Images of sexy women tend to whet men's
sexual appetite. But a stimulating research in the Journal of
Consumer Research says there's more than meets the eye. A study
shows that men who watched sexy videos or handled lingerie sought
immediate gratification—even when they were making decisions about
money, soda, and candy.
Authors Bram Van den Bergh, Siegfried
DeWitte, and Luk Warlop (KULeuven, Belgium) found that the desire
for immediate rewards increased in men who touched bras, looked at
pictures of beautiful women, or watched video clips of young women
in bikinis running through a park.
"It seems that sexual appetite causes a
greater urgency to consume anything rewarding," the authors suggest.
Thus, the activation of sexual desire appears to spill over into
other brain systems involved in reward-seeking behaviors, even the
cognitive desire for money.
"After they touched a bra, men are more
likely to be satisfied with a smaller immediate monetary reward,"
writes Bram Van den Bergh, one of the study's authors. "Prior
exposure to sexy stimuli may influence the choice between chocolate
cake or fruit for dessert."
The authors believe the stimuli bring
men's minds to the present as opposed to the future. "The study
demonstrates that bikinis cause a shift in time preference: Men live
in the here and now when they glance at pictures featuring women in
lingerie. That is, men will choose the immediately available rewards
and seek immediate gratification after sex cue exposure."
Do all straight men respond the same?
Actually, no. Some men are highly responsive to rewards while others
are not so sensitive, and the more reward-sensitive men are the
impatient ones.
In fact, doing a task designed to inspire financial satisfaction
reduced the bikini-inspired impatience, just as feeling full reduces
food cravings. Men may want to be aware of bikinis' effects on their
bank accounts and waistlines.
For more information
Bram Van den Bergh, Siegfried DeWitte, and Luk Warlop. "Bikinis
Instigate Generalized Impatience in Intertemporal Choice"
Journal of Consumer
Research.
(MDN) | 
