, Relationship Quality, and Sexual Satisfaction. Sexual Medicine 10:4, pages 100523-100523.
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Satoshi Kanazawa. (2022) Unrestricted Sociosexuality Decreases Women’s (but not Men’s) Homophobia. Sexuality & Culture 26:4, pages 1422-1431.
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Jessica M. Szczuka. (2022) Flirting With or Through Media: How the Communication Partners’ Ontological Class and Sexual Priming Affect Heterosexual Males’ Interest in Flirtatious Messages and Their Perception of the Source. Frontiers in Psychology 13.
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Roy J. Levin. (2021) The Preparation Hypothesis of Women’s Genital Responses: A Questioning Look. Archives of Sexual Behavior 51:2, pages 763-770.
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Meredith L. Chivers. (2020) Prepared for Pleasure? An Alternative Perspective on the Preparation Hypothesis. Archives of Sexual Behavior 51:2, pages 729-735.
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Marieke Dewitte. (2020) Female Genital Arousal: A Focus on How Rather than Why. Archives of Sexual Behavior 51:2, pages 743-749.
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Martin L. Lalumière, Megan L. Sawatsky, Samantha J. Dawson & Kelly D. Suschinsky. (2020) The Empirical Status of the Preparation Hypothesis: Explicating Women’s Genital Responses to Sexual Stimuli in the Laboratory. Archives of Sexual Behavior 51:2, pages 709-728.
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Sonia Milani, Faith Jabs, Natalie B. Brown, Bozena Zdaniuk, Alan Kingstone & Lori A. Brotto. (2021) Virtual Reality Erotica: Exploring General Presence, Sexual Presence, Sexual Arousal, and Sexual Desire in Women. Archives of Sexual Behavior 51:1, pages 565-576.
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Janice Attard-Johnson, Martin R. Vasilev, Caoilte Ó Ciardha, Markus Bindemann & Kelly M. Babchishin. (2021) Measurement of Sexual Interests with Pupillary Responses: A Meta-Analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior 50:8, pages 3385-3411.
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Reina Granados, Joana Carvalho & Juan Carlos Sierra. (2020) Preliminary Evidence on How the Dual Control Model Predicts Female Sexual Response to a Bogus Negative Feedback. Psychological Reports 124:2, pages 502-520.
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Julia Stern, Tobias L. Kordsmeyer & Lars Penke. (2021) A longitudinal evaluation of ovulatory cycle shifts in women's mate attraction and preferences. Hormones and Behavior 128, pages 104916.
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Ami Rokach & Karishma Patel. 2021. Human Sexuality. Human Sexuality 33 61 .
Barry X Kuhle & Sara Brezinski. 2021. Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science 223 227 .
Kelly D Suschinsky & Meredith L Chivers. 2021. Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science 7277 7280 .
Megan L. Sawatsky, Sofija Lavrinsek, Samantha J. Dawson & Martin L. Lalumière. (2020) The time course of genital response cue-specificity among androphilic women. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality 29:3, pages 339-353.
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Katrina N. Bouchard, Heather M. Moulden & Martin L. Lalumière. (2019) Assessing Paraphilic Interests Among Women Who Sexually Offend. Current Psychiatry Reports 21:12.
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Ross M. Bartels, Robert J. B. Lehmann & David Thornton. (2019) Validating the Utility of the Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire With Men Who Have Sexually Offended Against Children. Frontiers in Psychiatry 10.
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Charmaine Borg, Tamara A. Oosterwijk, Dominika Lisy, Sanne Boesveldt & Peter J. de Jong. (2019) The influence of olfactory disgust on (Genital) sexual arousal in men. PLOS ONE 14:2, pages e0213059.
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Juan Carlos Sierra, Ana Álvarez-Muelas, Ana Isabel Arcos-Romero, Cristóbal Calvillo, Reyna Torres-Obregón & Reina Granados. (2019) Relación entre la excitación sexual subjetiva y la respuesta genital: diferencias entre hombres y mujeres. Revista Internacional de Andrología 17:1, pages 24-30.
