Correlates of fantasy-induced and film-induced male sexual arousal.

Penile circumference and subjective arousal were recorded while 66 men attempted to achieve erection by engaging in fantasy. Similar measures were taken while the same men viewed an erotic film. Not only was fantasy-induced sexual arousal relatively unrelated to film-induced sexual arousal, but the two sets of measures had different correlates. Over and above the contribution attributable to demographic and state variables, the subjects' rated level of fantasy during masturbation and their scores on the Betts QMI Scales predicted significant variance in subjective and physiological arousal. Subjects with low and high levels of fantasy-induced sexual arousal were differentiated on the basis of the vividness of their mental imagery as well as the frequency with which they used the most erotic sexual fantasies when attempting to achieve erection. In contrast to fantasy-induced arousal, film-induced arousal levels were independent of a person's capacity to form images.