| Summary: | Using a photoplethysmograph, vaginal blood volume (VBV) and pulse pressure (VPP) responses of 53 women volunteers were compared and related to immediate self-reports of either sexual or genital arousal. The responses were examined across a sequence of experimental phases and, in one of these phases as a function of high or low erotic stimulus intensity. Results indicated that both physiological and subjective responses were specifically affected by the erotic stimuli. After these stimuli VPP and subjective responses returned to prestimulation levels whereas VBV did not. Intensity of erotic stimulus affected subjective responses but not the physiological responses. Correlations between the measures indicated that VBV and VPP were moderately well correlated at all times but became more so during the high intensity erotic stimulus and when physiological responses were strong. The correlation between physiological and subjective responses was also enhanced during the erotic stimulus phase as a function of both erotic stimulus intensity and strength of physiological response. Following the erotic stimuli, subjective reports of declining arousal were still strongly correlated with VPP but not with VBV. Results were discussed in terms of the nature of the haemodynamic system underlying changes in blood flow and the possible mechanism by which women detect such changes. Four factors shown to influence the correlation between physiological response and self-report (i.e. response change, physiological response strength, particular physiological response, and erotic stimulus intensity) were discussed in terms of this process, and in terms of cognitive variables which may affect subjective judgments of sexual arousal. Methodological and statistical implications of this research were examined, as well as implications for the clinical assessment of female sexual arousal.
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