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Jessica M. Szczuka, Tilo Hartmann & Nicole C. Krämer. 2019. AI Love You. AI Love You 3 19 .
Fotini Ferenidou, Loucas Athanasiadis & Kostas N. Fountoulakis. 2019. Psychobiology of Behaviour. Psychobiology of Behaviour 139 160 .
Samantha J. Dawson & Meredith L. Chivers. (2018) The effect of static versus dynamic stimuli on visual processing of sexual cues in androphilic women and gynephilic men. Royal Society Open Science 5:6, pages 172286.
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Megan L. Sawatsky, Samantha J. Dawson & Martin L. Lalumière. (2018) Genital lubrication: A cue-specific sexual response?. Biological Psychology 134, pages 103-113.
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Satoshi Kanazawa. (2017) Possible evolutionary origins of human female sexual fluidity. Biological Reviews 92:3, pages 1251-1274.
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Meredith L. Chivers. (2017) The Specificity of Women’s Sexual Response and Its Relationship with Sexual Orientations: A Review and Ten Hypotheses. Archives of Sexual Behavior 46:5, pages 1161-1179.
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Yin Xu, Qazi Rahman & Yong Zheng. (2016) Gender-Specificity in Viewing Time Among Heterosexual Women. Archives of Sexual Behavior 46:5, pages 1361-1374.
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Michela Sarlo & Giulia Buodo. (2017) To each its own? Gender differences in affective, autonomic, and behavioral responses to same-sex and opposite-sex visual sexual stimuli. Physiology & Behavior 171, pages 249-255.
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Ross M. Bartels, Anthony R. Beech, Leigh Harkins & David Thornton. (2017) Assessing Sexual Interest in Children Using the Go/No-Go Association Test. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, pages 107906321668611.
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Meredith L. Chivers & Lori A. Brotto. (2017) Controversies of Women’s Sexual Arousal and Desire. European Psychologist 22:1, pages 5-26.
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Kelly D. Suschinsky, Samantha J. Dawson & Meredith L. Chivers. (2016) Assessing the Relationship Between Sexual Concordance, Sexual Attractions, and Sexual Identity in Women. Archives of Sexual Behavior 46:1, pages 179-192.
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Richard A. Lippa. (2016) Category Specificity of Self-Reported Sexual Attraction and Viewing Times to Male and Female Models in a Large U.S. Sample: Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Demographic Effects. Archives of Sexual Behavior 46:1, pages 167-178.
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Samantha J. Dawson, Katherine M. Fretz & Meredith L. Chivers. (2016) Visual Attention Patterns of Women with Androphilic and Gynephilic Sexual Attractions. Archives of Sexual Behavior 46:1, pages 141-153.
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Matthew D. Johnson. 2016. Great Myths of Intimate Relationships. Great Myths of Intimate Relationships 175 228 .
Janice Attard-Johnson, Markus Bindemann & Caoilte Ó Ciardha. (2016) Pupillary Response as an Age-Specific Measure of Sexual Interest. Archives of Sexual Behavior 45:4, pages 855-870.
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Marieke Dewitte. (2016) Gender Differences in Implicit Processing of Sexual Stimuli. European Journal of Personality 30:2, pages 107-124.
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William Jankowiak & Michelle Escasa-Dorne. (2016) Bisexual and Straight Females’ Preferences Voiced on an Adult Sex Dating Site. Current Anthropology 57:1, pages 104-112.
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Ferdinand Fellmann & Rebecca Walsh. (2016) From Sexuality to Eroticism: The Making of the Human Mind. Advances in Anthropology 06:01, pages 11-24.
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Meredith L. Chivers, Katrina N. Bouchard & Amanda D. Timmers. (2015) Straight but Not Narrow; Within-Gender Variation in the Gender-Specificity of Women’s Sexual Response. PLOS ONE 10:12, pages e0142575.
