Nov 3, 2017 - abdominal temperature, penile circumference, and subjective arousal were taken. Results ... volumetric plethysmograph (Freund, Sedlacek, &.
Vol. 20, No. 6 Printed in U.S.A.
Copyright © 1983 by The Society for Psychophysiological Research, Inc.
Abdominal Temperature Changes During Male Sexual Arousal J. GAYLE BECK, DAVID H . BARLOW, AND DAVID K. SAKHEIM Department of Psychology, and Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders. State University of New York at Albany ABSTRACT The present study explored the feasibility of using temperature measurement from a non-genital location to assess sexual arousal. Based upon analyses conducted with thermographic techniques, it was hypothesized that abdominal skin cooling would occur during sexual arousal. In 2 sessions, 6 male subjects were shown low, moderate, and high arousing erotic films. Simultaneous measures of abdominal temperature, penile circumference, and subjective arousal were taken. Results indicate that while decreases in skin temperature were seen during arousal, thermister data did not correlate well with tumescence or subjective arousal ratings. It would appear that thermography and temperature measurement might be most fruitfully employed to explore basic physiological processes involved in sexual arousal, since continuous temperature measures do not appear sensitive enough for use in typical sex research paradigms. DESCRIPTORS: Temperature measurement. Sexual arousal measurement. Methodology.
Over the past decade, a number of studies have appeared employing direct genital measurement of sexual arousal with males and females. After reviewing this work, Zuckerman (1971) concluded that direct genital assessment is the only reliable method for differentiating sexual arousal from general autonomic arousal. Numerous physiological genital measures have been devised (e.g., for males, the mechanical strain gauge (Barlow, Becker, Leitenberg, & Agras, 1970), mercury-and-rubber strain gauge (Fisher, Gross, & Zuch, 1965), and air-filled volumetric plethysmograph (Freund, Sedlacek, & Knob, 1965) and for females, the vaginal photoplethysmograph (Sintchak & Geer, 1975; Hoon, Wincze, & Hoon, 1976) and the labial thermister clip (Henson, Rubin, Henson, & Williams, 1977)). Throughout the development of this assessment technology, many authors have noted that comparisons between male and female responding are impossible, due to the fact that each measurement device is calibrated on a different scale and does not permit statements about the actual physiological processes involved in the arousal response. This research was supported in part by NIMH grant MH33553. Address requests for reprints to: David H. Barlow, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222.
Recently, Abramson and colleagues (Seeley, Abramson, Perry, Rothblatt, & Seeley, 1980; Abramson, Perry, Seeley, Seeley, &. Rothblatt, 1981) have introduced a thermographic technique for the analysis of temperature changes during sexual arousal. Thermography utilizes photographs of infrared heat patterns and is capable of detecting vascular flow and irregularities in blood-flow related temperature changes. This technique can be quantified for blood-flow rate and transfer of heat. Thermography can be employed with both male and female subjects and as such, allows direct comparisons of temperature changes during sexual responding. The initial presentation of this measure indicated that for both male and female subjects, sexual arousal during the excitement and plateau phases was characterized by progressive surface cooling ofthe lower abdomen. The authors explain that this cooling is due to venous drainage from the abdomen as genital vasocongestion takes place. Subsequent work (Abramson et al., 1981) has indicated good discriminant validity of this approach and revealed that thermographic arousal patterns correlate well with self-reported arousal for both males and females. Thus, it appears that thermography offers several advantages over existing assessment strategies for sexual arousal. It allows analogous measures to be drawn for males and females; the resulting data are quantified on a scale which has physiological im-
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port; and it correlates well with self-reported arousal for both males and females. This latter advantage is especially notable for measurement of female arousal, because poor physiological-subjective correlations with the vaginal photoplethysmograph are common (e.g., Hoon, 1979). However, this assessment strategy does have several drawbacks, since it requires highly specialized equipment and yields only discrete samples of temperature responding. Additionally, the existing investigations of this approach have not provided convergent validity of thermography with other objective measures of arousal, such as the mechanical strain gauge or the vaginal photoplethysmograph. Based upon the data collected to date, it would appear most useful in delineating the physiological processes of sexual responding. One implication, based on the finding that males and females demonstrate abdominal skin cooling during sexual arousal, suggests that this site may be useful for assessing continuous temperature changes during arousal. This would suggest that a surface thermister could assess arousal from a non-genital site and