Sexual Intrusive Thoughts of College Students.Sexual thoughts and fantasies have long been of interest to sex researchers, both as a form of sexual expression and as a mechanism for sexual arousal sexual arousal Horny/horniness, randy/randiness Physiology A state of sexual 'yellow alert' which has a mental component–↑ cortical responsiveness to sensory stimulation, and physical component–↑ penile sensitivity, neural response to stimuli, that does not require the participation of a partner. In their review of the literature on sexual fantasy sexual fantasy Psychology Private mental imagery associated with explicitly erotic feelings, accompanied by physiologic response to sexual arousal. See Sexual desire. , Leitenberg and Henning (1995) noted that sexual fantasy is also of interest because it can affect later behavior, reflect past experience, reflect sexual scripts, be connected to the commission of sexual offenses, and be used as an adjunct adjunct (aj´ungkt), n a drug or other substance that serves a supplemental purpose in therapy. adjunct to sex therapy. Sexual fantasies often occur within the context of sexual activity, but they occur more often in nonsexual situations (Pelletier & Herold, 1988). Jones and Barlow bar·low n. An inexpensive, one- or two-bladed pocketknife. [After Barlow, the family name of its makers, two brothers in Sheffield, England.] (1990) have outlined the methodological difficulties that plague much of the research on sexual fantasy. Most importantly Adv. 1. most importantly - above and beyond all other consideration; "above all, you must be independent" above all, most especially , operational definitions of sexual fantasy are frequently missing and are inconsistent across studies. For example, only recently has some research begun to distinguish between sexual fantasies and sexual thoughts on the basis of whether they are purposefully pur·pose·ful adj. 1. Having a purpose; intentional: a purposeful musician. 2. Having or manifesting purpose; determined: entered the room with a purposeful look. internally generated (i.e., sexual fantasies) or spontaneously triggered by an external event (i.e., sexual thoughts). Although some researchers have defined sexual thoughts/fantasies as cognitions producing sexual arousal (Leitenberg & Henning, 1995), others have defined sexual thoughts/fantasies by their sexual content. Whether a particular cognition cognition Act or process of knowing. Cognition includes every mental process that may be described as an experience of knowing (including perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, and reasoning), as distinguished from an experience of feeling or of willing. constitutes a sexual thought/fantasy is often self-defined by the participant (e.g., Ellis & Symons, 1990; Jones & Barlow, 1990). Sexuality researchers have not differentiated sexual thoughts/fantasies that are perceived as positive by the respondent In Equity practice, the party who answers a bill or other proceeding in equity. The party against whom an appeal or motion, an application for a court order, is instituted and who is required to answer in order to protect his or her interests. from those that are perceived as negative. Substantial minorities of respondents feel guilty or embarrassed about their sexual fantasies (Davidson & Hoffman, 1986; Knoth, Boyd & Singer, 1988). For example, Cado and Leitenberg (1990) found that one quarter of their student sample reported feeling considerable guilt about sexual fantasies during intercourse, and were more likely to feel that such fantasizing was immoral, uncommon, abnormal, and socially unacceptable than the low guilt group. Almost half of a conservative Christian sample reported that their fantasies were "morally flawed flaw 1 n. 1. An imperfection, often concealed, that impairs soundness: a flaw in the crystal that caused it to shatter. See Synonyms at blemish. 2. or unacceptable" (Gil, 1990, p. 635). Gold, Balzano, and Stamey (1991) found that women whose sexual fantasies included men's use of force rated themselves as feeling more frightened fright·en v. fright·ened, fright·en·ing, fright·ens v.tr. 1. To fill with fear; alarm. 2. , guilty, and disgusted, as well as less happy and less likely to act on the fantasy than women whose fantasies did not include force. Child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse is an umbrella term describing criminal and civil offenses in which an adult engages in sexual activity with a minor or exploits a minor for the purpose of sexual gratification. survivors report more sexual fantasies involving being forced to engage in sexual activity (Briere, Smiljanich, & Henschel, 1994). However, it is not known whether these fantasies are experienced as positive and wanted or as negative and unwanted (e.g., flashbacks to abuse experiences) events. Ellis and Symons (1990) found that more than 15% of males and females try to repress re·press v. 1. To hold back by an act of volition. 2. To exclude something from the conscious mind. the feeling of arousal arousal /arous·al/ (ah-rou´z'l) 1. a state of responsiveness to sensory stimulation or excitability. 2. the act or state of waking from or as if from sleep. 3. when they have sexual fantasies/thoughts, suggesting a negative appraisal of the fantasy. In some cases, unwanted deviant deviant /de·vi·ant/ (de´ve-int) 1. varying from a determinable standard. 2. a person with characteristics varying from what is considered standard or normal. de·vi·ant adj. sexual thoughts may be related to sex offending of·fend v. of·fend·ed, of·fend·ing, of·fends v.tr. 1. To cause displeasure, anger, resentment, or wounded feelings in. 2. (Johnston, Ward, & Hudson, 1997). Thus, while the majority of individuals report sexual thoughts/fantasies that are perceived as positive, a substantial minority of individuals describe sexual thoughts/fantasies that are perceived as negative or unwanted. Cognitive-behavioral researchers have found that the vast majority of non-clinical individuals experience unwanted, sudden, and involuntary involuntary adj. or adv. without intent, will, or choice. Participation in a crime is involuntary if forced by immediate threat to life or health of oneself or one's loved ones, and will result in dismissal or acquittal. INVOLUNTARY. thoughts of sex, violence, contamination, and doubt which are ego-dystonic (i.e., perceived as uncharacteristic un·char·ac·ter·is·tic adj. Unusual or atypical: an uncharacteristic display of anger. un of one's personality) (Purdon & Clark, 1993; Rachman & deSilva, 1978; Salkovskis & Harrison, 1984). Two examples of unwanted intrusions are thoughts of swerving into the next lane while driving or of having sex with someone who is repugnant REPUGNANT. That which is contrary to something else; a repugnant condition is one contrary to the contract itself; as, if I grant you a house and lot in fee, upon condition that you shall not aliens, the condition is repugnant and void. Bac. Ab. Conditions, L. to you. Given their sudden and involuntary nature, these thoughts are known as "intrusive thoughts Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome, involuntary thoughts, images or unpleasant ideas that may become obsessions, are upsetting or distressing, and can be difficult to be free of and manage. ." Current cognitive-behavioral theories of obsessive-compulsive disorder obsessive-compulsive disorder Mental disorder in which an individual experiences obsessions or compulsions, either singly or together. An obsession is a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an unreasonable idea or feeling (such as of being contaminated through shaking view intrusive thoughts as possible precursors precursors, (prēkur´s  rz),n.pl particles or compounds that precede something. to clinical obsessions (Salkovskis, Richards, & Forrester, 1995). Many nonclinical individuals find their intrusive thoughts to be at least somewhat unpleasant, unacceptable, and distressing (Clark & deSilva, 1985; Freeston, Ladouceur, Thibodeau, & Gagnon, 1991; Parkinson & Rachman, 1981; Purdon & Clark, 1993). Sexual intrusive thoughts are not uncommon. Reanalysis of some of our data (Purdon & Clark, 1993) indicates that the majority of undergraduates report having had at least one sexual intrusive thought at some time in the past. Further, between 5% and 8% of patients with obsessive compulsive disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) Disorder characterized by persistent, intrusive, and senseless thoughts (obsessions) or compulsions to perform repetitive behaviors that interfere with normal functioning. Mentioned in: Tourette Syndrome experience intrusive thoughts of a sexual nature (Warwick & Salkovskis, 1990). However, cognitive-behavioral researchers have not differentiated between sexual intrusive thoughts and intrusive thoughts reflecting nonsexual themes. Such a distinction may assist our understanding of the escalation es·ca·late v. es·ca·lat·ed, es·ca·lat·ing, es·ca·lates v.tr. To increase, enlarge, or intensify: escalated the hostilities in the Persian Gulf. v.intr. , persistence, and psychological impact of intrusive thoughts. For instance, an individual who is uncomfortable with his or her sexuality who experiences a sexual thought may appraise appraise v. to professionally evaluate the value of property including real estate, jewelry, antique furniture, securities, or in certain cases the loss of value (or cost of replacement) due to damage. the thought negatively and thus experience it as an unwanted sexual intrusion rather than as a sexual thought/fantasy. This negative appraisal may also enhance the salience sa·li·ence also sa·li·en·cy n. pl. sa·li·en·ces also sa·li·en·cies 1. The quality or condition of being salient. 2. A pronounced feature or part; a highlight. Noun 1. , and hence the frequency, of the sexual thought. This would imply a need for cognitive-behavioral researchers to incorporate sexuality variables into their understanding and treatment of sexual intrusive thoughts and sexual obsessions About Sexual Obsessions: A Symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Sexual obsessions are obsessions with sex, and in the context of Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) these are extremely common (Foa et al, 1995). . It would also imply a need for sexuality researchers to incorporate the concept of intrusive thoughts into research on sexual thoughts/fantasies. In this study, we investigated unwanted, ego-dystonic sexual intrusive thoughts. Our first goal was to determine the prevalence and frequency of 20 different sexual intrusive thoughts within a non-clinical population. We also assessed the extent of the respondents' negative affective affective /af·fec·tive/ (ah-fek´tiv) pertaining to affect. af·fec·tive adj. 1. Concerned with or arousing feelings or emotions; emotional. 2. appraisal of their intrusive thoughts. As with all intrusive thoughts, sexual intrusive thoughts may result in physiological arousal due to anxiety associated with having the thought. However, given their sexual content, sexual intrusive thoughts may also give rise to some degree of sexual arousal even if the thought itself is repugnant. For example, Gil (1990) found no relationship between fantasy guilt and sexual arousal to the fantasy. Therefore, we investigated the extent to which sexual and general arousal are experienced in connection with sexual intrusions. Gender Differences Related to Sexual Intrusive Thoughts We examined gender differences in the type of, frequency of, negative affective appraisal of, and physiological responses to sexual intrusive thoughts. In general, researchers have found no difference in the percentages of men and women who have sexual thoughts/fantasies during intercourse or outside of sexual activity (Leitenberg & Henning, 1995). However, most studies have found that men report more frequent sexual thoughts/fantasies than do women when thoughts and fantasies are not differentiated (Alfonso, Allison, & Dunn, 1992; Briere et al., 1994; Ellis & Symons, 1990; Knoth et al., 1988). In contrast, Jones and Barlow (1990) found that women have fewer externally generated sexual thoughts but not internally generated sexual fantasies, possibly because more external sexual images are geared towards male sexual fantasies (e.g. women being sexualized in the media.) In their study of intrusive thoughts, Purdon and Clark (1993) observed gender differences across thought domains, such that men tended to report more frequent intrusive thoughts of an aggressive and sexual nature whereas women reported more frequent thoughts involving contamination (e.g., feeling that you have come into contact with "germs" that will cause a fatal disease.) They only measured a small number of sexual intrusive thoughts, however. Thus, we predicted that women would report fewer sexual intrusive thoughts than would men. There are gender differences in the content of men's and women's sexual fantasies (Alfonso et al., 1992; Ellis & Symons, 1990; Jones & Barlow, 1990). For example, men's fantasies tend to be more active and aggressive whereas women's fantasies tend to be more passive and submissive sub·mis·sive adj. Inclined or willing to submit. sub·mis  sive·ly adv.sub·mis (Leitenberg & Henning, 1995). Therefore, we also examined whether there are differences in the content of the sexual intrusive thoughts reported most commonly by men and by women. As past research has not found differences in negative or positive appraisals of sexual fantasies (Ellis & Symons, 1990, Knoth et al, 1988), we did not expect gender differences in negative appraisals of sexual intrusive thoughts. However, because women are more likely than men to report only emotional and not physiological arousal to their sexual fantasies (Knoth et al., 1988), we predicted that men would report greater sexual arousal but not general arousal to their sexual intrusions than would women. Sexuality and Psychological Distress psychological distress The end result of factors–eg, psychogenic pain, internal conflicts, and external stress that prevent a person from self-actualization and connecting with 'significant others'. See Humanistic psychology. Variables and Sexual Intrusive Thoughts We examined the relationships between disposition towards sexuality, as measured by sexual affect and behavior, and unwanted sexual intrusive thoughts. Negative affect towards sexuality such as sex guilt, sexual anxiety, erotophobia, less frequent sexual daydreaming, and less sexual experience has been found to be related to a lower frequency and/or variety of sexual thoughts/fantasies (Fisher, Byrne, White, & Kelley, 1988; Giambra & Martin, 1977; Meuwissen & Over, 1991; Pelletier & Herold, 1988; Purifoy, Grodsky, & Giamba, 1992, Smith & Over, 1991; but see Follingstad & Kimbrell, 1986 for an exception). It is not known, however, whether individuals with a more negative disposition towards sexuality also experience fewer sexual intrusions--that is, sexual thoughts that are perceived to be ego-dystonic, unwanted and unacceptable. It is also possible that these individuals experience more sexual intrusions if they are more likely to evaluate their sexual thoughts as negative and unwanted because they may try harder to control their unwanted intrusions. Attempts to suppress thoughts are thought to lead to a paradoxical increase in the very thoughts that one is attempting to suppress (Johnston et al., 1997; Wegner, 1994). Therefore, we examined the relationships between the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts and erotophobia-erotophilia, sexual anxiety, sexual daydreaming, and sexual experience. As individuals high in sex guilt report more negative affective appraisal and less arousal to sexual fantasies (Follingstad & Kimbrell, 1986; Green & Mosher A mosher is a person who is crossed between goth/punk/skater they have long hair and listen to music like slipknot and metal music. Some people call them headbangers. At certain music shows they have something called a mosh pit, basically its a fight pit with loads of people bashing each other. , 1985), we also examined the relationships between the sexuality variables and both negative affective appraisal and physiological arousal (both general and sexual arousal) to sexual intrusive thoughts. Finally, we examined the common and unique contributions of psychological distress and disposition towards sexuality to the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts. The frequency of intrusive thoughts in general has been found to be related to measures of psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, and obsessional symptoms (Freeston et al., 1991; Purdon & Clark, 1994a, 1994b). Models of intrusive thoughts based solely on psychopathology psychopathology /psy·cho·pa·thol·o·gy/ (-pah-thol´ah-je) 1. the branch of medicine dealing with the causes and processes of mental disorders. 