Emotional drive in sexual behavior: an exploratory assessment of anchored hedonic values and profiles

Prior literature has shown how emotional variables applied to sexual behavior can be differentiated into two dimensions: an emotional context (EC) as a processing state and emotional drive (ED) as a motivation specifically oriented to each stimulus. Following this rationale, we aim to explore the full picture of ED values and profiles in an anchored repertoire of sexual behavior.

A survey was conducted using an ad hoc questionnaire systematically developed based on a prior review. Approaching and avoiding ED and dissonance scores were defined and summarized. An unsupervised variable selection was performed to detect the most discriminative factors according to the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Cluster analysis was performed on ordinal data using Latent Block Model co-clustering.

The average scores showed a sample difference in responses, either in approaching (t = -9.86, p < 0.01) or avoiding values (t = -9.56, p < 0.01), finding that a higher ED was the most common in both factors. This difference was also found in reporting other behaviors with a higher than low dissonance (t = -11.28, p < 0.01), although its absence was the most common outcome. The variable selection revealed that, unlike sets of behavior, accounting for more than 99% of the variance. The cluster analysis yielded four clusters and eight classes for approaching ED and three clusters and six classes for avoiding ED.

Our results reveal the importance of considering both positive and negative ED within an exhaustive repertoire and the usual experience of dissonance in the motivation of sexual behavior. All these variables must be considered separately to obtain a full picture and create proper profile descriptions.