The relationship between cognitive and erectile measures of sexual arousal in non-rapist males as a function of depicted aggression

The relationship between self-reports of subjective sexual arousal and a measure of penile tumescence, obtained in response to depictions of rape and consensual sex, was examined. The effects of the reporting task on penile response were also assessed. Audiotaped descriptions of consensual intercourse, rape involving restraint of the female, rape with assault and non-sexual assault against a female, were presented to 32 males while their penile tumescence was recorded. Sixteen of these Ss monitored and reported their subjective sexual arousal during stimulus presentations. Half the reporting and half the non-reporting Ss were told that arousal to rape depictions is 'normal and expected', while the rest received regular instructions. Subjective reports were significantly lower than penile responses for the rape-restraint episode only. Reporting Ss showed lower penile response than non-reporting Ss only to the rape-assault episode.