2. abnormal, maladaptive behavior or mental activity. would predict that measures of sexual disposition would not uniquely predict the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts over and above measures of psychological distress. However, Salkovskis (1989) argues that intrusive thoughts are linked not only to psychological distress, but also to current concerns. This suggests that sexual intrusive thoughts may be distinct from intrusive thoughts about violence and contamination, and so could reflect a negative disposition towards sexuality as well as psychological distress. Therefore, we predicted that both psychological distress and disposition towards sexuality would contribute uniquely to the prediction of the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts. Summary of Research Questions and Hypotheses This study addressed five separate research questions. As there is no prior research on sexual intrusive thoughts specifically, we were able to develop specific predictions related to some but not all these research questions. The questions addressed were: 1. What is the prevalence of unwanted sexual intrusive thoughts? 2. Do men and women differ in the type, number, and frequency of the sexual intrusive thoughts they experience? We predicted that, compared to men, women would report fewer sexual intrusive thoughts. We also predicted that women would report more passive and submissive and fewer active and aggressive sexual intrusive thoughts than would men. 3. Do men and women differ in their negative affective appraisal and physiological responses to unwanted sexual intrusive thoughts? We predicted that, compared to women, men would report greater sexual arousal to their sexual intrusive thoughts. 4. Do individuals who report more frequent sexual intrusive thoughts have more positive or more negative dispositions towards sexuality? Similarly, what are the relationships between sexual disposition and affective and physiological responses to sexual intrusive thoughts? 5. What are the common and unique contributions of psychological distress and disposition towards sexuality on the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts? We predicted that both psychological distress and disposition towards sexuality would contribute uniquely to the prediction of the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts. METHOD Participants and Procedure The sample consisted of 171 undergraduates (113 women and 58 men) with a mean age of 19.5 years (SD = 3.2). All participants were enrolled in an introductory psychology course at a Canadian university and received bonus points towards their course grade. Although ethnicity was not assessed, based on other similar research and the ethnic make-up Make-up The amount of deficiency when a cash flow or capital item is deficient. For example, an interest make-up relates to the interest amount above a ceiling percentage. of the university it was estimated that this sample was largely Caucasian and born in Canada. Questionnaire packets were administered in counterbalanced coun·ter·bal·ance n. 1. A force or influence equally counteracting another. 2. A weight that acts to balance another; a counterpoise or counterweight. tr.v. order to the entire group in one session after participants had signed an informed consent form. Eighty percent of the women and 76% of the men reported that they had experienced sexual intercourse sexual intercourse or coitus or copulation Act in which the male reproductive organ enters the female reproductive tract (see reproductive system). . For those who had engaged in intercourse, the average age of first intercourse for both men and women was 16 years (SD = 1.9) and the average number of intercourse partners was 3.4 for men and 3.0 for women. Measures The Revised Obsessional Intrusions Inventory-Sex Version (ROII-v2) is a self-report questionnaire based on the Revised Obsessional Intrusions Inventory (ROII ROII Return on Internet Investment ) by Purdon and Clark (1994b). The ROII-v2 was designed to assess the frequency of sexual and nonsexual intrusive thoughts as well as participants' affective, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological response to their most upsetting sexual and nonsexual intrusions. The instrument emphasizes that intrusive thoughts are unwanted, personally unacceptable thoughts that are definitely uncharacteristic of our usual habits and beliefs. The ROII has been shown to have high concurrent and discriminant validity Discriminant validity describes the degree to which the operationalization is not similar to (diverges from) other operationalizations that it theoretically should not be similar to. , emerging as a unique predictor of obsessional symptomatology symptomatology /symp·to·ma·tol·o·gy/ (simp?to-mah-tol´ah-je) 1. the branch of medicine dealing with symptoms. 2. the combined symptoms of a disease. symp·to·ma·tol·o·gy n. but not depressive de·pres·sive adj. 1. Tending to depress or lower. 2. Depressing; gloomy. 3. Of or relating to psychological depression. n. A person suffering from psychological depression. or anxious symptoms. The internal consistency In statistics and research, internal consistency is a measure based on the correlations between different items on the same test (or the same subscale on a larger test). It measures whether several items that propose to measure the same general construct produce similar scores. of the ROII total score is high for both men and women, ranging from .82 to .93 (Purdon & Clark, 1993). For the purposes of this study, the ROII was modified to assess sexual and nonsexual intrusive thoughts separately. The pool of sexual intrusive thought items was expanded from the seven in the ROII to 20. The 13 additional items were derived from items generated by students in a structured interview as well as from the literature on sexual cognitions. Items on the original ROII had been developed based on a structured interview conducted with 29 under-graduate students.(1) Because the specific content was not of particular interest in developing the ROII, items were collapsed into more general categories. For example, items such as "Engaging in sex with an animal or non-human object that disgusts me" and "Receiving or giving genital genital /gen·i·tal/ (jen´i-t'l) 1. pertaining to reproduction, or to the reproductive organs. 2. (in the plural) the reproductive organs. gen·i·tal adj. 1. stimulation that I would find disgusting" were subsumed by the more general ROII item "Engaging in a `disgusting' sexual act." Therefore, for the purposes of the ROII-v2, we first replaced the more general ROII items with the more specific original items. Next, we examined studies that reported the specific content of sexual fantasies. Items reflecting content that could be experienced as an intrusive thought and that were not already listed on the ROII-v2 were added. Finally, we had a group of sex researchers examine the items to determine whether (a) each item could be experienced as an intrusive thought, and (b) any important content area had been omitted. These items can be found in Table 1. Table 1. Rank Ordered Percentage of Respondents Reporting Each Sexual Intrusive Thought.
