Analyzed penile erection, demographic, and psychometric data from 169 inpatient adult male sexual offenders (aged 20-66 yrs). The hypotheses that (1) sexual arousability would be inversely related to age and (2) Ss who were able to cognitively inhibit their sexual arousal would exhibit lower levels of pedophilic arousal than Ss who were unable to inhibit arousal were supported. Ss' age did not interact with inhibition ability. Age and the presence of inhibitory ability appear to be arousability variables in that they mediate both deviant and non deviant arousal. Results suggest that levels of sexual arousal exhibited in forensic assessments are not necessarily indicative of past or potential sexually aggressive behavior.
(PA 79:01948)