Week 8 Lecture: Erotica/Pornography & Sexual Fantasy

A collection of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key concepts related to sexual fantasies, pornography, and emotional responses as discussed in the lecture.

Sexual Fantasy

Mental imagery that is sexually arousing, which can vary from fleeting thoughts to elaborate narratives.

Core Component of Intra-psychic Scripts

Elements that turn someone on, types of sexual acts desired, and preferred partners for those acts.

Realistic Sexual Fantasy

A fantasy that could realistically occur and is desired by the fantasizer.

Unrealistic Sexual Fantasy

A fantasy that is unlikely or impossible, yet desired.

Undesired Unrealistic Fantasy

sexual fantasy that is unlikely or impossible to happen, and is not desired by the fantasizer (e.g., non-consensual scenarios).

Erotophobia

A sense of disgust or fear about sex or sexual intimacy, negatively affecting perceptions of one’s own fantasies.

Erotophilia

A positive attitude towards sex and sexuality, often associated with increased fantasy engagement.

Fantastical Elements

Imaginary components in a fantasy that may provoke arousal but are not based on reality.

Guilt in Sexual Fantasies

The feeling of shame that approximately 25% of individuals experience about their sexual fantasies.

Daydreaming

The act of engaging in spontaneous thoughts that may include sexual fantasies during routine activities.

Extradyadic Fantasies

Fantasies about individuals outside one's romantic or sexual partner.

Cisgender

Individuals whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Self-disclosure

The act of revealing personal fantasies to a partner, which may enhance intimacy.

Heat Map Analysis

A visual representation used to show the frequency of different kinds of fantasies experienced by gender groups.

Fantasy Endorsement

The degree to which individuals approve or identify with various sexual fantasies.

Submission Fantasy

A fantasy involving non-consensual scenarios where one is forced or compelled to engage in sexual acts.

Dominance Fantasy

A fantasy involving control over another individual, often in a sexual context.

Disclosure Motivation

Reasons individuals choose to share their fantasies with partners, often for enhancement of sexual experience.

Concealment Motivation

Reasons individuals choose to hide their fantasies from partners, often due to perceived stigma.

Cross-Cultural Research Limitations

Challenges in gathering representative samples across different cultures for studying sexual fantasies.

Correlational Research

Studies that examine relationships between two variables but do not imply causation.

Aggression and Pornography

Investigates the relationship between exposure to pornography and aggressive behaviors.

Gender Differences in Fantasies

Variations in the types of sexual fantasies preferred between different genders.

Joint Use of Pornography

When couples use pornography together, which may impact their sexual satisfaction positively.

Pornography

Sexually explicit material intended to arouse, varying greatly in definition across cultures.

Erotica

Artworks that deal with erotic themes, often focused on the romantic aspect of sexuality.

Daily Diary Method

A research approach where participants record experiences or thoughts daily over a given period.

Positive Partner Reactions

Over 80% of individuals reported that their partners reacted positively to disclosed fantasies.

Prevalence of Sexual Fantasies

Over 95%95% of men and women report experiencing sexual fantasies.

Onset Age of Sexual Fantasies

Fantasies typically begin between ages 11−1311−13, with men often starting earlier and more regularly than women.

Age-Related Fantasy Frequency

The frequency of sexual fantasies tends to decline with age.

Stability of Fantasy Content

Research suggests that the content of sexual fantasies has remained relatively consistent over the past 5050 years.

Challenges in Studying Fantasies

Difficulties due to convenience samples (e.g., young college students, heterosexual focus), selection bias (e.g., sex-positive participants), response bias (e.g., honesty, memory issues), and lack of consistent measures.

Challenges in Studying Fantasies

Difficulties due to convenience samples (e.g., young college students, heterosexual focus), selection bias (e.g., sex-positive participants), response bias (e.g., honesty, memory issues), and lack of consistent measures.

Primary Motivation for Sexual Fantasies

Difficulties due to convenience samples (e.g., young college students, heterosexual focus), selection bias (e.g., sex-positive participants), response bias (e.g., honesty, memory issues), and lack of consistent measures.

Primary Motivation for Sexual Fantasies

To stimulate or enhance sexual arousal.

Other Purposes of Sexual Fantasy

Can include escape, stress relief, boredom, an outlet for exploring sexuality free from restraint, or fulfilling non-sexual psychological needs.

Ravishment Fantasy

A fantasy involving non-consensual scenarios (e.g., physical force, threat, incapacitation) where the fantasizer retains control and assigns meaning; often a preferred term for what was previously called 'rape fantasy' in women

Prevalence of Ravishment Fantasies

Relatively common for women, reported by over 40%40% and often ranking in their top 1010 (or top 33 for frequent fantasizers).

Double Standard in Fantasy Interpretation

Women's ravishment fantasies are generally viewed as not implying real-world desire, while men's fantasies of dominating women have historically been interpreted as signs of pathology or criminal intent.

