The Dual Control Model: the Role of Sexual Inhibition & Excitation in Sexual Arousal and Behavior

Psychophysiological studies of sexuality have largely, if not completely, ignored issues of individual variability in responsiveness. Most of the research published in this area involves the comparison of subject groups, experimental conditions, or treatments. The few attempts to evaluate individual variability have been restricted to the measurement of sexual attitudes and behavioral tendencies. Erotophobia-erotophilia is a well-known example (Fisher, Byrne, White, & Kelley, 1988). This construct is measured with the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS), a questionnaire that assesses affective and evaluative (attitudinal) responses to different types of sexual activity or stimuli. Until recently, no models or measures existed that focus specifically on individual differences in sexual response. The Kinsey Institute’s “Dual Control Model” postulates that sexual arousal and associated behaviors depend on the balance between sexual excitation and inhibition. It is an example of a state-trait model, although most research so far has focused on the trait dimension of the model. The model proposes that the weighing of excitatory and inhibitory processes determines whether or not a sexual response occurs within an individual in a given situation, and at the same time it assumes individual variability in the propensity for these processes. The model was developed in an attempt to synthesize existing research findings in the area of male sexual dysfunction, to contribute to this research by underscoring the relevance of exploring individual differences, and to stimulate new research, in this and other areas of sexual response and behavior. In this paper, we will present the model’s background, discuss findings from several lines of research, reflect on the model’s strengths and weaknesses, and consider directions for future research. Background