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Relationship between orgasm experience and sexual excitation: validation of the model of the subjective orgasm experience

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 31, pages 282–287 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to provide validity evidence of the Model of the Subjective Orgasm Experience (MSOE) associating its components with different types of sexual excitation. A total of 96 participants (48 men and 48 women) performed an experimental laboratory task, in which neutral and erotic content films were presented while the genital response was registered. After exposure to sexual stimulus presentation, participants reported their subjective sexual arousal. In addition, four dimensions (affective, sensory, intimacy, and rewards) of the subjective orgasm experience and the individual propensity for sexual excitation were assessed. Results showed that, in men, the affective, sensory, and rewards dimensions of the orgasm experience significantly correlated with the propensity for becoming sexually excited, and the intimacy dimension correlated with the genital response. In women, the sensory dimension of the orgasm experience positively correlated with the subjective sexual arousal. Types of sexual excitation which previously correlated with the orgasm experience were able to predict its four dimensions. The validation of the MSOE provides a more delimited explanation of the psychological experience of orgasm applicable to both sexes. It is an adequate model for both clinical and research purposes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigación, Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento (CIMCYC), University of Granada, University Campus of Cartuja, Granada, s/n. 18011, Spain

    Ana I. Arcos-Romero, Reina Granados & Juan Carlos Sierra

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  1. Ana I. Arcos-Romero
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  2. Reina Granados
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  3. Juan Carlos Sierra
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Correspondence to Juan Carlos Sierra.

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Note: This research is part of the Doctoral Thesis of the first author. Psychology Doctoral Program (B13 56 1; RD 99/2011).

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Arcos-Romero, A., Granados, R. & Sierra, J.C. Relationship between orgasm experience and sexual excitation: validation of the model of the subjective orgasm experience. Int J Impot Res 31, 282–287 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-018-0095-6

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