Abstract
This research represents an initial attempt to extend Lang's (1979) bioinformational processing view of emotion to the realm of male sexuality-particularly psychogenic impotence. Sexually functional and sexually dysfunctional men received training in which they were shaped to incorporate physiological responses during imagery. Preceding and following this training, heart rate, penile tumescence, frontalis myotonia, and skin resistance were monitored while subjects imagined scenes differing in thematic content (fear, erotic, and neutral) and propositional structure (stimulus and/or response cues). In general, the results failed to replicate previous findings supporting this model. During fear scenes, only myotonia followed the predicted-inverted-V pattern in which an increase in responding occurred while listening to the scene, a greater response while imagining the scene, and a decrement in response once imagery ceased. Similar responding did not occur on heart rate, skin resistance, or tumescence. With the exception of myotonia, subjects failed to differentiate between the stimulus and the response cues embedded in scripts. Results are discussed in the context of Lang's (1979) model as it may apply to sexual dysfunction.
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Jones, J.C., Barlow, D.H. An investigation of Lang's bioinformational approach with sexually functional and dysfunctional men. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 11, 81–97 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00962701
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00962701