Exploring Visual Attention to Erotic Stimuli Using Eye-Tracking Technology

Visual attention has been largely under-investigated in regard to sexuality, which is somewhat surprising given the relevance of visual sexual stimuli in experimental and real life situations. In the first direct test of eye-tracking technology to sex research, participants viewed erotic and matched non-erotic images of men and women while their eye movements were recorded (Lykins, Meana, & Kambe, 2006). Results indicated that eye movements changed in a consistent manner as a function of the erotic nature of the image, thus supporting the application of eye-tracking methodology as a measure of visual attentional capture in sexuality research. Two recent studies have specifically examined sex differences in visual attention to erotic stimuli. Consistent with findings in sexual arousal research, men's viewing patterns showed significantly greater category-specificity (i.e., looking almost exclusively at the female figure) than did women's, whose attention was evenly dispersed between male and female figures (Lykins, Meana, & Strauss, 2008). Rupp and Wallen (2007) report that hormonal contraceptives also affected visual attention. The current study used eye-tracking to discriminate visual attention between women with and without sexual dysfunction. Consistent with self-report, women with sexual problems were more distracted by non-sexual aspects of erotic images than controls. Future studies could use eye-tracking to test the relationship between visual attention and physiological response (e.g., pupilometry, plethysmography), or attention as it relates to sexual preferences.