About SexLab
SexLab is an international network of researchers in the field of sexual psychophysiology. It was established in 1998 with the goal of providing a virtual meeting place for sexual psychophysiologists from around the world.
Sexual psychophysiology is a young and dynamic area of research with the potential to make substantial contributions to our understanding of a wide range of phenomena, including sexual dysfunction, risky sexual behavior, paraphilic sexual interests, sexual addiction or compulsivity, sexual orientation, and sexual aggression. Psychophysiological methods can assist in the exploration of the underlying cognitive, affective, and physiological processes, and, perhaps more importantly, how they interact.
Psychophysiological methods are used to study the effects of aging, disease, disability, mood, alcohol, drugs, and hormones on sexual response. In addition, they are used to study the associations among sexual desire, arousal, and behavior. On a more applied level, psychophysiological methods are being used in the assessment of sex offenders, the diagnosis of sexual dysfunctions, and the evaluation of treatment efficacy.
Although researchers in these various areas rely on the same instrumentation, work on the basis of related assumptions, and are confronted with similar conceptual and methodological issues, for many years there has been little dialogue among them, limiting an integration and cross-fertilization of research efforts. SexLab welcomes theoretical and methodological discussions and encourages exchanges that will help increase consensus in approaches to signal recording, processing, and analysis.
SexLab has over 70 members, including researchers from the USA, Canada, France, Portugal, The Netherlands, Germany, and Great Britain. SexLab's listserve and website are managed by Erick Janssen.