Using immersive virtual reality and ecological psychology to probe into child molesters' phenomenology

• Published in: The journal of sexual aggression Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 102 - 120
• Main Authors: Renaud, Patrice, Chartier, Sylvain, Rouleau, Joanne-Lucine, Proulx, Jean, Goyette, Mathieu, Trottier, Dominique, Fedoroff, Paul, Bradford, John-P., Dassylva, Benoît, Bouchard, Stéphane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01.03.2013; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child abuse & neglect; Child care; Child molestation; Children; Criminology; ecological psychology; extended mind theory; Eye fixation; Forensic psychiatry; gaze behaviour; intentional dynamics; Medical sciences; Offending; Phenomenology; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; self-regulation; Sex offenders; Sexual abuse; Sexual arousal; Sexual behavior disorders. Psychogenic sexual dysfunctions; Sexual behaviour; Social behavior disorders. Criminal behavior. Delinquency; Social dynamics; Theory of mind; Virtual reality; Human; Gaze; Theory of mind; Augmented reality; Social cognition; Phenomenology; extended mind theory; ecological psychology; Sexual behavior disorder; Sexual arousal; Pedophilia; Child molestation; Virtual reality; Sex offense; gaze behaviour; Self regulation; intentional dynamics; self-regulation; Behavior; Social behavior disorder
• ISSN: 1355-2600; 1742-6545
• DOI: 10.1080/13552600.2011.617014

Child molesters ( n =13) and sexually non-deviant subjects ( n =29) were immersed with virtual characters depicting relevant sexual features while their sexual arousal and gaze behaviour were assessed to characterise their sexual preferences and intentional dynamics. Sexual arousal was measured using circumferential penile plethysmography (PPG). Gaze behaviour dynamics were derived from average gaze radial angular deviation (GRAD) and GRAD coefficient of variation (GRADCV). Results show distinct sexual arousal profiles according to sexual preferences and point towards the existence of specific gaze behaviour dynamics guided by sexual intentions. Theoretical interpretations are based on the ecological psychology of J. J. Gibson, the extended mind theory and the integrated theory of sexual offending. Theoretical underpinnings stemming from these approaches are advocated as being especially well suited to explain how virtual reality can help probing into child molesters' phenomenology as lived from the "first-person" stance.