References:
Marc Molendijk
Leiden University
Knowledge Clip 1 - Porn Use and Sexual Performance
Link to article:Sommet and Berent 2023
Article: Sommet, N., & Berent, J. (2023). Porn use and men's and women's sexual
performance: evidence from a large longitudinal sample. Psychological Medicine, 53(7),
3105-3114.
● Sommet & Berent
● Longitudinal/Observational study
● Young and French Student
● Porn (X-variabel)→ Materials that describe or show naked people and sexual act in
order to make peole feel sexually excited
● Only heterosexual porn
● Porn use intentional → never - very often
● Outcome (Y-variabel) Sexual self-competence, sexual functioning, partner sexual
satisfaction
● Sexual self-competence → score on sex you give yourself
● Sexual functioning → Score you give your sexual arousal, erection/lubrication
● Women scored themselves more competent than men on, men low when watching porn
often
● Women scored themselves high on sexual functioning, men low when watching porn
often
● Women are more satisfied with sex but men are less satisfied when they watch more
porn
● Conclusion: porn is associated with the erosion of the quality of men’s sex lives and an
improvement of women’s sex lives
○ Some porn may be of an inspiring nature
○ For men, porn may be an unattainable standard of comparison (e.g. ejeculation
time or size of penis)
, Knowledge Clip 2 - Sexual Incentive Motivation; The Power of a Model
● Agmo and Laan, 2023
● Sexual motivation → the intensity of approach to a sexual partner
● Incentive stimulus → any stimulus that activates the sexual central motive system
● Motivating state is activated → can turn into approach behavior or sexual arousal
● Sexual arousal → transition to sex act
● Approach behavior → transition to sex act
● Aftereffects → pleasure, power, goods, money
● When you let rodents mate in certain environment, they will prefer the environment
where they were placed after sex
● This model explains female sexual arousal / desire disorder and male hypoactive sexual
desire disorder
● Central motive system → low activity leads to reduced responsivity to sexual stimuli
● Evaluation of sexual incentive stimulus does not predict any reward for it, or an averse
outcome (such as rape)
● Conscious decision to not take part in sexual behavior, you are not able to see signs in
potential partners
● Negative experiences during sex or after effects may affect central motive state and
the representation, low reward, low representation
● Study aim: Change in genital response in controls and women with Hypoactive sexual
desire disorder (HSDD)
● Women with high HSDD do have high genital response in the laboratory but not at home
● Sexual arousal is linked to environment / state
Marc Molendijk
Leiden University
Knowledge Clip 1 - Porn Use and Sexual Performance
Link to article:Sommet and Berent 2023
Article: Sommet, N., & Berent, J. (2023). Porn use and men's and women's sexual
performance: evidence from a large longitudinal sample. Psychological Medicine, 53(7),
3105-3114.
● Sommet & Berent
● Longitudinal/Observational study
● Young and French Student
● Porn (X-variabel)→ Materials that describe or show naked people and sexual act in
order to make peole feel sexually excited
● Only heterosexual porn
● Porn use intentional → never - very often
● Outcome (Y-variabel) Sexual self-competence, sexual functioning, partner sexual
satisfaction
● Sexual self-competence → score on sex you give yourself
● Sexual functioning → Score you give your sexual arousal, erection/lubrication
● Women scored themselves more competent than men on, men low when watching porn
often
● Women scored themselves high on sexual functioning, men low when watching porn
often
● Women are more satisfied with sex but men are less satisfied when they watch more
porn
● Conclusion: porn is associated with the erosion of the quality of men’s sex lives and an
improvement of women’s sex lives
○ Some porn may be of an inspiring nature
○ For men, porn may be an unattainable standard of comparison (e.g. ejeculation
time or size of penis)
, Knowledge Clip 2 - Sexual Incentive Motivation; The Power of a Model
● Agmo and Laan, 2023
● Sexual motivation → the intensity of approach to a sexual partner
● Incentive stimulus → any stimulus that activates the sexual central motive system
● Motivating state is activated → can turn into approach behavior or sexual arousal
● Sexual arousal → transition to sex act
● Approach behavior → transition to sex act
● Aftereffects → pleasure, power, goods, money
● When you let rodents mate in certain environment, they will prefer the environment
where they were placed after sex
● This model explains female sexual arousal / desire disorder and male hypoactive sexual
desire disorder
● Central motive system → low activity leads to reduced responsivity to sexual stimuli
● Evaluation of sexual incentive stimulus does not predict any reward for it, or an averse
outcome (such as rape)
● Conscious decision to not take part in sexual behavior, you are not able to see signs in
potential partners
● Negative experiences during sex or after effects may affect central motive state and
the representation, low reward, low representation
● Study aim: Change in genital response in controls and women with Hypoactive sexual
desire disorder (HSDD)
● Women with high HSDD do have high genital response in the laboratory but not at home
● Sexual arousal is linked to environment / state
