Abstract
In previous research, persons high in sex guilt reported being less aroused by erotica than persons low in sex guilt, when self-attention was enhanced. That finding is interpretable in either of two ways: (a) self-focus led to suppression of the arousal response among those subjects, or (b) self-focus led to denial of experienced arousal among those subjects. Th'e present study tested the denial interpretation, based on the following assumption. If the context does not lead arousal to be labeled as sexual in nature, any arousal experienced should not be threatening to persons high in sex guilt, and denial should not occur. Subjects high in sex guilt were exposed to sexually arousing visual stimuli under one of two instructional orientations. They were led to assess either (a) the sexual arousal, or (b) the undifferentiated arousal, which they experienced in response to the stimuli. As expected, self-attention led to reports of less intense arousal only when the arousal had been labeled as sexual in nature.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 253-260 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Basic and Applied Social Psychology |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1981 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
- Social Psychology
Cite this
Instructional Orientation, Self-attention, and Responses to Erotica Among Persons High in Sex Guilt. / Carver, Charles S.
In: Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 2, No. 4, 1981, p. 253-260.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Instructional Orientation, Self-attention, and Responses to Erotica Among Persons High in Sex Guilt
AU - Carver, Charles S
PY - 1981
Y1 - 1981
N2 - In previous research, persons high in sex guilt reported being less aroused by erotica than persons low in sex guilt, when self-attention was enhanced. That finding is interpretable in either of two ways: (a) self-focus led to suppression of the arousal response among those subjects, or (b) self-focus led to denial of experienced arousal among those subjects. Th'e present study tested the denial interpretation, based on the following assumption. If the context does not lead arousal to be labeled as sexual in nature, any arousal experienced should not be threatening to persons high in sex guilt, and denial should not occur. Subjects high in sex guilt were exposed to sexually arousing visual stimuli under one of two instructional orientations. They were led to assess either (a) the sexual arousal, or (b) the undifferentiated arousal, which they experienced in response to the stimuli. As expected, self-attention led to reports of less intense arousal only when the arousal had been labeled as sexual in nature.
AB - In previous research, persons high in sex guilt reported being less aroused by erotica than persons low in sex guilt, when self-attention was enhanced. That finding is interpretable in either of two ways: (a) self-focus led to suppression of the arousal response among those subjects, or (b) self-focus led to denial of experienced arousal among those subjects. Th'e present study tested the denial interpretation, based on the following assumption. If the context does not lead arousal to be labeled as sexual in nature, any arousal experienced should not be threatening to persons high in sex guilt, and denial should not occur. Subjects high in sex guilt were exposed to sexually arousing visual stimuli under one of two instructional orientations. They were led to assess either (a) the sexual arousal, or (b) the undifferentiated arousal, which they experienced in response to the stimuli. As expected, self-attention led to reports of less intense arousal only when the arousal had been labeled as sexual in nature.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84954000277&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1207/s15324834basp0204_2
DO - 10.1207/s15324834basp0204_2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84954000277
VL - 2
SP - 253
EP - 260
JO - Basic and Applied Social Psychology
JF - Basic and Applied Social Psychology
SN - 0197-3533
IS - 4
ER -