Men
n % Rank
Having sex in a public place 39 67 1
Having sex with authority figure 36 62 3
People around me being naked 36 63 2
Being sexually victimized 20 35 13
Saying something upsetting to
partner during sex 26 46 6
"Disgusting" acts involving genitals 21 36 11
Kissing authority figure 25 43 7
Authority figure being naked 31 53 4
Any other disgusting sexual act 23 40 8
Doing something during sex
upsetting to partner 27 47 5
Sexual acts against my religion 22 38 9
"Disgusting" act of intercourse 18 31 14
Forcing adult to have sex with me 22 38 9
Sexual act with "taboo" other 18 31 14
Sexual act with "disgusting" other 21 36 11
Sexual acts against sexual
preference 11 19 17
Indecently exposing myself 14 24 16
Sexual act with child or minor 11 19 17
Masturbating in a public place 11 18 19
Sex with animal/nonhuman object 4 7 20
Any of above thoughts 51 88
Women
n % Rank
Having sex in a public place 61 55 1
Having sex with authority figure 56 51 2
People around me being naked 49 44 4
Being sexually victimized 50 45 3
Saying something upsetting to
partner during sex 43 39 6
"Disgusting" acts involving genitals 47 42 5
Kissing authority figure 40 36 7
Authority figure being naked 33 30 8
Any other disgusting sexual act 33 30 8
Doing something during sex
upsetting to partner 25 23 13
Sexual acts against my religion 27 24 12
"Disgusting" act of intercourse 29 26 10
Forcing adult to have sex with me 24 22 15
Sexual act with "taboo" other 21 19 16
Sexual act with "disgusting" other 26 23 13
Sexual acts against sexual
preference 28 25 11
Indecently exposing myself 15 14 17
Sexual act with child or minor 8 7 19
Masturbating in a public place 12 11 18
Sex with animal/nonhuman object 6 5 20
Any of above thoughts 90 81
Note. N = 111 women and 58 men. The sexual and nonsexual intrusions were presented separately, with the 20 nonsexual items and all questions relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc these items appearing first. The same format was used for both the nonsexual intrusive thoughts and the sexual intrusive thoughts. Participants rated the frequency of each item using a scale ranging from I never had this thought (0) to I have this thought frequently during the day (6). Only the data on the sexual intrusive thoughts are presented here. The number of different sexual intrusive thoughts experienced at least once was determined. In addition, the total frequency score for sexual intrusive thoughts was calculated by summing the item ratings. Cronbach's alpha Cronbach's  (alpha) has an important use as a measure of the reliability of a psychometric instrument. It was first named as alpha by Cronbach (1951), as he had intended to continue with further instruments. for the total frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts based on the
current sample was .92.Participants who had experienced at least one sexual intrusive thought then selected their most upsetting sexual intrusive thought from the list. They rated the thought on three subjective affect dimensions as well as on seven appraisal dimensions related to efforts to get rid of the thought and the likelihood of acting on it, using a 5-point scale ranging from not at all (0) to very (4). Each of the three affective appraisal dimensions was analyzed an·a·lyze tr.v. an·a·lyzed, an·a·lyz·ing, an·a·lyz·es 1. To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations. 2. Chemistry To make a chemical analysis of. 3. separately. Participants also reported the frequency with which they use various strategies to get rid of the most upsetting sexual intrusive thought, although these data are not reported in this study. As we were only interested in affective responses, the three negative affective dimensions were used in the present study: guilt for having the thought, disapproval of the thought, and desire to avoid having the thought. Finally, using a 5-point scale ranging from never (0) to always (4), participants rated the frequency with which they experienced each of five general and two sexual symptoms of physiological arousal when their most upsetting sexual intrusive thought occurs. These were increased heart rate, increased breathing, sweaty sweat·y adj. sweat·i·er, sweat·i·est 1. Covered with or smelling of sweat. 2. Causing sweat: a sweaty job. palms, flushing of skin, upset stomach, tingling tin·gle v. tin·gled, tin·gling, tin·gles v.intr. 1. To have a prickling, stinging sensation, as from cold, a sharp slap, or excitement: tingled all over with joy. or other sensations in the genitals gen·i·tals pl.n. Genitalia. , and other signs of sexual arousal. Inspection of the bivariate bi·var·i·ate adj. Mathematics Having two variables: bivariate binomial distribution. Adj. 1. correlations between the seven physiological response variables indicated two of these correlations exceeded .70, creating potential problems with multicollinearity (Tabachnick & Fidell, 1989). Therefore, responses to the first two items were averaged to produce a rating of increased heart rate or breathing. Similarly, responses to the last two items were averaged to produce a rating of signs of sexual arousal. The two new and three remaining physiological responses were analyzed separately. The Sexual Opinion Survey (short form, SOS SOS, code letters of the international distress signal. The signal is expressed in International Morse code as … — — — … (three dots, three dashes, three dots). ; Fisher et al., 1988) was used to measure the respondents' disposition to respond to sexual cues along a negative/positive dimension of affect and evaluation or erotophobia-erotophilia. Participants rated their level of agreement on a 7-point scale with a list of statements about the impact of various sexual cues on their affect. Higher scores reflect a more positive evaluation/affective response to sexual cues. The original SOS consists of 21 items and has demonstrated reliability and validity. In response to concerns about the length of the original scale and individuals' sensitivity to the sexual content, Fisher developed a five item version of the scale. The items were selected on the basis of a regression analysis In statistics, a mathematical method of modeling the relationships among three or more variables. It is used to predict the value of one variable given the values of the others. For example, a model might estimate sales based on age and gender. and represent the items best predicting total SOS scores for men and women. Examples of items on the short form of the SOS are "Masturbation masturbation Erotic stimulation of one's own genital organs, usually to achieve orgasm. Masturbatory behavior is common in infants and adolescents, and is indulged in by many adults as well. Studies indicate that over 90% of U.S. males and 60–80% of U.S. can be an exciting experience" and "Almost all erotic erotic /erot·ic/ (e-rot´ik) 1. charged with sexual feeling. 2. pertaining to sexual desire. e·rot·ic adj. 1. Of or concerning sexual love and desire. (sexually explicit) material is nauseating." According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Fisher et al., the short form demonstrates a high correlation with the original version (r = .71 for the female sample and r = .82 for the male sample) and is equally associated with a criterion behavior (heterosexual heterosexual /het·ero·sex·u·al/ (-sek´shoo-al) 1. pertaining to, characteristic of, or directed toward the opposite sex. 2. one who is sexually attracted to persons of the opposite sex. experience) as the original SOS. Cronbach's alpha with the current sample was .52. The Sexual Arousability Inventory-Expanded consists of two 28-item self-report scales measuring sexual anxiety and sexual arousability (Hoon hoon Austral & NZ slang Noun a loutish youth who drives irresponsibly Verb to drive irresponsibly & Chambless, 1988). Due to a clerical error an error made in copying or writing. See also: Clerical , some of the sexual arousability items were excluded from the questionnaire. Therefore, only the sexual anxiety scale is reported here. Participants rated each item on how anxious it makes them feel (or would make them feel). Responses range from relaxing, calming (-1) to always causes anxiety, extremely anxiety-provoking (5). Examples of items are "When a loved one undresses you" and "When you hear sounds of pleasure during sex." Hoon and Chambless (1988) report strong split-half reliability and adequate construct validity construct validity, n the degree to which an experimentally-determined definition matches the theoretical definition. for women, with sexual anxiety showing a negative relationship with sexual experience and frequency of coital co·i·tus n. Sexual union between a male and a female involving insertion of the penis into the vagina. [Latin, from past participle of co orgasm orgasm /or·gasm/ (or´gazm) the apex and culmination of sexual excitement.orgas´mic or·gasm n. in both under-graduate and community women, but do not report reliability and validity data on a male sample. Cronbach's alpha with the current sample was .96. The Sexual Daydreaming Scale (SDS 1. (company) SDS - Scientific Data Systems. 2. (tool) SDS - Schema Definition Set. ) consists of 12 items about the vividness and presence of sexual content daydreams and is one component of the Imaginal i·ma·gi·nal adj. Of, relating to, or having the form of an insect imago. Processes Scale (Giambra & Singer, 1988). Items include "I imagine myself to be physically attractive to people of the opposite sex" and "My sexual daydreams are very vivid and clear in my mind." Participants rated the degree to which each statement is true of them on a 5-point scale ranging from definitely not true for me to very true for me. High scores represent more frequent and more intense sexual daydreaming. The SDS exhibits strong internal consistency and good construct validity (Giambra & Singer, 1988). Cronbach's alpha with the current sample was .92. The Obsessive ob·ses·sive adj. Of, characteristic of, or causing an obsession. ob·ses sive n. Thoughts Checklist (Bouvard, Mollard, Cottraux, &