would be comparable across sexes. The present report is an investigation of such an assessment approach. Six males served as subjects and were shown erotic films of low, moderate, and high arousing quality while wearing a penile strain gauge and a surface thermister attached to the lower abdomen. Additionally, a continuous measure of subjective arousal was employed, to assess the convergent validity of the thermister with both penile and subjective arousal. Two experimental sessions were conducted. In one session, the genital area was screened with a bedsheet across the arms of the chair in which the subject was seated. In the other session, no such screening was employed. This manipulation was included as part ofa larger research project examining the effect of visual cues on tracking of physiological sexual arousal. Method Subjects Six heterosexual males served as subjects for the present study; all were between the ages of 20 and 44, physically healthy, and not currently seeking psychological treatment. All subjects were screened for the absence of sexual dysfunction and major psychopathology (as defined by DSM-III) and were paid $20.00 for participation. Apparatus A Yellow Spdngs flat bead surface thermister (Model 409B) was employed to assess temperature changes. This device was attached to the subject's abdomen with %" surgical tape, placed approximately 3" directly above the base of^ the penis. A Barlow strain gauge
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(Barlow et al., 1970) was employed to measure penile circumference change. This device consists ofa strain gauge affixed to a flexible metal dng which expands dudng tumescence, and it was positioned slightly above the middle of the penis. To assess subjective arousal, subjects were asked to move a lever continuously during each stimulus. This device was placed in the subject's view, enabling him to gauge his subjective arousal on a 0-100 absolute scale. Previous work has demonstrated that the lever is unobtrusive at all but extremely low levels of arousal (Wincze, Vendetti, Barlow, & Mavissakalian, 1980). All three measures were processed through a Grass 7P1 DC preamplifier and recorded on a Grass polygraph. The preamplifier that was employed for the thermister was mechanically altered to yield a linear output on a degrees centigrade scale. Procedure Each subject participated in 2 expedmental sessions and was run individually. In the pdvacy of a light and sound controlled chamber, the subject disrobed, was seated in a reclining chair, and instructed in the placement ofthe strain gauge. The expedmenter then attached the thermister and explained the use of the subjective rating lever to the subject. He then habituated to the laboratory setting. Dudng one experimental session, the subject's genital area was screened with a bedsheet; dudng the other he was not covered. The order of these sessions was randomized across subjects. Dudng each session, the subject was presented with three 3-min erotic videotapes; order of film presentation was randomized across subjects. These films were validated previously as producing low, moderate, and high levels of arousal in heterosexual males (Wincze et al., 1980). Each film was preceded by a 30-sec baseline to ensure flaccidity and was followed by a 3-min detumescence interval. At the end of the session, the subject was asked to stimulate himself to full erection. Samples from all measures were averaged in 10-sec epochs for both film and detumescence intervals. Data from the strain gauge were scored initially as mm pen deflection, transformed with a logadthmic equation and converted to % full erection (based upon values obtained at the end ofthe expedmental sessions). Cognitive lever data were scored on a 0-100 scale, based upon pre-calibration readings. Thermister data were scored as degrees centigrade change from baseline, due to varying initial temperature values across subjects. Results and Discussion
Prior to analyzing the data, a repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to check for possible order effects. No such effects were found for any measure. Data from the thermister were analyzed initially using a repeated measures ANOVA (level of arousal (3) X covered/uncovered (2) X film/post film intervals (2) X epoch (18)). This analysis revealed only a significant effect for film/post film (jx.05,
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Abdominal Temperature Changes
F{\p) = 8.15). Follow-up analyses, employing a Duncan's multiple range test, revealed that temperature values were higher during the post-film detumescence interval compared with during the film (a difference of .06°C between these conditions). Pearson product moment correlations were calculated between the thermister and strain gauge. These correlations were converted to Z scores (Hayes, 1973) and a similar repeated measures ANOVA (level of arousal (3) X covered/uncovered (2) X film-post film intervals (2)) was performed, which revealed no significant effects. Considerable intersubject variation was noted in the correlations between these two measures. Additionally, Pearson product moment correlations were computed between the thermister and subjective lever ratings. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed on the Z transformations of these values, revealing a trend for the Arousal factor (p
