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Abstract

Erectile measures have proved to be a useful means of assessing sex offenders (paraphiliacs). However, subject characteristics may limit the validity of these measures. Sex guilt, a cognitive, dispositional measure, has been found to be a predictor of sexual behavior. The Mosher Sex Guilt Scale was administered to over 60 paraphiliacs seeking assessment of their sexual interests. Sex guilt scores were compared to erection measures of deviant sexual interests in the psychophysiologic laboratory. Sex guilt was found to have no statistically significant effect on deviant sexual arousal. In conclusion, sex guilt appears to pose no threat to the validity of erectile measures in assessing paraphiliacs.

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References

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Sex Guilt and Paraphilic Sexual Arousal

Abstract

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