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20 July 2005
Bad Sex Linked To Thoughts Of Submission 
Less than satisfactory sex may be brought on by thoughts of submission, which can lower arousal, says a new study from the University of Michigan. The study, to appear in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, suggests that women, but not men, automatically associate sex with submission, and that this connection reduces the quality of their sexual experience. The researchers tested the subjects by showing target words associated with submission on a computer screen, preceded by subliminal primes (words with a specific connotation, in this case sex primes and neutral primes. e.g. sex and oven). The women's responses were on average faster when submissive words were preceded by a sex prime than by a neutral prime. "The faster response indicates the two concepts are related in women's minds," said researcher Amy Kiefer. Additionally, the quicker the response, the more likely the women were to report engaging in submissive sexual behavior. Worryingly, the findings show that women implicitly associate sex with submission and that this leads to a submissive sexual role, which in turn leads to lower arousal and difficulty becoming aroused. The researchers believe that this association lowers their arousal by reducing their sexual autonomy. Social norms promote deference to men, said the researchers. This message is constantly repeated by the media in magazines, television and movies that "commonly display male sexual dominance over women and female sexual submission to men," they said. The researchers suggest that women may have unconsciously picked up the message that they should be sexually submissive, raising the possibility that women have internalized societal pressure. "The more women reported engaging in submissive behaviors, the less arousal they reported experiencing from a range of sexual activities. The problem with submissive behavior seems to be that women don't experience these behaviors as authentic expressions of their selves. Submission to their partner's desires appears to undermine their ability to assert themselves within the sexual context," Kiefer said. Adopting a submissive role may cause more problems than simply getting aroused. "I would say it's really important to recognize the fact that women associate their personal submission with sex, and this association seems to be detrimental to their sexual health," said Kiefer. Adding that it may also impair their communication with sexual partners, undermine their ability to insist on birth control, and increase their susceptibility to sexual coercion.
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