Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1994

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Education

Major Professor

Charles L. Thompson

Abstract

This study was an exploration of the effect technician gender has on sexual arousal responses of male sexual offenders. The subjects were 65 adult male sexual offenders. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups; two which were experimental and differed only in the presentation of the independent variable and one which was a control group. All subjects were given two plethysmograph assessments within ten days. The two experimental groups were tested by a male and a female technician. The order of technician gender was randomly chosen. The control group was tested by a male technician on both occasions. Assessments were conducted following the guidelines established by the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (A.T.S.A.). Subjects were given questionnaires which asked subjects to rate the level of anxiety they experienced during the assessments. Galvanic skin responses were measured in addition to sexual arousal. Subjects' sexual arousal and GSR responses were monitored while they were presented with slide stimuli. Mean arousal responses were obtained for each of the ten stimulus categories. At-test was run on the means obtained from the male technician and the means obtained by the female technician to determine if there were significant differences.

Subjects demonstrated significantly higher arousal responses when assessed by a female technician to all stimulus categories. In contrast, arousal responses of subjects in the control group were not statistically different. In addition to the increased arousal responses, subjects assessed by a female technician took significantly longer to detumesce than subjects tested by a male technician.

Subjects self-reported feeling much more anxious with the female technician, however, galvanic skin responses (GSR) were compared using a t-test and were not significantly different. GSR responses decreased slightly during the subject's second assessment in two of the three groups.

The data strongly supports the hypothesis that technician gender affects arousal responses of male sexual offenders. Furthermore, data also supports the effect technician gender has on detumescence.

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