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Samantha J. Dawson, Megan L. Sawatsky & Martin L. Lalumière. (2015) Assessment of Introital Lubrication. Archives of Sexual Behavior 44:6, pages 1527-1535.
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Natasha M. Knack, Lisa Murphy, Rebekah Ranger, Cindy Meston & J. Paul Fedoroff. (2015) Assessment of Female Sexual Arousal in Forensic Populations. Current Psychiatry Reports 17:4.
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Stephan Hamann, Jennifer Stevens, Janice Hassett Vick, Kristina Bryk, Charmian A. Quigley, Sheri A. Berenbaum & Kim Wallen. (2014) Brain responses to sexual images in 46,XY women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome are female-typical. Hormones and Behavior 66:5, pages 724-730.
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Jessica Spape, Amanda D. Timmers, Samuel Yoon, Jorge Ponseti & Meredith L. Chivers. (2014) Gender-specific genital and subjective sexual arousal to prepotent sexual features in heterosexual women and men. Biological Psychology 102, pages 1-9.
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Jennifer A. Bossio, Kelly D. Suschinsky, David A. Puts & Meredith L. Chivers. (2013) Does Menstrual Cycle Phase Influence the Gender Specificity of Heterosexual Women’s Genital and Subjective Sexual Arousal?. Archives of Sexual Behavior 43:5, pages 941-952.
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Meredith L. Chivers, Carolyn Roy, Teresa Grimbos, James M. Cantor & Michael C. Seto. (2013) Specificity of Sexual Arousal for Sexual Activities in Men and Women with Conventional and Masochistic Sexual Interests. Archives of Sexual Behavior 43:5, pages 931-940.
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Samantha J. Dawson & Meredith L. Chivers. (2014) Gender‐Specificity of Solitary and Dyadic Sexual Desire among Gynephilic and Androphilic Women and Men. The Journal of Sexual Medicine 11:4, pages 980-994.
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Kelly D. Suschinsky, Jennifer A. Bossio & Meredith L. Chivers. (2014) Women's genital sexual arousal to oral versus penetrative heterosexual sex varies with menstrual cycle phase at first exposure. Hormones and Behavior 65:3, pages 319-327.
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David Myers. (2014) Most are Straight, Some are Gay, and Why it is that Way: The Science of Sexual Orientation. Modern Believing 55:2, pages 127-139.
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Samantha J. Dawson, Kelly D. Suschinsky & Martin L. Lalumière. (2013) Habituation of Sexual Responses in Men and Women: A Test of the Preparation Hypothesis of Women's Genital Responses. The Journal of Sexual Medicine 10:4, pages 990-1000.
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Robert J. Snowden & Nicola S. Gray. (2012) Implicit Sexual Associations in Heterosexual and Homosexual Women and Men. Archives of Sexual Behavior 42:3, pages 475-485.
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Richard A. Lippa. (2012) Men and Women with Bisexual Identities Show Bisexual Patterns of Sexual Attraction to Male and Female “Swimsuit Models”. Archives of Sexual Behavior 42:2, pages 187-196.
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Richard A. Lippa. (2012) Effects of Sex and Sexual Orientation on Self-Reported Attraction and Viewing Times to Images of Men and Women: Testing for Category Specificity. Archives of Sexual Behavior 41:1, pages 149-160.
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Kelly D. Suschinsky & Martin L. Lalumière. (2010) Prepared for Anything?. Psychological Science 22:2, pages 159-165.
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Andrea Salonia, Annamaria Giraldi, Meredith L. Chivers, Janniko R. Georgiadis, Roy Levin, Kenneth R. Maravilla & Margaret M. McCarthy. (2010) Physiology of Women's Sexual Function: Basic Knowledge and New Findings. The Journal of Sexual Medicine 7:8, pages 2637-2660.
