Individual Differences in Testosterone and Self-Control Predict Compulsive Sexual Behavior Proneness in Young Males

Frontiers in Psychology

Marieke Dewitte¹  Alexander T. Sack²  Teresa Schuhmann²  Geraldine Rodríguez-Nieto³ 

[1] Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands;Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands;Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands;Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium;

关键词: sexual compulsivity;    testosterone;    self-control;    compulsive sexual behavior;    sexual excitation;    sexual inhibition;    intercourse;    masturbation;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.723449

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The ability to control sexual urges and impulses is essential to achieve individual and social harmony. Failing to regulate sexual behavior can lead to the interference with daily life goals, sexual diseases transmission and moral violations, among others. The dual control model of sexual response proposes that an imbalance between sexual excitation and sexual inhibition mechanisms may lead to sexual dysregulation, thereby explaining problematic sexual behavior. Interindividual differences in self-control and testosterone levels are likely to modulate sexual regulation mechanisms, but these individual features have scarcely been studied in the context of compulsive sexual behavior. This study investigated the role of sexual excitation and inhibition, self-control and testosterone levels in predicting individuals’ proneness to display compulsive sexual behavior. Seventy healthy young males provided a saliva sample for testosterone measurements and filled in questionnaires on self-control, sexual excitation, sexual inhibition, sexual compulsivity and sexual behavior. High testosterone levels and low self-control were associated with higher sexual compulsivity scores. Additionally, testosterone levels and sexual inhibition negatively predicted the frequency of sexual behavior with a partner. The results of our study highlight the joint role of psychological traits and testosterone levels in compulsive sexual behavior proneness, providing implications regarding the prevention and treatment of this condition in young males.

【 授权许可】

CC BY