The experimental analysis of human sexual arousal: Some recent developments.
Sexual arousal can be driven by language relations, so check your client’s verbal history, not just physical stimuli.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Jones et al. (1998) wrote a theory paper. They asked how sexual arousal can come from words alone.
The authors used Relational Frame Theory (RFT). RFT says humans link words in new ways without direct training.
What they found
The paper does not give new data. It shows a map: sexual cues can be created by language relations.
In plain words, a person can feel turned on just by hearing a name that has been paired with sexy pictures.
How this fits with other research
Salzinger (2003) widens the same lens. Where B et al. looked at arousal, Kurt shows the RFT view covers all verbal behavior.
Belisle et al. (2022) take the next step. They plug RFT relations into ACT sessions to boost client flexibility.
Williams (1996) set the stage earlier. That paper pushed behavioral momentum as a general rule; B et al. add RFT-derived relations as another general rule for sexual responding.
Why it matters
If language alone can build sexual stimulus power, your assessments need to track client histories with words, not just physical pairings. Ask what names, stories, or texts have been linked to sexual reinforcement. Then plan interventions that retrain or enrich those verbal relations.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Experimental analyses of human sexual arousal have been decidedly sparse. Recent developments in the analysis of derived relational responding, however, have opened the way for a modern behavior-analytic treatment of complex or "novel" human behavior, including specific instances of human sexual arousal. The current article examines some of these developments and their relevance to the analysis of emotional behavior, with a focus on sexual arousal. Recent research that has examined the acquisition of sexual stimulus functions within a relational frame paradigm is then outlined. Finally, a series of relational frame interpretations of a variety of human sexual arousal phenomena is offered.
The Behavior analyst, 1998 · doi:10.1007/BF03392779