Selecting Films For Sex Research - - 1 Running head : SELECTING FILMS FOR SEX RESEARCH Selecting Films For Sex Research

The aim of this study was to explore gender differences in sexual responsiveness to erotic films that had been selected for their differential appeal for men and women. A secondary objective was to identify variables that influence sexual arousal, and explore whether these variables differ for men and women. Fifteen men (mean age = 26) and 17 women (mean age = 24) were presented with 20 heterosexual film clips, half of which were selected by female, and the other half by male, research assistants and were asked to rate the clips on a number of dimensions. Overall, men found the film clips more arousing than women. Gender differences in arousal were negligible for female-selected clips but substantial for male-selected clips. Furthermore, men and women experienced higher levels of sexual arousal to clips selected by individuals of their own gender. Cluster regression analyses, explaining 77% of the variance for male and 65% for female participants, revealed that men‟s sexual arousal was dependent upon the attractiveness of the female actor, feeling interested, and both „imagining oneself as a participant‟ and „watching as an observer‟. For women, with all variables entered, only „imagining oneself as a participant‟ contributed to sexual arousal ratings. The findings suggest that how films are selected in sex research is an important variable in predicting levels of sexual arousal reported by men and