Premium
Modulation of spinal reflexes by aversive and sexually appetitive stimuli
Author(s) -
Both Stephanie,
Everaerd Walter,
Laan Ellen
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/1469-8986.00019
Subject(s) - psychology , arousal , stimulus (psychology) , reflex , anxiety , sexual arousal , aversive stimulus , stimulation , audiology , developmental psychology , neuroscience , cognitive psychology , medicine , psychiatry
In this study, modulation of spinal tendinous (T) reflexes by sexual stimulation was investigated. T reflexes are augmented in states of appetitive and defensive action and modified by differences in arousal intensity. Reflexes were expected to be facilitated by both pleasant (sexual) and unpleasant (anxiety) stimuli. Subjects were exposed to a sexual, an anxiety‐inducing, a sexually threatening, and a neutral film excerpt. Genital arousal, emotional experience, subjective action tendencies, and T reflexes were monitored. Self‐report and genital data confirmed the affective states as intended. T reflex amplitude significantly increased during viewing of emotionally arousing film excerpts as compared with a neutral film excerpt. T reflexes were facilitated by the sex stimulus to the same extent as by the anxiety and sexual threat stimuli. The results support the view of sexual arousal as an emotional state, generating sex‐specific autonomic and general somatic motor system responses, which prepare the organism for action.