Sex, sexual arousal, and sexual decision making: An evolutionary perspective

Sexual arousal is conceptualized as a motivational system that prioritizes mating and minimizes the perceived risks associated with sex. Previous studies show that when sexually aroused, individuals are more likely to endorse engaging in risky sexual behaviors. A majority of these studies examine a restricted number of sexual behaviors or do not test evolutionarily-relevant sex differences. Due to gender asymmetries in the minimum obligatory costs of parental investment, the costs of injudicious sexual decisions tend to be greater for women. As such, men and women may respond in disparate ways when sexually aroused. We extend previous research by investigating the effect of experimentally manipulated sexual arousal on sexual decision-making in men and women (N = 140). We found no significant difference between individuals exposed to neutral or erotic stimuli on the willingness to engage in experimental or coercive sex. Being male and having higher arousal in response to erotic stimuli, however, was associated with a greater willingness to engage in coercive sex. Results suggest that individual differences in sexual arousal following exposure to erotic stimuli may be critical for understanding sexual strategies, particularly those pertaining to sexual coercion.

Automated summary

Sexual arousal influences sexual decision-making, with men and women responding differently when sexually aroused. Individual differences in sexual arousal following exposure to erotic stimuli may be critical for understanding sexual strategies, particularly those pertaining to sexual coercion.