SEXUAL INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS OF COLLEGE-STUDENTS

Despite the fact that a substantial minority of individuals describe s exual thoughts that are perceived as unwanted and unacceptable, for th e most part sexuality researchers have not differentiated sexual thoug hts and fantasies that are perceived as positive by the respondent fro m those which are perceived as negative. At the same time, cognitive-b ehavioral researchers investigating intrusive thoughts-that is, unwant ed, sudden, and involuntary ego-dystonic thoughts and obsessions-have not distinguished those reflecting sexual themes from those reflecting other themes. The purpose of this study was to examine sexual intrusi ve thoughts in a nonclinical population. One hundred seventy-one colle ge students participated in the study and were administered measures a ssessing intrusive thoughts, psychological distress, and disposition t owards sexuality. Sexual intrusive thoughts were reported by 84% of pa rticipants. Compared to the women, the men reported a greater number o f different sexual intrusive thoughts, and marginally more frequent se xual intrusions. In addition, the men reported more frequent sexual in trusive thoughts involving some active, aggressive themes and less fre quent thoughts of being sexually victimized than did the women. Compar ed to the men, the women reported less sexual arousal in response to t heir most upsetting intrusive thought. Greater erotophilia, more frequ ent sexual daydreaming, and more frequent obsessive thoughts uniquely predicted the frequency of sexual intrusions. This indicates that sexu al intrusive thoughts are not just a result of general psychopathology or psychological distress, but also have a large sexual component. Tw o patterns of experiencing sexual intrusions are delineated.