Guerin, 1989) was included to assess the frequency of obsessional
thinking. It consists of 28 statements which characterize the breadth of
obsessional thinking and reflect themes of doubt, perfection,
contamination, acts of violence, responsibility for harm, and the need
for restorative re·stor·a·tiveadj. 1. Of or relating to restoration. 2. Tending or having the power to restore. n. A medicine or other agent that helps to restore health, strength, or consciousness. acts. Examples of items are "I think I could be `contaminated'," "I think I am responsible for what is going wrong in the world," and "I have to say words or to count in order to prevent disasters from occurring." Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from this does not trouble me at all (0) to this thought troubles me continuously (4). Bouvard et al. report high test-retest reliability test-retest reliability Psychology A measure of the ability of a psychologic testing instrument to yield the same result for a single Pt at 2 different test periods, which are closely spaced so that any variation detected reflects reliability of the instrument in French patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, high internal consistency, and adequate discriminant validity between these patients and patients diagnosed as phobic pho·bic adj. Of, relating to, arising from, or having a phobia. n. One who has a phobia. or depressed. The questionnaire has been formally translated into English and used in various studies in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Cronbach's alpha with the current sample was .94. The Positive Emotionality Scale (PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) A standard for secure e-mail on the Internet. It supports encryption, digital signatures and digital certificates as well as both private and public key methods. Not widely used, work on PEM later evolved into S/MIME. See MIME. ) and Negative Emotionality Scale (NEM) (Watson, Clark, & Carey, 1988) were used to measure positive and negative trait trait (trat) 1. any genetically determined characteristic; also, the condition prevailing in the heterozygous state of a recessive disorder, as the sickle cell trait. 2. a distinctive behavior pattern. emotionality. These are mood dispositional variables known to have a strong relationship to psychological distress. These scales are taken from the Multidimensional mul·ti·di·men·sion·al adj. Of, relating to, or having several dimensions. mul  ti·di·men Personality
Questionnaire (Tellegen, 1982). Negative affectivity, or the tendency to
experience unpleasant or negative emotional states was assessed with the
14-item Negative Emotionality Scale (NEM). Items include "My
feelings are hurt rather easily" and "Often I get irritated ir·ri·tate v. ir·ri·tat·ed, ir·ri·tat·ing, ir·ri·tates v.tr. 1. To rouse to impatience or anger; annoy: a loud bossy voice that irritates listeners. at little annoyances." Positive affectivity, or one's level of pleasurable pleas·ur·a·ble adj. Agreeable; gratifying. pleas ur·a·bil engagement with the environment, was assessed with the
11-item Positive Emotionality Scale (PEM). Examples of items are "I
often feel happy and satisfied for no particular reason" and
"Every day I do things that are fun." Each item is answered as
true or false, and total scores on each scale are equal to the number of
items endorsed. The reliability and validity of the NEM and the PEM as
measures of the broad mood-personality dimensions of negative and
positive affectivity has been well established (Watson, 1988). In the
current sample, Cronbach's alpha was .86 for the NEM and .78 for
the PEM.RESULTS Eighty-four percent of respondents reported having experienced at least one of the 20 sexual intrusive thoughts. Further, all 20 sexual intrusive thoughts were endorsed by at least 5% of the sample. Respondents who had experienced at least one sexual intrusive thought were asked to indicate which of the 20 thoughts was most upsetting to them and then to provide additional information about that thought. One hundred twenty-nine respondents completed this part of the questionnaire. However, only 109 respondents indicated which of the unwanted sexual intrusive thoughts they had experienced was the most upsetting to them. Nonetheless, all but one of the listed thoughts were endorsed by at least one person as being their most upsetting sexual intrusive thought, highlighting the idiosyncratic id·i·o·syn·cra·sy n. pl. id·i·o·syn·cra·sies 1. A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group. 2. A physiological or temperamental peculiarity. 3. nature of these intrusions. Gender Differences in Sexual Intrusive Thoughts Gender differences in the types of sexual intrusive thoughts reported most frequently were examined. The number and percentage of participants who reported having each intrusive thought (endorsement rate) at least once in their life are reported in Table 1. Spearman spear·man n. A man, especially a soldier, armed with a spear. rank order correlations between the men and the women for the 20 sexually intrusive thoughts was .74, p [is less than] .001, indicating that the most common intrusive thoughts were similar for male and female participants. Overall, the three most common thoughts reported by the men were (a) having sex in a public place, (b) people I come in contact with being naked, and (c) engaging in a sexual act with someone who is unacceptable to me because they have authority over me. The three thoughts most commonly reported by the women were (a) having sex in a public place, (b) engaging in a sexual act with someone who is unacceptable to me because they have authority over me, and (c) being sexually victimized. In order to determine whether there was a set of sexual intrusive thoughts which discriminated between the men and the women, the frequency ratings for each of the sexual intrusive thoughts were entered into a discriminant function analysis Discriminant function analysis involves the predicting of a categorical dependent variable by one or more continuous or binary independent variables. It is statistically the opposite of MANOVA. . Only the 18 intrusions that were experienced by more than 10% of both the men and the women were included in the analysis. One significant discriminant function discriminant function n. Statistics A function of a set of variables used to classify an object or event. emerged, accounting for 18% of the between-group variability and indicating that the men and women could be distinguished by the content of their sexual intrusive thought, [chi square chi square (kī), n a nonparametric statistic used with discrete data in the form of frequency count (nominal data) or percentages or proportions that can be reduced to frequencies. ] = 32.23, p [is less than] .001. These results are summarized in Table 2. Four items emerged as significant unique predictors. Compared to the women, the men reported more frequent intrusive thoughts of (a) "forcing another adult to engage in a sexual act with me," (b) "having sex in a public place," and (c) "while engaging in a sexual act with my partner, doing something to my partner that I would never want to do because I know it would upset her/him"; and reported less frequent intrusive thoughts of (d) being sexually victimized. Table 2. Results of Discriminant dis·crim·i·nant n. An expression used to distinguish or separate other expressions in a quantity or equation. Analysis Predicting Gender From the Frequency of 18 Sexual Intrusive Thoughts.