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Zoë D. Peterson, Erick Janssen & Ellen Laan. (2009) Women’s Sexual Responses to Heterosexual and Lesbian Erotica: The Role of Stimulus Intensity, Affective Reaction, and Sexual History. Archives of Sexual Behavior 39:4, pages 880-897.
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Jordan E. Rullo, Donald S. Strassberg & Esther Israel. (2009) Category-Specificity in Sexual Interest in Gay Men and Lesbians. Archives of Sexual Behavior 39:4, pages 874-879.
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Tuuli M. Kukkonen, Yitzchak M. Binik, Rhonda Amsel & Serge Carrier. (2009) An Evaluation of the Validity of Thermography as a Physiological Measure of Sexual Arousal in a Non-University Adult Sample. Archives of Sexual Behavior 39:4, pages 861-873.
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Richard A. Lippa, Travis M. Patterson & William D. Marelich. (2010) Looking at and Longing for Male and Female “Swimsuit Models”. Social Psychological and Personality Science 1:3, pages 238-245.
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Joana Carvalho & Pedro Nobre. (2010) Gender Issues and Sexual Desire: The Role of Emotional and Relationship Variables. The Journal of Sexual Medicine 7:7, pages 2469-2478.
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Jos Bloemers, Jeroen Gerritsen, Richard Bults, Hans Koppeschaar, Walter Everaerd, Berend Olivier & Adriaan Tuiten. (2010) Original Research—Anatomy/Physiology: Induction of Sexual Arousal in Women Under Conditions of Institutional and Ambulatory Laboratory Circumstances: A Comparative Study. The Journal of Sexual Medicine 7:3, pages 1160-1176.
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Meredith L. Chivers & Raymond C. Rosen. (2010) Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors and Female Sexual Response: Faulty Protocols or Paradigms?. The Journal of Sexual Medicine 7:2, pages 858-872.
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Meredith L. Chivers, Michael C. Seto, Martin L. Lalumière, Ellen Laan & Teresa Grimbos. (2010) Agreement of Self-Reported and Genital Measures of Sexual Arousal in Men and Women: A Meta-Analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior 39:1, pages 5-56.
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Kelly D. Suschinsky, Martin L. Lalumière & Meredith L. Chivers. (2008) Sex Differences in Patterns of Genital Sexual Arousal: Measurement Artifacts or True Phenomena?. Archives of Sexual Behavior 38:4, pages 559-573.
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Amy D. Lykins, Marta Meana & Gregory P. Strauss. (2007) Sex Differences in Visual Attention to Erotic and Non-Erotic Stimuli. Archives of Sexual Behavior 37:2, pages 219-228.
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Paula J. Bickham, Stephen L. O’Keefe, Elaine Baker, Girmay Berhie, Martin J. Kommor & Karen V. Harper-Dorton. (2007) Correlates of Early Overt and Covert Sexual Behaviors in Heterosexual Women. Archives of Sexual Behavior 36:5, pages 724-740.
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Tyson C. Kreiger. (2007) Beyond Politics: A Candid Evaluation of Gender Differences - A BOOK REVIEW OF: Gender, Nature, and Nurture (2nd ed.) by Richard A. Lippa. The Journal of Sex Research 44:1, pages 105-107.
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Michael W. Wiederman & Meredith L. Chivers. (2007) A Narrow (But Thorough) Examination of the Evolutionary Significance of Female Orgasm - A BOOK REVIEW OF: The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution by Elisabeth J. Lloyd. The Journal of Sex Research 44:1, pages 104-105.
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Tuuli M. Kukkonen, Yitzchak M. Binik, Rhonda Amsel & Serge Carrier. (2007) ORIGINAL RESEARCH—PHYSIOLOGY: Thermography as a Physiological Measure of Sexual Arousal in Both Men and Women. The Journal of Sexual Medicine 4:1, pages 93-105.
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