Heightened Sexual Attraction Under Conditions of High Anxiety

Key Researchers

• Donald G. Dutton and Arthur P. Aron
  • University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Overview of Study

• Hypothesis: Sexual attraction increases under conditions of high anxiety.
• Experiment Locations: Two bridges over the Capilano River, North Vancouver, Canada.
  • Experimental Bridge: Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge (fear-inducing)
  • Control Bridge: Solid wood bridge (non-fear-inducing)

Methodology

Experiment 1

• Subjects: Male passersby, age 18-35, unaccompanied by female companions.
• Procedure:
  • Males approached by an attractive female or male interviewer.
  • Asked to fill out a questionnaire including a Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) picture.
  • Interviewer offered her phone number for post-experiment contact.

Experiment 2

• Subjects: Males visiting the suspension bridge.
• Procedure: Similar to Experiment 1 but controlled for different subject populations.

Experiment 3

• Subjects: 80 male freshmen at the University of British Columbia.
• Procedure:
  • Lab setting with a male subject and a female confederate.
  • Anticipation of different shock levels.
  • Measured attraction and anxiety.

Results

Experiment 1

• Female Interviewer Results:
  • Higher sexual imagery scores and more phone calls from subjects on the fear-inducing bridge.
• Male Interviewer Results:
  • No significant difference in sexual imagery or phone calls between bridges.

Experiment 2

• Reaffirmed Experiment 1 Results:
  • Higher sexual imagery and more phone calls when approached after crossing the suspension bridge.

Experiment 3

• Higher Anxiety Correlation:
  • Higher attraction and sexual imagery scores when subjects expected strong shock.
  • No significant effect from female confederate's expected shock level.

Theoretical Implications

• Emotion-Sexual Attraction Link:
  • Strong emotions can be relabeled as sexual attraction.
  • Linked to Schachter's theory of emotion, suggesting environmental cues impact emotional labeling.

Discussion

• Support for Aggression-Sexuality Link:
  • Extends to fear-related conditions.
• Differences in Experimental Conditions:
  • Potential for different interpretations based on emotional states and subject behaviors.

References

• Studies by Barclay, Clark, Aron, and others supporting the theory of emotion and sexual attraction.
• Theories include cognitive labeling, self-perception, and emotion attribution.