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Schizophrenia Research Oct 2023Social anhedonia is considered a key feature of schizophrenia that leads to impaired social functioning. Although traditional laboratory measures assess non-current... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Social anhedonia is considered a key feature of schizophrenia that leads to impaired social functioning. Although traditional laboratory measures assess non-current social pleasure, researchers have begun using experience sampling methods (ESM) to measure current, or consummatory, experiences of social pleasure in daily life. A recent meta-analysis examined deficits in consummatory social pleasure in schizophrenia and found vast heterogeneity in effect sizes across ESM studies. Thus, this meta-analysis aimed to extend those results by testing moderators of this effect. Meta-analysis of 14 ESM studies suggests those with psychotic disorders exhibit a moderate deficit in consummatory social pleasure compared to healthy controls. Yet, this effect was significantly moderated by the type of measure used to assess social pleasure. Measures that directly assessed positive emotional experience during socialization yielded small effects that failed to reach significance; indirect measures of other social factors related to pleasure yielded large, significant effects. This suggests daily social anhedonia observed in psychotic disorders is not due to reduced experience of positive emotion. Instead, social anhedonia may be driven by other elements of social functioning. Most clinical variables did not influence effects, but there was a trend such that patient groups with lower cognitive functioning exhibited greater pleasure deficits. Inconsistent reporting across studies limited our ability to examine other real-world variables that may contribute to deficits in social pleasure. Yet, results show different ESM items used to measure social pleasure do not assess the same construct. Future research is needed to validate ESM measures and standardize protocols across studies.
Topics: Humans; Schizophrenia; Pleasure; Anhedonia; Ecological Momentary Assessment; Schizophrenic Psychology
PubMed: 37625224
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.08.009 -
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aug 2021Compared to studies on sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention, sexual pleasure has received limited attention in the adolescent sexual development...
Compared to studies on sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention, sexual pleasure has received limited attention in the adolescent sexual development literature. In the present study, we used data from 157 adolescents (66 females; 14 to 17 years old), with a partnered sexual experience in the past 12 months to explore adolescents' sexual pleasure. First, we examined adolescents' perceptions of pleasure during their most recent partnered sexual experience. We then used information about those sexual experiences to identify correlates of sexual pleasure. Adolescents' reports of sexual pleasure were mixed. Although 17.8% reported their sexual experience was extremely pleasurable and 36.5% reported it was quite pleasurable, 26.6% indicated moderate pleasure, 13.1% a little pleasure, and 3.3% reported no pleasure. Sexual pleasure was primarily associated with aspects of sexual experiences that reflected socioemotional intimacy and desire. Specifically, cuddling with partners, emotional intimacy, and wantedness were all associated with greater sexual pleasure. Additionally, adolescents found sex more pleasurable when it occurred with a friend, but less pleasurable when it involved genital rubbing. Most sexual behaviors, having experienced orgasm, and the situational context of sexual experiences were not associated with sexual pleasure. Thus, specific sexual behaviors and orgasm may have less impact on sexual pleasure than feelings of emotional intimacy and desire. The diversity of perceived sexual pleasure and its associations with intimacy and desire suggest that, during adolescence, partnered sexual experiences are not primarily motivated by anticipated physical pleasure.
Topics: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Orgasm; Pleasure; Pregnancy; Probability; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Partners
PubMed: 34373980
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02026-4 -
Physics of Life Reviews Aug 2018The recent surge of interest towards the paradoxical pleasure produced by sad music has generated a handful of theories and an array of empirical explorations on the... (Review)
Review
The recent surge of interest towards the paradoxical pleasure produced by sad music has generated a handful of theories and an array of empirical explorations on the topic. However, none of these have attempted to weigh the existing evidence in a systematic fashion. The present work puts forward an integrative framework laid out over three levels of explanation - biological, psycho-social, and cultural - to compare and integrate the existing findings in a meaningful way. First, we review the evidence pertinent to experiences of pleasure associated with sad music from the fields of neuroscience, psychophysiology, and endocrinology. Then, the psychological and interpersonal mechanisms underlying the recognition and induction of sadness in the context of music are combined with putative explanations ranging from social surrogacy and nostalgia to feelings of being moved. Finally, we address the cultural aspects of the paradox - the extent to which it is embedded in the Western notion of music as an aesthetic, contemplative object - by synthesising findings from history, ethnography, and empirical studies. Furthermore, we complement these explanations by considering the particularly significant meanings that sadness portrayed in art can evoke in some perceivers. Our central claim is that one cannot attribute the enjoyment of sadness fully to any one of these levels, but to a chain of functionalities afforded by each level. Each explanatory level has several putative explanations and its own shift towards positive valence, but none of them deliver the full transformation from a highly negative experience to a fully enjoyable experience alone. The current evidence within this framework ranges from weak to non-existent at the biological level, moderate at the psychological level, and suggestive at the cultural level. We propose a series of focussed topics for future investigation that would allow to deconstruct the drivers and constraints of the processes leading to pleasurable music-related sadness.
