Does Trait Sexual Desire Predict Subjective Sexual Response to Erotic Stimuli? Effects of Participant Gender, Stimulus Gender, and Relationship Status Among Cisgender Heterosexual Women and Men.

Understanding how trait sexual desire (TSD) relates to subjective sexual arousal (SSA) is essential for clarifying how enduring sexual motivation influences momentary arousal responses, especially considering individual differences, gender-specific patterns, and relational contexts. This study examined how trait sexual desire relates to SSA across TSD dimensions, considering gender and relationship status. We tested 323 cisgender participants, 139 gynephilic men and 184 androphilic women, who anonymously assessed their TSD levels and rated their SSA while individually viewing erotic and non-erotic stimuli depicting both sexes. Results showed higher levels of TSD in men than in women. However, these differences were moderated by relationship status and were maintained only between men and women in a stable relationship. In addition, the association between TSD and SSA was gender-specific in men-stronger for sexual response to preferred sexual stimuli-and gender-nonspecific in women. Relationship status influenced TSD-SSA associations, especially in dyadic TSD toward a partner, highlighting the role of sociocontextual factors in the association between trait sexual desire and arousal among cisgender heterosexual individuals. The findings support the association between TSD and SSA, moderated by individual differences such as gender and sociocontextual factors like relationship status. We conclude that TSD affects SSA, and that TSD appears to be dynamic and context-dependent in nature.