Standardized r(a) Univariate
Coefficient F(1, 165)
Unique Predictors (Canonical
R = .42, [chi square] =
32.23(***)
Forcing adult to have sex
with me .52 .34 4.10(*)
Being sexually victimized -1.13 -.36 4.69(*)
Having sex in a public place .44 .27 2.64
Doing something during sex
upsetting to partner .62 .48 8.47(**)
Note. N = 111 women and 58 men. Positive correlations/loadings indicate that males have higher scores. (a) Correlations of predictor variables Noun 1. predictor variable - a variable that can be used to predict the value of another variable (as in statistical regression) variable quantity, variable - a quantity that can assume any of a set of values with discriminant function. (*) p < .05. (**) p < .01. (***) p < .001. The total frequency and total number of men's and women's sexual intrusive thoughts were compared in separate ANOVA's. The men reported a greater number (M = 7.5, SD = 4.9) of different sexual intrusive thoughts than did the women (M = 5.6, SD = 5.1), F(1,167) = 5.59, p [is less than] .05. The men (M = 17.2, SD = 16.3) also reported a marginally greater total frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts than did the women (M = 12.9, SD = 15.5), F(1,169) = 2.78, p [is less than] .10. Examination of the strength of association indicated that gender accounted for 13% of the variance in the number and 18% of the variance in the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts. Gender and Responses to Sexual Intrusive Thoughts Gender differences in respondents' negative affective appraisals and physiological responses to their most upsetting sexual intrusive thought were examined in separate MANOVA's. Examination of the bivariate correlations for both the analysis of the appraisal variables and the analysis of the physiological response variables indicated no problem with multicollinearity. Analysis of the three affective appraisal variables (guilt, disapproval of thought, desire to avoid) was not significant, F(3, 126) = 1.70, p [is greater than] .05. On average, respondents reported feeling somewhat guilty (M = 2.2, SD = 1.1), disapproving dis·ap·prove v. dis·ap·proved, dis·ap·prov·ing, dis·ap·proves v.tr. 1. To have an unfavorable opinion of; condemn. 2. To refuse to approve; reject. v.intr. of the thought (M = 2.9, SD = 1.4), and having a somewhat strong desire to avoid the thought (M = 2.0, SD = 1.2). Multivariate analysis multivariate analysis, n a statistical approach used to evaluate multiple variables. multivariate analysis, n a set of techniques used when variation in several variables has to be studied simultaneously. of the five physiological response variables yielded a significant main effect for gender, F(5, 123) = 45.94, p [is less than] .001. Follow-up ANOVA's indicated that the men reported a significantly greater level of signs of sexual arousal (M = 1.6, SD = 1.1) than did the women (M = 0.9, SD = 1.0.) Tests of effect size indicated that gender accounted for 8% of the variance in sexual arousal. Thus, on average the women reported rarely having these sexual responses when they have the sexual intrusive thought, whereas the men reported sometimes having these reactions. There were no gender differences on the five measures of general arousal: increased heart rate or breathing, sweaty palms, flushing of skin, or upset stomach. Characteristics Associated with Frequency of Sexual Intrusive Thoughts A regression analysis was used to determine the relative contribution of the sexuality variables (erotophobia-erotophilia, sexual daydreaming, sexual anxiety, and number of intercourse partners) and the psychological distress variables (obsessionality, positive affectivity, and negative affectivity) to the total frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts. Examination of the bivariate correlations indicated no problems with multicollinearity. The results of this analysis were significant, accounting for 36% of the variance in total frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts, F(7, 139) = 11.18, p [is less than] .001 (see Table 3). Erotophobia-erotophilia, sexual daydreaming, and obsessional thinking were all uniquely related to sexual intrusive thought frequency. Individuals who were more erotophilic, had more sexual daydreams, and had more frequent obsessional thinking reported more frequent sexual intrusive thoughts. Although not uniquely related to the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts, inspection of the zero-order correlations indicated that individuals with greater negative affectivity reported more sexual intrusive thoughts. As the men reported a marginally greater frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts than did the women, this analysis was repeated after first controlling for gender. The results were virtually identical to the original analysis. Table 3. Regression Analysis Predicting Frequency of Sexual Intrusive Thoughts From Sexuality Variables and Psychological Distress Variables Variable f [Beta] sr Erotophobia-erotophilia .36(**) .27 .24(***) Sexual daydreaming .47(***) .31 .27(***) Sexual anxiety .00 .00 .00 Number of partners .03 -.05 -.05 Obsessional thinking .38(***) .33 .29(***) Positive affectivity -.06 .05 -.05 Negative affectivity .16(*) -.06 -.05 Note. N = 111 women and 58 men. [R.sup.2] = .36, F(7, 161) = 12.68(***) (*) < .05. (***) p < .001. Relationship of Sexuality Variables to Responses to Sexual Intrusive Thoughts A canonical correlation In statistics, canonical correlation analysis, introduced by Harold Hotelling, is a way of making sense of cross-covariance matrices. Definition Given two column vectors  and analysis was conducted between the
sexuality variables and the three affective appraisal variables. It was
marginally significant, F(12, 299) = 1.72, p = .06, but was interpreted
due to the exploratory nature of this study and because the function
accounted for 11% of the variance. Interpretation of the first canonical The standard or authoritative method. The term comes from "canon," which is the law or rules of the church. See canonical name and canonical synthesis. canonical - (Historically, "according to religious law") 1. v. cor·re·lat·ed, cor·re·lat·ing, cor·re·lates v.tr. 1. To put or bring into causal, complementary, parallel, or reciprocal relation. 2. with the affective appraisal variate (rs = .98, .73, and .48, respectively). Sexual anxiety, erotophobia-erotophilia, and number of intercourse partners were significantly correlated with the sexuality variate, rs = .47,-.61, and -.49, respectively. Taken together, these results indicate that individuals who reported greater sexual anxiety, greater erotophobia, and fewer intercourse partners tended to respond to their sexual intrusive thoughts with more negative affect, including greater guilt, disapproval, and, to a lesser extent, greater desire to avoid having the thought. A canonical correlation analysis between the sexuality variables and the five physiological response variables yielded two significant functions, Rc = .51, F(20, 396) = 3.10, p [is less than] .001 end Rc = .41, F(12, 297) = 2.15, p [is less than] .05. The results of this analysis are summarized in Table 4. Interpretation of the correlations between the variables and the first pair of canonical functions indicated that individuals who were more erotophobic and daydreamed less reported less frequent arousal on the measure of sexual arousal and on all of the four measure of nonspecific nonspecific /non·spe·cif·ic/ (non?spi-sif´ik) 1. not due to any single known cause. 2. not directed against a particular agent, but rather having a general effect. nonspecific 1. physiological arousal. Interpretation of the second pair of canonical functions indicated that individuals who reported greater erotophilia and less sexual anxiety reported signs of sexual arousal more frequently and all four measures of nonspecific arousal less frequently than did more erotophobic, sexually anxious individuals. Table 4. Results of Canonical Correlation Analysis Between Sexuality Variables and Physiological Response Variables.
