Viewing Time Measures of Sexual Interest and Sexual Offending Propensity: An Online Survey of Fathers

Relative viewing times (VTs)-time required to view and evaluate sexually salient images-discriminate individuals with a sexual interest in children, as indirectly indexed by their history of sexual offending against children, from those without such history. In an online sample of 652 fathers, we measured VTs and sexual attraction ratings to child and adult images. We assessed participants' sexual offending history and propensity (self-reported likelihood to have a sexual contact with a child, a non-consensual sexual contact with an adult, and propensity toward father-daughter incest). In contrast with VT studies involving clinical or forensic samples, VTs and attraction ratings failed to discriminate participants with a sexual offending history. VTs successfully distinguished participants with a propensity to sexually offend against children but failed to identify those with a propensity toward incest. Conversely, attraction ratings distinguished participants with a propensity toward incest but failed to identify those with a propensity to sexually offend against children. Correlations between VTs and attraction ratings were small. Results illustrate, for the first time, the distribution of VT measures in community fathers, support the feasibility of online administration of VT tasks to detect propensity to sexually offend against children, and indicate that sexual interest in children and incest propensity are distinct

An Examination of the Westermarck Hypothesis and the Role of Disgust in Incest Avoidance Among Fathers

From an evolutionary perspective, incestuous behavior is puzzling. The goal of this study was to assess the tenability of the Westermarck hypothesis (1891, 1921)—that people who live in close physical proximity with one another during childhood will develop a sexual indifference or aversion toward one another—and the mediating role of disgust as an incest avoidance mechanism in father–daughter relationships. A sample of fathers with daughters ( N = 632) from Canada and the United States were recruited by Qualtrics—a survey platform and project management company—to complete an online survey. The results from this study did not support the viability of the Westermarck hypothesis as a mechanism that facilitates incest avoidance for fathers. Physical proximity was not associated with incest propensity or disgust toward incest. Less disgust toward incest, however, was found to be associated with more incest propensity. These results indicate that physical proximity may not be a reliable kinship cue used by fathers to inform incest avoidance, but that disgust toward incest may still be a proximate mechanism that facilitates incest avoidance among fathers using kinship cues other than physical proximity

Viewing time measures of sexual interest and sexual offending propensity: An online survey of fathers

Relative viewing times (VTs)— time required to view and evaluate sexually salient images—discriminate justice-involved individuals with histories of sexual offending against children from those without such histories. In an online sample of 652 fathers, we measured VTs and sexual attraction ratings to sexually salient child and adult images. We assessed participants’ sexual offending history and propensity (self-reported likelihood to have a sexual contact with a child, a non-consensual sexual contact with an adult, and propensity toward father-daughter incest). In contrast with VT studies involving clinical or forensic samples, VTs and attraction ratings failed to discriminate participants with a sexual offending history (AUC = .51 [.34, .69], p = .900 and AUC = .50 [.36, .66], p = .980, respectively). VTs successfully distinguished participants with a propensity to sexually offend against children (AUC = .74 [.53, .89], p = .005) but failed to identify those with a propensity toward incest (AUC = .51 [.46, .56], p = .416). The opposite was found for attraction ratings (AUC = .58 [.38, .78], p = .413 for propensity to offend against children and AUC = .58 [.53, .63], p < .001 for propensity toward incest). VTs and attraction ratings were poorly correlated (r = .12 [.21, .21], p = .010). Results illustrate, for the first time, the distribution of VT measures in community fathers, support the feasibility of online administration of VT tasks to detect propensity to sexually offend against children, and indicate that sexual interest in children and incest propensity are distinct