Sexual arousal and aggression by males: effects of type of erotic stimuli and prior provocation

Eighty-five undergraduate males participated in an experiment designed to investigate the impact of various types of erotic stimuli upon aggression. On the basis of previous research, it was hypothesized that exposure to mild erotic stimuli would tend to inhibit subsequent aggression, while exposure to more arousing stimuli of this type would facilitate such behavior. In order to examine this hypothesis, male subjects were first angered or treated in a more neutral manner by a confederate of the experimenter and then provided with an opportunity to aggress against this person by means of electric shock. Before aggressing, participants were exposed to one of five different types of stimuli: nonerotic pictures of furniture, scenery, and abstract art; pictures of seminude females; pictures of nude females; pictures of couples engaged in various acts of lovemaking; or explicit erotic passages. Results offered partial support for the major hypothesis. Exposure to mild erotic stimuli inhibited later aggression, while exposure to more arousing sexual materials neither facilitated nor inhibited such behavior.