Positive erotic picture stimuli for emotion research in heterosexual females.
Summary of "Positive erotic picture stimuli for emotion research in heterosexual females."
In most experimental studies, emotional pictures are widely used as stimulus material. However, there is still a lack of standardization of picture stimuli displaying erotic relationships, despite the association between a number of psychological problems and severe impairments and problems in intimate relationships. The aim of the study was to test a set of erotic stimuli, with the potential to be used in experimental studies, with heterosexual female subjects. Twenty International Affective Picture System (IAPS) pictures and an additional 100 pictures showing romantic but not explicitly sexual scenes and/or attractive single males were selected. All pictures were rated with respect to valence, arousal, and dominance by 41 heterosexual women and compared to pictures with negative, positive, and neutral emotional valence. Erotic IAPS pictures and our additional erotic pictures did not differ in any of the evaluation dimensions. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) for valence, arousal, and dominance comparing different picture valence categories showed strong effects for category. However, valence was not significantly different between erotic and positive pictures, while arousal and control were not significantly different between positive and neutral pictures. The pictures of our new set are as positive for heterosexual women as highly positive IAPS pictures, but higher in arousal and dominance. The picture set can be used in experimental psychiatric studies requiring high numbers of stimuli per category. Limitations are the restriction of stimuli application to heterosexual females only and to self-report data.
Affiliation
Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Psychiatry research
ISSN: 0165-1781
Pages: 348-51
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21696831
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2011.05.044
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Behavioral Research
Research that involves the application of the behavioral and social sciences to the study of the actions or reactions of persons or animals in response to external or internal stimuli. (from American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed)
Sensory Receptor Cells
Specialized afferent neurons capable of transducing sensory stimuli into NERVE IMPULSES to be transmitted to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Sometimes sensory receptors for external stimuli are called exteroceptors; for internal stimuli are called interoceptors and proprioceptors.
Fetishism (psychiatric)
A condition in which inanimate objects are utilized as a preferred or exclusive method of stimulating erotic arousal.
Erotica
Literary or artistic items having an erotic theme. It refers especially to books treating sexual love in a sensuous or voluptuous manner. (Webster, 3d ed)
Clostridium Symbiosum
A species of gram-positive bacteria in the family Clostridiaceae. Its GLUTAMATE DEHYDROGENASE is commonly used in research.
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