| Summary: | The effects of sympathetic activation, induced by an anxiety eliciting
film, and false positive vaginal blood volume (VBV)
feedback were examined to identify the mechanisms by which
cognitive and physiological response components mediate sexual
arousal and may be modified to reverse the dysfunctional
process. Sixty—four matched sexually dysfunctional women were
randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (a) anxiety—
evoking or neutral—control preexposure film stimulus paired
with an erotic stimulus followed by, (b) false positive
VBV feedback or no feedback. Sexual arousal was measured
physiologically with a vaginal photoplethysmograph, and
subjectively with a self—report rating scale. All subjects
(1) viewed stimulus series 1 and rated their sexual arousal,
(2) received the feedback condition and rated their
expectations, and finally, (3) viewed stimulus series 2 and
rated their subsequent arousal. Consistent with Palace and
Gorzalka (1990), anxiety as compared to neutral preexposure
significantly enhanced the rate and magnitude of genital
arousal. Women who received false VBV feedback reported
significantly greater subjective expectations of sexual
arousal, and consequently demonstrated a significant increase
in their actual vasocongestive responses. Women who received
false feedback and neutral preexposure subsequently also
reported significantly greater perceptions of sexual arousal.
Comparison of women in the false feedback groups who
significantly increased their expectation with those who exhibited no change, revealed that within 30 seconds, positive
expectancy caused significant increases in actual physiological
response. Finally, comparison of the subjective and genital
responses of the four groups revealed that women exposed to
anxiety—eliciting stimuli and false VBV feedback demonstrated
the greatest increases in cognitive expectations and subsequent
genital response. At stimulus series 2, dysfunctional women
in this group achieved levels of vasocongestion comparable to
sexually functional women in the Palace and Gorzalka (1990)
investigation. These results (1) reveal that cognitive and
physiological processes are key components of sexual response,
(2) identify interactive mechanisms by which these components
mediate sexual arousal, (3) suggest a cognitive—physiological
model of sexual dysfunction, and (4) provide evidence that
interventions directed toward increasing physiological response
and cognitive expectancy via sympathetic activation and
feedback will reverse the dysfunctional process and initiate
a positive cognitive-physiological feedback loop of sexual
arousal.
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