Sexual Arousal and Aggression: Recent Experiments and Theoretical Issues

Despite considerable theorizing on the subject, empirical research focusing on hypothesized links between sexual arousal and aggression has been slow to follow. Recent studies have found that under differing experimental conditions there are both mutually facilitative and inverse relationships between sex and aggression. Available models designed to account for these findings are examined. An alternative model is proposed incorporating distinctions between hostile and assertive aggression and placing emphasis on the role of discriminative inhibitory and disinhibitory cues. Some implications and possible applications of this model for human sexual behavior are considered.