Thermal energy, a definite heat, rises in certain tantalizing areas of the body during sexual arousal. But what starts that fire to burning, and what attitudes tend to douse it?
Samantha Landry wants to understand the triggers of arousal better, and to look closely at whether an individual’s attitudes toward sexuality influence arousal.
She has begun a research project at the University of Guelph’s psychophysiology of sexual health (POSH) laboratory to investigate what gets men and women between the ages of 18-45 sexually fired up.
She is seeking a few more research subjects.
Landry is a graduate student in U of G’s department of family relations and applied nutrition.
The project is part of her masters of science thesis research, under the guidance of professor Tuuli Kukkonen.
She said that while arousal is a basic human instinct, what sparks it is not the same for everyone.
A host of experiential, psychological, attitudinal, and physiological factors contribute, and those are very individualistic.
“There are different models of sexual response that have been proposed over time,” Landry said. “It started off as a very physiologically based model, and it has been expanded to consider some of the subjective factors – the feelings, the experiences, and the background of the individual. But there is still a lot of unknowns about how previous experiences and backgrounds can impact the arousal response in individuals.”
Landry is using the U of G website, social media and a coffee shop poster to find participants. Compensation is provided.
One 90-minute visit to the lab is required, during which the subject will fill out a questionnaire on their attitudes towards sexuality, and watch a sexually explicit video. Genital temperature will be monitored.
Any kind of past sexual experience, whether in adolescence or last week, can influence the arousal response, she indicated.
“I’m using thermography, which is a thermal imaging technology,” Landry said, adding that professor Kukkonen recommended the tech after using it for her own graduate work. “It’s a camera that detects infrared radiation in individuals and measures heat response. It is a new way of looking at sexual arousal.”
Temperature, she explained, is a direct measure of blood flow, and blood flow is a measure of sexual arousal.
Because menopausal and post-menopausal hormones can impact sexual arousal response, the age of the study subjects was confined to 18-45 year.
“Participants come into the lab and they watch a series of videos on DVD goggles,” she said, adding there are two neutral videos show initially to establish a baseline temperature, followed by a sexually explicit one. The change in genital temperature determines whether there is arousal.
“We’re seeking to test whether individuals with different attitudes towards sexuality – attitudes towards sexuality in general, and towards themselves as sexual beings - impacts sexual arousal response,” she said, adding that sexuality related guilt will also be examined.
Some people have very liberal attitudes toward sexuality, while others are more conservative. Do those different attitudes lead to differences in arousal response?
“I’m still not sure what I’m going to find,” Landry said.
But the research may uncover insights that could help foster a more fulfilling sex life. Landry said if the results show that those with less guilt and a more liberal attitude are experiencing greater arousal, then it could suggest that instilling those attitudes could have a long-term impact on sexual satisfaction.
The project is well underway, with about one third of the sample size having been tested. She is looking for 60 participants.
“Everyone who has come into the lab has been super comfortable,” she added. “They seem to have a general interest in the field of sexuality research. There is a thorough screening process to make sure that no one is coming into the lab feeling less than 100 per cent comfortable.”
Anyone with questions about the study can contact Landry at [email protected].
