Some Evidence for Heightened Sexual Attraction Under Conditions of High Anxiety

Authors: Donald G. Dutton and Arthur P. AronPublished in: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1974, Vol. 30, No. 4, 510-517

Page 1: Introduction and Background

• Research Objective:

  • Investigate the relationship between anxiety and sexual attraction.

• Key Findings:

  • Male passersby on a fear-arousing suspension bridge exhibited greater sexual content in stories and a higher tendency to contact an attractive female interviewer compared to those on a non-fear-arousing bridge.

  • No significant differences were observed when the interviewer was male.

• Theoretical Implications:

  • Previous studies suggest a link between strong emotions (like fear and anger) and increased sexual attraction.

  • Theories by Schachter and Singer (1962) propose that environmental cues help label emotional states, which may apply to sexual attraction.

Page 2: Experiment 1

Methodology

• Subjects:

  • Males aged 18-35, unaccompanied by females, approached on two different bridges.

• Bridges:

  • Experimental Bridge: Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge (fear-inducing).

  • Control Bridge: Solid wood bridge (non-fear-inducing).

• Procedure:

  • Subjects approached by a female interviewer who asked them to fill out a questionnaire including a Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) picture.

  • Stories were scored for sexual content.

Results

• Arousal Manipulation Check:

  • Subjects on the experimental bridge reported significantly higher fear levels than those on the control bridge.

• Thematic Apperception Test Responses:

  • Experimental group had a mean sexual imagery score of 2.47 compared to 1.41 for the control group (p < .01).

• Behavioral Data:

  • Higher rates of phone number acceptance and calls to the female interviewer in the experimental group.

Page 3: Experiment 2

Methodology

• Subjects:

  • 34 males visiting the suspension bridge.

• Procedure:

  • Similar to Experiment 1, but control subjects were approached after a delay to avoid residual anxiety.

Results

• Thematic Apperception Test Responses:

  • Experimental group scored 2.99 in sexual imagery compared to 1.92 in the control group (p < .01).

• Behavioral Data:

  • Higher acceptance of phone numbers and calls in the experimental group, replicating findings from Experiment 1.

Page 4: Experiment 3

Methodology

• Subjects:

  • 80 male freshmen at the University of British Columbia.

• Procedure:

  • Subjects anticipated either a strong or weak electric shock while interacting with an attractive female confederate.

Results

• Anxiety Measurement:

  • Subjects expecting strong shock reported significantly higher anxiety.

• Attraction to Confederate:

  • Higher attraction ratings were associated with subjects expecting strong shock (F = 22.8, p < .001).

• Thematic Apperception Test Responses:

  • Higher sexual imagery scores when subjects expected strong shock and the female confederate also expected strong shock (F = 4.73, p < .05).

General Discussion

• Support for Emotion-Sexual Attraction Link:

  • Findings support the hypothesis that strong emotions, such as fear, can enhance sexual attraction.

• Theoretical Implications:

  • Results challenge traditional theories of interpersonal attraction, suggesting that negative emotional states can increase attractiveness rather than decrease it.

• Future Research Directions:

  • Further studies are needed to explore the mechanics of the anxiety-sexual attraction link and to clarify the role of emotional arousal in sexual attraction.

References

• A comprehensive list of studies and theories cited throughout the research, including works by Schachter, Aron, and Barclay, among others.

This note summarizes the key findings and methodologies of the research conducted by Dutton and Aron, highlighting the relationship between anxiety and sexual attraction through a