Sexual experience and sexual responsiveness: sex differences

Male (30) and female (30) college undergraduate subjects were shown five photographic slides depicting different heterosexual behaviors and one slide depicting solitary masturbation by a person of the same sex as the subject. Subjects rated the extent to which they found each of the slides sexually arousing and pleasant or unpleasant and indicated how many times they had personally engaged in each of the depicted activities. Following exposure to the slides, sexual arousal and emotional reactions were assessed. Contrary to the propositions of Kinsey et al. (1953), female heterosexual experience was equal to or superior to masturbation experience as an indicant of female sexual reactivity to the erotic materials. Among males, masturbation experience was superior to heterosexual experience as an indicant of sexual reactivity. The role of affective reactions to sexual experiences as determinants of sexual responsiveness is discussed.