Date of Award

12-1987

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Frederick P. Gault

Second Advisor

Dr. Alan Poling

Third Advisor

Dr. Paul Mountjoy

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The effects of hemispheric asymmetry on the perception of erotic stimuli presented in either of the two visual fields was investigated. Freshmen and Sophomore college students, 20 males and 27 females, were used as subjects in the study. Subjects were bilaterally presented with combinations of erotic, neutral, and blank visual field stimuli using a "split visual field" procedure for a total of 96 200 msec. presentations. Subjects were asked to rate the presentations on a scale of 1 to 5; 1 was equal to neutral and 5 was equal to very erotic. Males and females rated erotic stimuli presented in either visual field without hemispheric asymmetry. It was concluded that there were no significant hemispheric differences between the male and female subjects. Some other interesting results were found, however, as a result of the present experiment. A main effect due to neutral stimuli paired with erotic stimuli was highly significant; the gender by blank or neutral paired with erotic stimuli interaction approached significance; and both males and females rated erotic stimuli presented alone in either visual field at approximately the same levels as presentations of erotic stimuli in both visual fields.

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS