Measuring sexual interest using a pictorial modified Stroop task, a pictorial Implicit Association Test, and a Choice Reaction Time task

Tasks that can successfully measure sexual interest have utility in forensic settings. Prior to use with problematic sexual interest however, work is needed in validating such tasks. This study focused on the measurement of non-deviant sexual interest. Eleven gay and fourteen straight participants each completed a pictorial Implicit Association Test (IAT), a pictorial modified Stroop task (P-MST) and a Choice Reaction Time (CRT) task. Each task was designed to tap into the sexual interest of participants. Stimuli were of males and females in bathing suits along with control images and sexual and non-sexual words. The IAT was most successful in differentiating between gay and straight participants. The P-MST also performed well, though the task’s position in the battery of tasks seemed to affect the results. The CRT tasks did not successfully show group differences. Theoretical and methodological implications of the effectiveness of the three tasks in tapping into sexual interest are discussed.