First Second
canonical canonical
variate variate
r(a) r(a)
Sexuality set
Erotophobia-erotophilia .54 .80
Sexuality daydreaming .95 -.18
Sexual anxiety .05 -.36
Number of intercourse partners -.00 -.21
Physiological response set
Increase heart rate or breathing .76 -.62
Sweaty palms .49 -.31
Flushing of skin .29 -.64
Upset stomach .36 -.36
Signs of sexual arousal .89 .29
Canonical correlation .51 .41
Note. N = 77 women and 45 men. (a) Correlation between the variable and its own variate. DISCUSSION This study investigated the previously unstudied phenomenon of sexual intrusive thoughts. We differentiated between unwanted, ego-dystonic intrusive sexual thoughts and sexual thoughts and fantasies that are experienced as positive and personally acceptable. Eighty-four percent of our respondents had experienced one or more of the 20 sexual intrusive thoughts listed, indicating that sexual intrusions are a common experience amongst college students. All but one of the 20 sexual intrusive thoughts were endorsed as their most upsetting sexual intrusion by at least one respondent. This indicates the highly individualistic in·di·vid·u·al·ist n. 1. One that asserts individuality by independence of thought and action. 2. An advocate of individualism. in and idiosyncratic nature of responses to sexual intrusive thoughts. Frequency of Sexual Intrusive Thoughts For the most part, the sexual intrusive thoughts experienced most commonly by the men were also the thoughts experienced most commonly by the women. For example, having sex in a public place, having sex with an authority figure, and people I come in contact with being naked were all amongst the most common sexual intrusions reported by both the men and the women. However, the men reported having experienced a greater number of different sexual intrusive thoughts as well as a marginally greater total frequency of these thoughts than did the women. This may reflect a real gender difference, as it is consistent with previous research which has found that men report more unwanted intrusive sexual thoughts and more externally generated sexual thoughts than do women (Jones & Barlow, 1990; Purdon & Clark, 1993.) Alternately, it may be that our 20 items tapped more of the types of sexual intrusive thoughts common to men than of those common to women. The men and women also differed in the frequency with which they reported having experienced some specific sexual intrusions. In particular, the men were more likely to have experienced thoughts such as having sex in a public place, engaging in activities that would be upsetting to the partner, or forcing a partner to have sex. Two of these sexual intrusive thoughts have power and control as a common element. The women, on the other hand, experienced sexual intrusive thoughts of being sexually victimized more often than did the men. These gender differences may be connected to differences in past sexual experiences as, compared to men, women are more likely to have experienced sexual abuse and less likely to have used sexual coercion coercion, in law, the unlawful act of compelling a person to do, or to abstain from doing, something by depriving him of the exercise of his free will, particularly by use or threat of physical or moral force. (Briere et al., 1994; Byers & O'Sullivan, 1998). These results are similar to the results of research on sexual fantasies which has found that men are more likely to report active and aggressive fantasies, and women are more likely to report passive and submissive fantasies (Leitenberg & Henning, 1995.) The present study indicates that there may be justification for distinguishing between unwanted, unacceptable sexual intrusive thoughts and sexual fantasies. In addition, we found similarities between some of the present results and the past results that have purported pur·port·ed adj. Assumed to be such; supposed: the purported author of the story. pur·port ed·ly adv. to assess
pleasurable and wanted sexual fantasies. The relationship between these
two phenomena is currently unknown. It may be that a similarly
underlying construct (e.g. personality factors or past experiences)
influences both sexual intrusions and sexual fantasies. Alternately, the
similarities in the results could be a methodological artifact A distortion in an image or sound caused by a limitation or malfunction in the hardware or software. Artifacts may or may not be easily detectable. Under intense inspection, one might find artifacts all the time, but a few pixels out of balance or a few milliseconds of abnormal sound . Although
participants were instructed to report only unwanted, unacceptable
sexual intrusions on the ROII-v2, they may not have complied completely
with the instructions. Thus, the responses that were generated may have
reflected both sexual intrusive thoughts and sexual fantasies. A third
possibility is that sexual intrusive thoughts and sexual fantasies are
highly transient, contextually driven phenomena, so that in one instance
a sexual thought may be experienced as a fantasy and in another instance
it may be considered an unwanted and distressing sexual intrusive
thought. A final possibility is that with repeated occurrence,
particularly if accompanied by arousal, a thought that begins as an
unacceptable sexual intrusion becomes re-evaluated as a pleasurable
sexual fantasy. Although future studies will be needed to illuminate il·lu·mi·nate v. il·lu·mi·nat·ed, il·lu·mi·nat·ing, il·lu·mi·nates v.tr. 1. To provide or brighten with light. 2. To decorate or hang with lights. 3. the exact relationship between sexual intrusive thoughts and sexual fantasies, it is clear that sexual cognitions are much more complicated than has often been assumed in the sexual fantasy research, especially when subjective appraisals of the cognitive phenomena (i.e., whether the thought is wanted or unwanted) are taken into consideration. Responses to Intrusive Thoughts In general, respondents' affective responses to their most upsetting sexual intrusive thoughts were negative, but not extremely so. As expected, the men and the women did not differ in their affective responses to this thought. Also as predicted, the men were more likely to report a sexual response to their most upsetting intrusive thoughts than were the women. Men's greater likelihood of reporting a sexual response may reflect the greater saliency sa·li·ence also sa·li·en·cy n. pl. sa·li·en·ces also sa·li·en·cies 1. The quality or condition of being salient. 2. A pronounced feature or part; a highlight. Noun 1. of genital arousal for men than for women. Researchers have found that women are often not aware of their physiological sexual arousal, particularly when their genital arousal does not match their subjective sense of arousal and they do not appraise the stimulus conditions as sexual (Heiman, 1975, 1977; Laan & Everaerd, 1995). Psychological Distress, Sexual Disposition and Sexual Intrusive Thoughts A greater frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts was found to reflect a more positive disposition towards sex. That is, individuals who were more erotophilic and engaged in more frequent sexual daydreaming reported more frequent sexual intrusive thoughts. Similarly, past research has found that erotophilia is associated with more frequent, and a greater variety of, sexual fantasies as well as more frequent masturbation, more sexual partners, more frequent breast self-exams, greater comfort in talking about sexuality, greater positive affect and arousal to erotica erotica - pornography , etc. (Fisher et al., 1988). Apparently, individuals who have more positive sexual attitudes and who have more sexual daydreams have more sexual thoughts of all types, including unwanted, intrusive sexual thoughts. In addition, individuals who reported more obsessional thinking experienced more frequent sexual intrusions, consistent with past research on intrusive thoughts in general (Freeston et al., 1991; Purdon & Clark, 1994a, 1994b). As predicted, both domains, sexual disposition and obsessionality, were uniquely related to the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts when the other domain was controlled. However, negative affectivity, the measure most reflective of psychological distress, was only weakly weak·ly adj. weak·li·er, weak·li·est Delicate in constitution; frail or sickly. adv. 1. With little physical strength or force. 