Effect of Erotica on Young Men’s Aesthetic Perception of Their Female Sexual Partners (1984)

Weaver, James B., Jonathan L. Masland, and Dolf Zillmann.

Perceptual and Motor Skills 58.3 (1984): 929-930.

First Published June 1, 1984

Abstract

Male undergraduates were exposed to (a) nature scenes or (b) beautiful versus (c) unattractive females in sexually enticing situations. Thereafter, they assessed their girl friends’ sexual appeal and evaluated their satisfaction with their mates. On pictorial measures of bodily appeal profiles of flat through hypervoluptuous breast and buttock, preexposure to beautiful females tended to suppress mates’ appeal, while preexposure to unattractive females tended to enhance it. After exposure to beautiful females, mates’ aesthetic value fell significantly below assessments made after exposure to unattractive females; this value assumed an intermediate position after control exposure. Changes in mates’ aesthetic appeal did not correspond with changes in satisfaction with mates, however.