anxiety; attention; sexual dysfunctions; erotophobia; sexual arousal; cognitive interference; working memory; plethysmography; cognitive psychology; anxiété; dysfonctions sexuelles; érotophobie; excitation sexuelle; interférence cognitive; mémoire de travail; pléthysmographie; psychologie cognitive; ansiedad; atencion; disfunctiones sexuales; erotofobia; excitacion sexual; interferencia cognitiva; memoria de trabajo; pletismografia; psicologia cognitiva
Abstract :
[en] For ages, anxiety has been pointed out as the main etiological factor for sexual dysfunction. Since Wolpe, Masters & Johnson and Kaplan, the understanding of the influence of stress on sexual reactions has greatly evolved. This article retraces the milestones of such an evolution. In two decades, the reciprocal inhibitory theory has been replaced by a theory describing more accurately the complex relationship between anxiety and excitation. The combined development of plethysmography and cognitive psychology has greatly contributed to clarify this relationship. Indeed, the relationship between anxiety and sexual arousal appears more complex than originally recognized.
Plethysmography directly measures genital vasocongestion at presentation of erotic stimuli and thus permits an objective assessment of sexual arousal in varied circumstances (erotic, anxiety producing, neutral or distracting). In studies using this paradigm, anxiety appears to have a non linear influence on sexual arousal: sometimes it is inhibitory, other times it is facilitative.
Articulating the results obtained using plethysmography with the latest development in cognitive sciences, the following hypothesis came to mind: erotophobia could be considered of factor of vulnerability towards cognitive interference. In a sexual situation, erotophobic subjects focus primarily upon danger related information. This could engender a massive irruption of non erotic cues (non relevant task information) in working memory. Therefore, cognitive function available for sexual arousal would be diminished and sexual activity would be impaired. This hypothesis brings light onto the inhibitory effect of anxiety on sexual arousal among dysfunctional subjects. When this cognitive interference is not present, anxiety rather reinforces sexual arousal: either by increasing the focus of attention towards sexual cues or by misinterpreting the physiological reactions induced by the stressful situation as being sexual in origin. [fr] Depuis Wolpe, Masters & Johnson et Kaplan, qui considéraient l’anxiété et l’excitation sexuelle comme des états incompatibles, la compréhension de l’influence du stress sur les réactions sexuelles a beaucoup évolué. En deux décennies, on est passé d’une théorie centrée sur l’inhibition et les mécanismes physiologiques périphériques à une théorie insistant davantage sur la complexité des relations anxiété – excitation et sur des explicateurs cognitifs. Cette évolution se doit largement à l’essor des techniques pléthysmographiques et au développement concomitant de modèles généraux du fonctionnement cognitif humain. Le présent article en retrace les principaux jalons.
En fournissant une mesure directe des réactions génitales à la présentation de stimuli érotiques, la pléthysmographie a permis d’objectiver une influence non linéaire de l’anxiété sur l’excitation sexuelle : l’anxiété tantôt inhibe, tantôt facilite l’excitation. L’explication décisive de l’effet inhibiteur de l’anxiété semble être l’interférence cognitive dont elle s’accompagne chez certains sujets : leur attention se déplace vers des stimuli à caractère non érotique.
En articulant les observations réalisées à l’aide de techniques pléthysmographiques à des modèles développés par ailleurs dans le domaine de la psychologie cognitive, on parvient à la théorie suivante : l’érotophobie (disposition à associer des idées de danger à la sexualité) peut être considérée comme un facteur de vulnérabilité à l’interférence. En situation sexuelle, l’attention des sujets érotophobes tend à se porter sur des schémas de danger, ce qui provoque l’irruption massive en mémoire de travail d’informations à caractère non érotique. La part de ressources cognitives allouables à l’exécution de réactions sexuelles s’en trouve réduite, avec pour conséquence l’inhibition de celles-ci. En l’absence de ce mécanisme d’interférence, l’anxiété tend plutôt à renforcer l’excitation, soit parce qu’elle accroît l’attention portée aux stimuli érotiques, soit parce que les modifications physiologiques qui l’accompagnent sont perçues comme ayant une origine sexuelle. [es] Desde Wolpe, Master et Johnson y Kaplan, que consideraban la ansiedad y la
excitación sexual como estados imcompatibles entre si, la comprensión de la influencia del
estrés sobre las reacciones sexuales ha evolucionado mucho. En dos décadas, se ha pasado
de una teoría centrada sobre la inhibición recíproca y los mecanismos fisiológicos periféricos,
a una teoría que insiste más en la complejidad de las relaciones ansiedad-excitación y sobre
explicadores cognitivos. Esta evolución se debe ampliamente al desarrollo de las técnicas pletismográficas
y al desarrollo concomitante de los modelos generales del funcionamiento cognitivo
humano. El presente artículo muestra los principales hitos de su evolución. La pletismografía
mide directamente la vasocongestión genital frente a la exposición del individuo a estímulos
eróticos, lo que nos permite obtener una medida objetiva de la excitación sexual en variadas
circunstancias (eróticas, generadoras de ansiedad, neutrales o con distracción). Aplicándo ésta
técnica, la pletismografía ha permitido objetivar una influencia no lineal de la ansiedad sobre
la excitación sexual: Algunas veces la ansiedad inhibe y otras veces facilita la excitación sexual.
La explicación decisiva del efecto inhibidor de la ansiedad parece ser la interferencia cognitiva
que se produce en algunos inividuos que desplazan su atención hacia estímulos no eróticos.
Articulando las observaciones realizadas con la ayuda de técnicas pletismográficas a modelos
desarrollados en el campo de la psicología cognitiva, se llega a la siguiente teoría: la erotofobia
(disposición a asociar ideas de peligro a la sexualidad) puede ser considerada como un factor de
vulnerabilidd a la intereferencia. En una situación sexual, la atención de los sujetos erotofobos
tiende a dirigirse hacia representaciones de peligro, lo que provoca la aparición masiva en la
memoria de trabajo de informaciones con carácter no erótico. La parte de recursos cognitivos
dedicados a la ejecución de reacciones sexuales se encuentra reducida, teniendo por consecuencia
la inhibición de éstas. En ausencia de éste mecanismo de interferencia, la ansiedad
tiende más bien a reforzar la excitación, bien sea por que incrementa l a atención dirigida a los
estímulos eróticos, o por que las modificaciones fisiológicas que la acompa˜nan son percibidas
como de procedencia sexual.
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