Topics: Affect; Biological Evolution; Humans; Music; Pleasure
PubMed: 29198528
DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2017.11.016 -
Journal of Psychiatric Research Feb 2020Recent conceptual frameworks propose anhedonia reflects abnormalities in the temporal dynamics of positive emotion in schizophrenia, characterized by intact consummatory... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Recent conceptual frameworks propose anhedonia reflects abnormalities in the temporal dynamics of positive emotion in schizophrenia, characterized by intact consummatory and impaired anticipatory pleasure. A comprehensive meta-analysis can directly test this theory using self-report data.
METHOD
A meta-analysis was performed on studies reporting Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) data from healthy controls and schizophrenia or schizotypy groups. The TEPS was examined as it contains subscales to measure both consummatory and anticipatory pleasure separately. Statistical heterogeneity and study bias were examined. Meta-regressions evaluated moderators.
RESULTS
53 studies were retrieved (7,797 participants). Results revealed small effect sizes for comparisons of combined schizophrenia/schizotypy and control groups for both consummatory and anticipatory pleasure. Within-group comparisons of pleasure conditions were nonsignificant. The percentage of male schizophrenia/schizotypy participants significantly moderated anticipatory and consummatory pleasure for the combined sample and schizotypy alone; male participants were found to report reduced pleasure. There was only minor evidence of bias; sensitivity analysis confirmed result robustness. Exploratory outlier removal for schizophrenia within-group pleasure comparisons revealed a statistically significant difference between reported anticipatory and consummatory pleasure, with consummatory pleasure reduced relative to anticipatory (i.e., in the opposite direction of the majority of experimental research findings).
CONCLUSIONS
These findings provided only modest support for the temporal dynamics of positive emotion conceptualization because they revealed no evidence for: 1) specific anticipatory pleasure deficits in schizophrenia-spectrum participants compared to controls; 2) significant reductions in anticipatory pleasure relative to consummatory pleasure in schizophrenia-spectrum participants.
Topics: Anhedonia; Anticipation, Psychological; Humans; Pleasure; Schizophrenia; Schizotypal Personality Disorder
PubMed: 31783235
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.11.007 -
The Journal of Sexual Medicine Feb 2023The effects of male circumcision on sexual function remain controversial. Heterogeneity across previous studies and low-quality scientific evidence have resulted in poor...
BACKGROUND
The effects of male circumcision on sexual function remain controversial. Heterogeneity across previous studies and low-quality scientific evidence have resulted in poor understanding of the effects of circumcision on erogenous sensation of the penis and orgasm function.
AIM
In this study we sought to describe and assess differences in erogenous genital sensation and reported orgasm function in circumcised compared with uncircumcised men.
METHODS
Adult male subjects who were recruited on a paid anonymous online survey platform were shown illustrations of 12 anatomic regions of the penis. Subjects were prompted to designate regions as pleasurable when touched during partnered sex and to rate each on a 1-10 scale, with higher erogeneity scores correlating with greater pleasure. Subjects were also asked to characterize their orgasms across 6 experiential domains.
OUTCOMES
Outcomes were differences between circumcised and uncircumcised men in the probabilities that regions would be designated as pleasurable, average pleasure scores, and self-reported orgasm parameters.
RESULTS
In total, 227 circumcised (mean [SD] age 46.6 [17.7] years) and 175 uncircumcised men (47.8 [18.1] years) completed the survey. There were no significant differences in average ratings across all regions between circumcised and uncircumcised men. However, significantly more circumcised men reported preferences for the tip of the penis (38% vs 17%, P = .02) and the middle third of the ventral penile shaft (63% vs 48%, P = .04). Additionally, there were no significant differences in orgasm quality and function across all queried domains between circumcised and uncircumcised cohorts.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Our findings suggest that circumcision does not change how men describe erogenous genital sensation or how they experience orgasm.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
In this study we expanded upon existing literature regarding comparison of sexual function in circumcised and uncircumcised men in its scale and investigation of diverse domains. Limitations include the survey format of data collection.
CONCLUSION
We found no differences in reported erogenous ratings or orgasm function between circumcised and uncircumcised men. These findings suggest that male circumcision does not negatively impact penile erogeneity or orgasm function.
