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Cited by 339Sexuality, Behavior, and TechnologySexual function and dysfunction studiesEvolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

An integrative theoretical framework for understanding sexual motivation, arousal, and behavior

Toates, Frederick·2009·Journal of Sex Research
DOI 10.1080/00224490902747768
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Abstract

An integrative theoretical framework and model for understanding sexual motivation, arousal, and behavior is presented, combining the principles of incentive motivation theory and the hierarchical control of behavior. It is intended to stimulate discussion. The framework can serve as a "route map" in understanding the links between different component processes and their interactions, as well as the relations between different academic perspectives on understanding sexuality. It is suggested that both excitation and inhibition of sexual motivation, arousal, and behavior act at various levels in a hierarchical structure, and much confusion can be avoided by distinguishing these levels. The model integrates information from different branches of psychology: biological, evolutionary, clinical, cognitive, developmental, and social. It describes interactions between sexual behavior and anxiety, attachment, aggression, and drug taking; and it is applied to gender differences, evolutionary psychology, sexual deviancy, sexual addiction, and the biological bases of sexuality.

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Crossref · 10.1080/00224490902747768

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231 of 231 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Much evidence favors a dual-systems model of behavior, including sexual behavior.

    “Much evidence has been gathered to favor a dual-systems model of behavior (Pool & Sander, 2019;Strack and Deutsch, 2004), including sexual behavior (Toates, 2009(Toates, , 2014)).”

    From A motivation model of sex addiction – Relevance to the controversy over the concept (2022) · cites this paper as Toates, 2009

  • Toates fitted Janssen and Bancroft's types to dual control: fear of performance failure corresponds to stimulus-driven inhibition, and fear of performance consequences corresponds to goal-directed inhibition.

    “Toates (2009) fitted this to the notion of dual control, with Janssen and Bancroft's 'fear of performance failure' corresponding to stimulus-driven inhibition (e.g. a loud sound, foul odor, perception of erectile difficulty) (Box B), and 'fear of performance consequences' corresponding to goal-directed inhibition (e.g. a wish to retain fidelity) (Box D).”

    From A motivation model of sex addiction – Relevance to the controversy over the concept (2022) · cites this paper as Toates, 2009

  • Sexual desire does not emerge spontaneously but requires conscious effort, planning, and an intimate context to create opportunities for having sex.

    “That is, sexual desire does not emerge spontaneously, but requires conscious effort, planning, and an intimate context to create opportunities for having sex.16,17”

    From A Psychosocial Approach to Erectile Dysfunction: Position Statements from the European Society of Sexual Medicine (ESSM) (2021) · cites this paper as [17]

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Authors
Toates, F.
Affiliations
The Open University (GB)
Corresponding author
Toates, Frederick
Venue
Journal of Sex Research
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2009-03-17
Volume
46
Issue
2-3
Pages
168-193
ISSN
  • 0022-4499 (ISSN-L)
  • 1559-8519
DOI
10.1080/00224490902747768
OpenAlex
W2006544947
Cited by
339
References
232
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 7
FWCI
1.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journal of Sex Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Open Research Online (The Open University) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Keywords
sexual motivation, sexual arousal, sexual behavior, excitation and inhibition, anxiety, attachment, aggression, drug use, gender differences, evolutionary psychology, sexual deviance, sexual addiction
MeSH terms
Aggression, Anxiety, Arousal, Cognition, Female, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Models, Psychological, Motivation, Psychological Theory, Sexual Behavior, Social Behavior, Behavior, Addictive

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