Sexual concordance

Sexual concordance refers to the degree of correlation between subjective sexual arousal and physiological genital response. ^{[1] [2]} This phenomenon is often studied within the fields of sexology and psychology to understand the complex relationship between the mind and body during sexual activity.

Overview

Sexual concordance examines how closely an individual's reported feelings of sexual arousal align with measurable physical signs of arousal, such as genital blood flow or even orgasm. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} Research indicates that there is often a significant difference between subjective and physiological sexual arousal, which can vary based on factors such as gender, sexual orientation, and individual properties. Such incongruity is called arousal non-concordance.

Measurement Methods

Sexual arousal can be measured through various subjective and objective methods:

• Subjective: Self-reported questionnaires and interviews where individuals rate their level of sexual arousal.
• Objective: Physiological methods such as penile plethysmography (for men), vaginal photoplethysmography (for women), and thermography. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Research Findings

Research has found differing patterns of sexual concordance among different groups:

• Gender differences: Studies generally show that men tend to have higher sexual concordance than women, meaning men's subjective arousal often closely matches their physiological arousal. Women's subjective and physiological arousal, however, are often less closely aligned. ^{[10] [11]}
• Sexual orientation: Sexual concordance can also vary with sexual orientation. For example, heterosexual and homosexual individuals may show different patterns of alignment between their subjective and physiological sexual responses. ^[8]
• Individual variability: Factors such as psychological state, relationship satisfaction, and cultural background can influence sexual concordance.

Proposed Explanations

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the phenomenon of sexual concordance and its greater variability in women compared to men:

• Genital protection hypothesis: One prominent theory suggests that the discrepancy between subjective and physiological sexual arousal in women serves an evolutionary function. According to this hypothesis, increased genital blood flow in women, even in the absence of subjective arousal, might protect the genital tissues from injury during non-consensual intercourse, such as rape. ^{[3] [8]}

See also

• Sexual arousal

References

1. Suschinsky, Kelly D.; Dawson, Samantha J.; Chivers, Meredith L. (2017). "Assessing the Relationship Between Sexual Concordance, Sexual Attractions, and Sexual Identity in Women" . Archives of Sexual Behavior. 46 (1): 179–192. doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0874-4. PMID   27848042.
2. Bradford, Andrea; Meston, Cindy M. (2006). "The impact of anxiety on sexual arousal in women". Behaviour Research and Therapy. 44 (8): 1067–1077. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2005.08.006. PMC   2857771 . PMID   16199003.
3. "Rape Myths: Vaginal Arousal, Lubrication, and Orgasm in Female Sexual Assault". Westland Academy of Clinical Sex Therapy. Archived from the original on 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
4. Beth, Dr Lori (2018-04-25). "Sex Spoken Here: Arousal Non concordance". Dr Lori Beth Bisbey. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
5. Kelly D. Suschinsky, Meredith L. Chivers (2018). "The Relationship Between Sexual Concordance and Orgasm Consistency in Women". The Journal of Sex Research. 55 (6) (Journal of Sex Research ed.): 704–718. doi:10.1080/00224499.2018.1426713. ISSN   1559-8519. PMID   29419318.
6. Stephanie Therrien, Lori A. Brotto (August 2016). "A critical examination of the relationship between vaginal orgasm consistency and measures of psychological and sexual functioning and sexual concordance in women with sexual dysfunction" . The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. 25 (2) (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality ed.): 109–118. doi:10.3138/cjhs.252-A2. ISSN   1188-4517.
7. Chivers, M. L.; Seto, M. C.; Lalumière, M. L.; Laan, E.; Grimbos, T. (2010). "Agreement of self-reported and genital measures of sexual arousal in men and women: A meta-analysis". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 39 (1): 5–56. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9556-9. PMC   2811244 . PMID   20049519.
8. Peterson, Zoë D.; Janssen, Erick; Laan, Ellen (2010). "Women's Sexual Responses to Heterosexual and Lesbian Erotica: The Role of Stimulus Intensity, Affective Reaction, and Sexual History" . Archives of Sexual Behavior. 39 (4): 880–897. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9546-y. PMID   19856092.
9. Velten, Julia; Chivers, Meredith L.; Brotto, Lori A. (2018). "Does Repeated Testing Impact Concordance Between Genital and Self-Reported Sexual Arousal in Women?" . Archives of Sexual Behavior. 47 (3): 651–660. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-1076-4. PMID   28929390.
10. Suschinsky, K. D.; Lalumière, M. L.; Chivers, M. L. (2009). "Sex difference in patterns of genital sexual arousal: Measurement artifact or true phenomenon?". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 38 (4): 559–573. doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9339-8. PMID   18343987. S2CID   20223008.
11. Suschinsky, Kelly D.; Lalumière, Martin L.; Chivers, Meredith L. (2009). "Sex Differences in Patterns of Genital Sexual Arousal: Measurement Artifacts or True Phenomena?" . Archives of Sexual Behavior. 38 (4): 559–573. doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9339-8. PMID   18343987.