(083) Visual Attention, Affective, and Sexual Responses Toward a Sexualized Video Game Female Character
Authors: Carvalho J , Oliveira J 
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Psychological models theorizing human sexual response have consistently stressed the role of cognitive factors, namely attention to sexual cues, as a precursor of sexual arousal. Specifically, laboratory studies have focused on (visual)attention as a trigger and maintenance factor of sexual arousal and interest; these studies suggest that sexual stimuli, e.g., stimuli displaying human-realistic nudity and/or sexual intercourse, capture more attention, prompting a sexual response. These studies have settled the basis for psychological interventions in sexual dysfunctions. However, contemporary generations were (sexually)educated and are a product of the digital era, where human-realistic sexual stimuli are no longer the only features people use to induce a sexual response. Female video game characters have “ascended” to the status of sexual stimuli. Animated sexual features are replacing human-realistic ones to induce a sexual response. Yet, sexology research still supports its assumptions on people’s responses to “old fashion” sexual stimuli.

Objective

Given the lack of laboratory studies using animated sexual features as a frame to study human sexual response - being, therefore, aligned to current preferences regarding what constitutes a sexual stimulus – the current study was aimed at testing the effects of being exposed to a sexualized as compared to a non-sexualized female video game character on men’s (visual)attention, affective and sexual responses. It further tested if the propensity to get sexually aroused predicts men’s responses to sexually animated cues.

Methods

46 men (Mage = 25, SD = 8.71) were exposed to the following 2-minute video clips/experimental conditions: 1) a sexualized female video game character, i.e., the character is fighting against a non-human male character, using nothing more than a tie, short bikini; 2) a non-sexualized female character fighting, and wearing a common, practical, outfit, with no evidence of nudity. The video clips were presented in a counterbalanced fashion. The female characters were equal, except for the woman’s clothing and display of nudity. Objective proxies of sexual arousal and interest were captured by an eye tracker (pupil size and dwell time to the sexual features, respectively). Self-reported attention, affective, and sexual responses were also measured. Furthermore, the propensity for sexual excitation was included as a trait sexual dimension.

Results

As expected, participants reported being more distracted and sexually aroused during the sexualized experimental condition. Similarly, ocular metrics revealed that during the sexualized condition, participants paid less attention to the game/dangerous cues and spent more time looking at the woman’s body and buttocks. No effects were found regarding pupil size. Findings regarding sexual excitation as a sexual trait showed that the propensity to get sexually aroused predicted increased visual attention, i.e., more interest, to the buttocks of the sexualized female character.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that sexualized female video game characters mimic the effects of human-realistic sex stimuli. Findings add to the understanding of cognitive and emotional processes involved in the human sexual response considering the new trends regarding what constitutes sexual stimuli. They further contribute to the discussion on sexual preferences diversity, with a special emphasis on the current digital culture.

Disclosure

No.