Affective Processing of Pornography: Subjective Measures, Peripheral and Central Physiology

Abstract

This dissertation explores the intricate and diverse nature of human sexuality, emphasizing its pervasive presence across various media and its profound influence on the mind and body. Decades of scientific research have significantly advanced our understanding of the interplay between emotions, neurophysiological components, and human sexuality. Nevertheless, much about human sexuality remains unknown. Aiming to enhance existing knowledge, this doctoral thesis examines the affective and physiological responses to diverse visual sexual stimuli, with a special focus on explicit pornographic content. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between emotions, psychophysiology, and sexual diversity. Firstly, the dissertation addresses the lack of standardized picture sets including diverse and inclusive visual sexual stimuli for experimental and clinical settings. Secondly, it develops a comprehensive standardized set of pornographic pictures covering various sexual practices such as masturbation, oral sex, vaginal sex, anal sex, group sex, and paraphilia, while including both same-sex and opposite-sex content. These images were rated by participants of self-reported same- and exclusive opposite-sex attraction on affective variables such as valence, arousal, dominance, disgust, and moral and ethical acceptance. Thirdly, an experimental study assessed subjective, peripheral, and central physiological responses in heterosexual and homosexual women and men to diverse visual sexual stimuli. The results indicate that considering participants' sexual orientation and preferences is crucial for accurately evaluating responses to visual sexual stimuli. Participants' affective perceptions, reflected in subjective, peripheral, and neural responses to sexually relevant pictures, varied based on their gender, sexual attraction, and the content of the images. This dissertation emphasizes the need for further research to better understand the emotional and physiological dimensions of sexuality, with a specific focus on inclusive representation to improve sexual and mental health outcomes. Investigating affective processes, peripheral mechanisms, and brain function related to the processing of visual sexual stimuli can not only advance our understanding of the psychophysiology of sexual response but also provide clinically relevant knowledge to improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of sexual problems for everyone.