Topics: Adult; Male; Humans; Middle Aged; Circumcision, Male; Pleasure; Penis; Touch; Orgasm
PubMed: 36763960
DOI: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdac032 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Jan 2020The unmyelinated C-tactile afferents system holds a hedonic function in touch experiences, shaping social functioning in the so-called affective touch hypothesis.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The unmyelinated C-tactile afferents system holds a hedonic function in touch experiences, shaping social functioning in the so-called affective touch hypothesis. Despite the fact that females are recognized as more sensitive to discriminative aspects of touch and respond more positively to touch than men, sex differences in the perception of affective touch have not been extensively investigated. We aimed to fill this gap by meta-analyzing existing studies on this topic. Thirteen studies were eligible and pooled effect sizes (Hedges' g) were compared. Random effect models were used. Results, which are not influenced by publication bias, show that there is a sex asymmetry in the pleasantness perceived during an affective tactile stimulation, with females showing higher pleasantness ratings than males. The size of the association does not vary as a function of sex distribution, age and methodological quality. Hormonal as well as evolutionary differences related to the caregiving and nurturing function of females may explain sex differences in affective touch. Results are limited by the small number of studies included in the meta-analysis.
Topics: Affect; Female; Humans; Male; Pleasure; Sex Characteristics; Touch Perception
PubMed: 31614152
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.037 -
Journal of Experimental Psychology.... Mar 2020Participants conflate consent and wantedness when judging situations as rape (Peterson & Muehlenhard, 2007). Pleasure might also affect how such situations might be...
Participants conflate consent and wantedness when judging situations as rape (Peterson & Muehlenhard, 2007). Pleasure might also affect how such situations might be appraised by victims, perpetrators, and jurors. In four experiments, participants read vignettes describing sexual encounters that were consensual or not, wanted or unwanted, and pleasurable or not pleasurable. Participants judged whether they thought each situation described rape and how distressing they thought the encounter would be. Wantedness affected perceived distress when consent was given. Wantedness and pleasure also influenced whether participants considered the situation rape in nonconsensual scenarios. In additional experiments, we analyzed the results by gender, manipulated perspective (being the subject or initiator of the encounter), levels of aggression, and compared the results to a group of participants who had viewed an antiabuse campaign. Male participants and those higher in benevolent sexism were more likely than women to utilize pleasure and wantedness in judging whether situations described rape. Perspective and viewing the media campaign did not significantly affect judgments of rape. Our results have implications for models of the consequences of consent, wantedness, and pleasure of sex, and important implications for educational programs aimed at reducing sexual assault and training for those involved in criminal justice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Adult; Crime Victims; Female; Humans; Informed Consent; Judgment; Male; Pleasure; Rape; Sexual Behavior; Stress, Psychological; Young Adult
PubMed: 31033317
DOI: 10.1037/xap0000221 -
The International Journal on Drug Policy Nov 2017
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Humans; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Philosophy; Pleasure; Politics
PubMed: 29126519
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.10.001 -
Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology &... Jun 2024The ability to experience pleasurable sexual activity is important for human health. Receptive anal intercourse (RAI) is a common, though frequently stigmatized,... (Review)
Review
The ability to experience pleasurable sexual activity is important for human health. Receptive anal intercourse (RAI) is a common, though frequently stigmatized, pleasurable sexual activity. Little is known about how diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus and their treatments affect RAI. Engaging in RAI with gastrointestinal disease can be difficult due to the unpredictability of symptoms and treatment-related toxic effects. Patients might experience sphincter hypertonicity, gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety, altered pelvic blood flow from structural disorders, decreased sensation from cancer-directed therapies or body image issues from stoma creation. These can result in problematic RAI - encompassing anodyspareunia (painful RAI), arousal dysfunction, orgasm dysfunction and decreased sexual desire. Therapeutic strategies for problematic RAI in patients living with gastrointestinal diseases and/or treatment-related dysfunction include pelvic floor muscle strengthening and stretching, psychological interventions, and restorative devices. Providing health-care professionals with a framework to discuss pleasurable RAI and diagnose problematic RAI can help improve patient outcomes. Normalizing RAI, affirming pleasure from RAI and acknowledging that the gastrointestinal system is involved in sexual pleasure, sexual function and sexual health will help transform the scientific paradigm of sexual health to one that is more just and equitable.
Topics: Humans; Rectal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Sexual Behavior; Anus Diseases; Pleasure; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological
PubMed: 38763974
DOI: 10.1038/s41575-024-00932-1 -
Trends in Cognitive Sciences Feb 2021Why do some people enjoy being afraid? A recent study by Andersen et al. found an inverted U-shaped relationship between fear and enjoyment, consistent with the theory...
Why do some people enjoy being afraid? A recent study by Andersen et al. found an inverted U-shaped relationship between fear and enjoyment, consistent with the theory that the pursuit of pleasurable fear is a form of play.
Topics: Emotions; Fear; Humans; Pleasure
PubMed: 33339736
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.12.001