A1 Journal article (refereed)
Real is the new sexy : the influence of perceived realness on self-reported arousal to sexual visual stimuli (2024)

Marini, M., Ansani, A., Demichelis, A., Mancini, G., Paglieri, F., & Viola, M. (2024). Real is the new sexy : the influence of perceived realness on self-reported arousal to sexual visual stimuli. Cognition and Emotion, 38(3), 348-360. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2023.2296581

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Marini, Marco; Ansani, Alessandro; Demichelis, Alessandro; Mancini, Giovanna; Paglieri, Fabio; Viola, Marco

Journal or series: Cognition and Emotion

ISSN: 0269-9931

eISSN: 1464-0600

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 16/01/2024

Volume: 38

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 348-360

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2023.2296581

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/93020

Abstract

As state-of-art technology can create artificial images that are indistinguishable from real ones, it is urgent to understand whether believing that a picture is real or not has some import over affective phenomena such as sexual arousal. Thus, in two pre-registered online studies, we tested whether 60 images depicting models in underwear elicited higher self-reported sexual arousal when believed to be (N = 57) or presented as (N = 108) real photographs as opposed to artificially generated. In both cases, Realness correlated with significantly higher scores on self-reported sexual arousal. Consistently with the literature on downregulation of emotional response to fictional works, our result indicates that sexual images that are perceived to be fake are less arousing than those believed to portray real people.

Keywords: fiction; artificial intelligence; photographic art; photographs; sexuality (sexual orientation)

Free keywords: artificially generated images; sexual arousal; fiction

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2024

Preliminary JUFO rating: 2