2. With little strength of character. related to the frequency of sexual intrusive thoughts and was not a unique predictor of thought frequency when sexual disposition was controlled. This suggests that sexual intrusive thoughts are not just a manifestation man·i·fes·ta·tion n. An indication of the existence, reality, or presence of something, especially an illness. manifestation (man´ifestā´sh of general psychopathology or psychological distress but have a component that is specific to sexuality. Patterns of Experiencing Sexual Intrusive Thoughts Our results suggest that there are two patterns of experiencing sexual intrusions. However, as the reliability of the short form of the SOS is low, interpretations of these patterns are offered tentatively and require confirmation by future research using a more reliable instrument. We found that the erotophilic, frequent sexual daydreamers not only reported more frequent sexual intrusive thoughts but were also more likely to experience both sexual and general arousal in response to their sexual thoughts. As many of the items on the ROII-v2 measuring general arousal represent physiological changes that also occur during sexual arousal (e.g., increased heart rate), it is likely that these responses represent genital and non-genital changes during sexual arousal. Perhaps sexual arousal in conjunction with a positive orientation towards sexuality contributes to the frequency of sexual thoughts and fantasies in general, and unwanted sexual intrusive thoughts in particular. For these individuals sexual intrusions may be equivalent to other sexual thoughts and fantasies. In contrast, we found that erotophobic, sexually anxious individuals experienced less frequent sexual intrusions, more general arousal, and less sexual arousal than did individuals with a more positive disposition towards sexuality. Further, we found that individuals who were more erotophobic, more sexually anxious, and had had fewer sexual partners reported feeling more guilty about their sexual intrusive thoughts, disapproving of them more, and having a greater desire to avoid them. Thus, it may be that individuals with a more negative disposition towards sexuality experience less frequent sexual intrusions but evaluate them as more problematic, and are more likely to experience general (anxious) arousal without sexual arousal in response to the thoughts. For these individuals, the sexual intrusive thoughts may bear more resemblance to nonsexual intrusive thoughts than they do to sexual fantasies. The reported arousal may represent arousal due to anxiety. CONCLUSION The present study was conducted with college students. As such, our sample was largely young and unmarried. Research is needed which uses more diverse and larger samples in order to determine the extent to which the current results are generalizable gen·er·al·ize v. gen·er·al·ized, gen·er·al·iz·ing, gen·er·al·iz·es v.tr. 1. a. To reduce to a general form, class, or law. b. To render indefinite or unspecific. 2. to other populations such as individuals who are married or who are older. In addition, the present study examined sexual intrusive thoughts specifically and did not include measures of the overall level of cognitive activity or of other types of sexual cognitions. There is little data available regarding the relationships between the variables investigated in this study and sexual thoughts that are experienced as positive and wanted. More research is needed to determine whether the current results are specific to sexual intrusive thoughts, or reflect underlying relationships with the overall level of cognitive activity or with sexual cognitions in general. Future research should use a multidimensional approach to studying and distinguishing sexual thoughts in terms of whether they are internally or externally generated, wanted or unwanted, positive or negative, and elaborated or unelaborated. This will not only provide a better understanding of both unwanted, ego-dystonic sexual intrusive thoughts and sexual thoughts/fantasies experienced as positive but will also allow researchers to investigate the relationship between these two types of sexual thoughts. Research is also needed to determine how the content of upsetting sexual thoughts reported by college students and others relates to other aspects of their behavior and experience such as sexual abuse history, use of sexual coercion, and dating experiences. The present study makes an important contribution to the literature on sexual cognitions. A number of studies have investigated sexual cognitions, usually subsumed under the label "sexual fantasy." However, most researchers have failed to operationally define sexual fantasy. Instead, they have asked participants to report on thoughts and images that were sexual in content, allowing the participants to determine for themselves which of their sexual cognitions constituted "sexual fantasies." Despite their failure to specify that respondents should only report on sexual cognitions that are pleasant and enjoyable, researchers have often assumed that the cognitions that they were assessing represented sexual preferences and desires. As such, sexual fantasy measures used in past research may have captured both sexual cognitions experienced as positive, pleasant, and enjoyable as well as unwanted sexual intrusive thoughts. This might help to explain a number of findings that are incongruent in·con·gru·ent adj. 1. Not congruent. 2. Incongruous. in·con gru·ence n. with the conceptualization con·cep·tu·al·ize v. con·cep·tu·al·ized, con·cep·tu·al·iz·ing, con·cep·tu·al·iz·es v.tr. To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way: of sexual fantasies as pleasurable and wanted. For example, respondents reporting negative affective responses to their "sexual fantasies" and sexual abuse survivors reporting "fantasies" involving forced sexual activity may, in fact, be describing sexual intrusive thoughts rather than pleasurable, wanted, and preferred sexual cognitions. The present study demonstrates that some of the sexual cognitions of normal individuals are unwanted, intrusive, and experienced negatively. Further, these sexual intrusive thoughts sometimes are accompanied by sexual arousal. In order to clear up the existing conceptual confusion on sexual cognitions, future studies are needed to assess individual affective and physiological responses to sexual cognitions. (1) The structured interview is available from Dr. Christine Purdon, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (also referred to as UW, UWaterloo, or Waterloo) is a medium-sized research-intensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957. , Waterloo, Ontario Coordinates: Waterloo is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the larger city of Kitchener. , Canada N2L N2L Liquid Nitrogen N2L Newton's Second Law (mechanics) 3G1. REFERENCES Alfonso, V. C., Allison, D. B., & Dunn, G. M. (1992). 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Manuscript accepted March 23, 1998 E. Sandra Byers, Christine Purdon, and David A. Clark University of New Brunswick The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. The university has two main campuses: the principal campus founded in 1785 in Fredericton and a smaller campus which was opened in Saint John in 1964. Christine Purdon is now in the Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo. The authors would like to thank Guy Grenier for his contribution to the design of this study, and Cheryl Renaud for her helpful comments. Address correspondence to E. Sandra Byers, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, N. B., Canada E3B 6E4; e-mail: Byers@UNB UNB University of New Brunswick UNB Universidade de Brasília (University of Brasilia) UNB United News of Bangladesh (news agency) UNB Unclassified News Board UNB Unbuffered .ca |
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