The Psychophysiology of Sex: Finally a Book on Psychophysiology for the Sex Researcher

Abstract

In 2003, a group of approximately 30 experts and a handful of their students from several European and American countries held the first meeting exclusively dedicated to the discussion of sexual psychophysiology. The meeting of sexual psychophysiologists, sitting around a large circle of tables at the Kinsey Institute, provided the first opportunity for the researchers to openly discuss, criticize and add to each other's research. The consensus at the end of the session was unanimous; the meeting was a success and to provided a necessary step for the researchers in the field of sexual psychophysiology to integrate their research and to stimulate discussion on the methodological and theoretical directions for the future of the field. Janssen captured the excitement and the essence of the conference, distilling it into 527 pages under the title The Psychophysiology of Sex. The ability of the book to make the conference come alive for the reader lies in the wide variety of sources Janssen had access to. Unlike the special journal issues that typically cover conferences The Psychophysiology of Sex not only includes the papers presented at the conference, but also contains essays written by discussants that review and criticize the papers presented in each section. In addition, the book provides a verbatim recount of the open discussions of the researchers after each paper was verbally presented. Thanks to this format, readers feel like they are sitting next to Bancroft, Heiman, Geer, Everaerd and the others, and are therefore able to enjoy the stimulating exchanges and discussions that made the meeting particularly successful.The six topics discussed at the conference cover (1) the neurobiology of the sexual response, (2) theoretical perspectives, (3) learning processes and subjective experiences, (4) sexual motivation, (5) sexual function and dysfunction, and (6) gender, sexual orientation and paraphilia.It becomes evident starting from the first few papers on the neurobiology and the physiology of the sexual response (Part 1), that the field is still trying to gain a general understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying the sexual response. Gender differences in sexual responses remain unclear and the physiology of female sexuality is relatively mysterious compared to the more clearly delineated processes that regulate erection. The first section achieves a fine balance between Stolerau and Mouras' attempt to condense the literature on brain functioning into a comprehensible and meaningful story and Bancroft's careful discussion of conflicting results in such literature. An article that aims at providing a review of such a complex and intricate topic such as brain changes associated with the sexual response usually leaves the reader with either a too simplistic view of the topic, or the feeling that the results are too complicated and unintelligible. In this case, the integration of the review by Stolerau and Mouras and the discussion by Bancroft perfectly complement each other and leave the reader with a sense ...