Overall Fantasy Disclosure Rate

Approximately 70%70% of individuals disclose their sexual fantasies to a partner.

Common Disclosed Fantasy Themes

Power and control/rough sex, group sex/novelty, and passion/romantic fantasies.

Primary Concealment Motivation

Related to the type or content of the fantasy, often due to perceived negative partner reaction or stigma.

Identity-Driven Disclosure

Sharing fantasies to reveal aspects of one's identity, such as interest in BDSM or sexual orientation.

Identity-Driven Disclosure

Sharing fantasies to reveal aspects of one's identity, such as interest in BDSM or sexual orientation.

Impact of Dyadic Fantasy

Fantasizing about one's partner can lead to higher sexual desire and increased engagement in relationship-promoting behaviors.

Overall Impact of Sexual Fantasies on Relationships

Sexual fantasies can be beneficial for relationships, shaping inner desires and intimate dynamics, and potentially improving relational connections.

Pornography Use Prevalence (Men)

Over 95%95% report ever using, with 50−75%50−75% using regularly (3−43−4 times/month).

Pornography Use Prevalence (Women)

Over 75%75% report ever using, with 25%25% or more using regularly (less than 11 time/month), and an increasing trend.

Predictors of Pornography Use (Men)

Younger age, non-heterosexual identity, less religiosity, single status, fewer children, depression, lower relationship commitment, and higher relationship aggression.

Predictors of Pornography Use (Women)

Similar to men but not depression; also higher sex drive and earlier onset of sexual experience.

Motivations for Pornography Use

To promote arousal, sexual stimulation (especially with masturbation), for fun, curiosity, to learn new ideas, and to strengthen couple relationships.

Context of Porn Use (Men vs. Women)

Men typically use pornography in a solitary context for entertainment and masturbation, often starting at a younger age (10+10+); women more often use it in a couple context or engage with erotic novels.

Pornography and Sexism (Correlational)

Men's self-reported porn usage is correlated with benevolent sexism (beliefs women need protection) and hostile sexism (outward aggression towards women).

Experimental Findings on Porn & Aggression

Inconsistent results, with some small effects on non-sexual aggression; nudity alone may decrease aggression. Effects are often negligible, temporary, and hard to generalize.

Positive Perceived Effects of Porn

Can serve as an individual outlet when sex is unavailable or desire levels differ, facilitate arousal, provide new ideas for sexual experimentation, and improve sexual communication.

Negative Perceived Effects of Porn

Can create unrealistic expectations (e.g., body image, sexual behavior), decrease interest in partnered sex, and lead to personal insecurity due to social comparison.

Impact of Joint Porn Use

Couples who use pornography together generally report the highest sexual satisfaction compared to other groups.

Impact of Joint Porn Use

Couples who use pornography together generally report the highest sexual satisfaction compared to other groups.

Cross-Partner Effects of Porn Use

Men's porn use tends to reduce relationship satisfaction for women, while women's porn use shows a positive or neutral association with men's relationship satisfaction.

Gendered Impact of Partner Porn Use Explanation

Women's anxiety and social comparisons are often triggered by a partner's porn use, while men are often aroused/excited by their partner's use without similar threats.

Pornography Use & Relationship Satisfaction (Daily Diary)

For women, porn use is associated with higher desire and increased sexual activity; for men, it's associated with lower partner sexual desire and lower partner sexual activity in mixed-sex relationships. Unrelated to relationship satisfaction in all cases.

Limitations of Short-Term Porn Exposure Studies

Experimental exposure may reduce satisfaction with a partner's appearance, sexual performance, curiosity, and affection, but these effects are often limited to short-term, uncommitted relationships and pre-selected content.

General Conclusions on Pornography

Exposure may increase aggression for at-risk individuals, few gender differences exist (except in use rates), effects on relationships are equivocal/small and may not generalize longitudinally, and findings are specific to commercially produced porn.

Sexual fantasies tend to decline with age. 

true

Sexual fantasies have become much more violent and focused on themes of submission and dominance in the last 50 years. 

False

The study by Anzani and Prunas (2020) on the content of cisgender (men and women) and nonbinary participants' sexual fantasies demonstrated that there is         [ Select ]      ["some", "no", "complete"]  overlap among the three groups, that dominance and control fantasies are about equal across all three groups, and that cisgender men are         [ Select ]      ["equally", "less", "more"]  likely to fantasize about group sex than nonbinary participants and cisgender women.

Answer 1:

some

Answer 2:

dominance and control

Answer 3:

more

Kimberley (2025) studied whether people disclosed or concealed their fantasies and how their partner reacted, or how they anticipated they would react in the case of concealed fantasies. What can we conclude from their research?

Telling your partner about your fantasies is usually met with favourable reactions, and much less negative than you might have predicted.