The Role of Sexual Attitudes in Sexual Functioning: Are General or Specific Attitudes More Relevant?

What is it about?

Sexual attitudes are beliefs about sexuality that are expressed with a high emotional charge, which predisposes one to respond more positively or negatively to sexual stimuli or behaviors. These attitudes can refer both to sexuality in general - for example, the case of erotophilia - and to specific sexual behaviors - such as, for example, towards sexual fantasies or masturbation. In the field of sex therapy, it is usual to assess and address sexual attitudes. However, there is little research that has jointly studied the relationship of these two types of attitudes (general vs. specific) with sexual functioning (desire, arousal, lubrication or erection, ability to reach orgasm, and satisfaction with orgasm) in order to determine their relevance. This study analyzes the explanatory power of general sexual attitude (erotophilia) and specific attitudes towards sexual fantasies and masturbation on the dimensions of sexual functioning (desire, arousal, lubrication/erection, ability to reach orgasm and satisfaction with orgasm). A sample of 2,000 Spanish adults with heterosexual orientation (52.2% women) and aged 18 to 83 years participated in the study. The results indicated that the explanatory models of sexual functioning were different for men and women, with a greater diversity of explanatory variables of sexual functioning in men. However, in both men and women, a positive attitude towards sexual fantasies stood out as the most relevant variable with the greatest explanatory capacity in all dimensions of sexual functioning. A more positive attitude towards sexual fantasies is associated with better sexual functioning, i.e., more sexual desire and arousal, better vaginal lubrication or erection, greater ability to reach orgasm, and more satisfaction with orgasm. On the other hand, the negative attitude towards masturbation was negatively associated with orgasm satisfaction, in both sexes, and erection in men, so that the greater the negative attitude, the greater the orgasmic dissatisfaction, and the worse the erection. As for erotophilia, as a general sexual attitude, it had no explanatory capacity in women, while in men it played a secondary role, facilitating erection and the ability to have an orgasm.

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Photo by Claudia Love on Unsplash

Photo by Claudia Love on Unsplash

Why is it important?

These results indicate that specific sexual attitudes would be more sensitive variables than the general attitude towards sexuality (i.e., erotophilia) in examining sexual health, with the positive attitude towards sexual fantasies being especially relevant, constituting a fundamental element in the understanding of sexual functioning.

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