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The Relationship Between Hypersexual Behavior, Sexual Excitation, Sexual Inhibition, and Personality Traits

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Abstract

The term hypersexuality was introduced to describe excessive sexual behavior associated with a person’s inability to control his or her sexual behavior. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of different personality traits on the degree of hypersexual behavior as measured by the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI). A further aim was to evaluate the association between sexual inhibition and excitation [as described in the Dual Control Model (DCM)] and hypersexual behavior. A sample of 1,749 participants completed an internet-based survey comprised the HBI, the short form of the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES-SF) as well as more general personality measures: the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System-scales (BIS/BAS-scales) and a short version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10). Using the recommended HBI cut-off, 6.0 % (n = 105) of the present sample could be categorized as hypersexual, which is comparable to the results of previous studies about the prevalence of hypersexual behavior in the general population. The results provided strong support for the components of the DCM—sexual excitation and inhibition—to explain hypersexual behavior, irrespective of gender and sexual orientation. Some of the general personality traits also showed significant relationships with hypersexual behavior. Taken together, the results of the present study provide further support for the relevance of research about the relationships between sexual problems and disorders, the DCM, and personality variables.

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Notes

  1. Because there are only two items for each subscale, we additionally provided the correlation coefficients between these two items for each subscale.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz (JGU), Binger Straße 14-16, 55122, Mainz, Germany

    Martin Rettenberger

  2. Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Martin Rettenberger, Verena Klein & Peer Briken

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Rettenberger, M., Klein, V. & Briken, P. The Relationship Between Hypersexual Behavior, Sexual Excitation, Sexual Inhibition, and Personality Traits. Arch Sex Behav 45, 219–233 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-014-0399-7

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