. ▁Research ▁suggests ▁that ▁cogn itive ▁factors , ▁such ▁as ▁sexual ▁motiv ation , ▁perce ived ▁gender ▁role ▁expect ations , ▁and ▁sexual ▁att itudes , ▁contribute ▁to ▁sex ▁differences ▁observed ▁in ▁subject ive ▁sexual ▁ar ous al . ▁Specifically , ▁while ▁watching ▁heter osex ual ▁er otic ▁videos , ▁men ▁are ▁more ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁sex ▁of ▁the ▁actors ▁port rayed ▁in ▁the ▁stim ulus , ▁and ▁men ▁may ▁be ▁more ▁likely ▁than ▁women ▁to ▁object ify ▁the ▁actors . ▁There ▁are ▁reported ▁differences ▁in ▁brain ▁activation ▁to ▁sexual ▁stim uli , ▁with ▁men ▁showing ▁higher ▁levels ▁of ▁am yg d ala ▁and ▁hypoth al am ic ▁responses ▁than ▁women . ▁This ▁suggests ▁the ▁am yg d ala ▁plays ▁a ▁critical ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁processing ▁of ▁sex ually ▁ar ous ing ▁visual ▁stim uli ▁in ▁men . ▁ ▁Fem ale ▁ ▁Research ▁suggests ▁that ▁cogn itive ▁factors ▁like ▁sexual ▁motiv ation , ▁perce ived ▁gender ▁role ▁expect ations , ▁and ▁sexual ▁att itudes ▁play ▁important ▁roles ▁in ▁women ' s ▁self - report ed ▁levels ▁of ▁sexual ▁ar ous al . ▁In ▁her ▁alternative ▁model ▁of ▁sexual ▁response , ▁Bass on ▁suggests ▁that ▁women ' s ▁need ▁for ▁int im acy ▁prompt s ▁them ▁to ▁eng age ▁with ▁sexual ▁stim uli , ▁which ▁leads ▁to ▁an ▁experience ▁of ▁sexual ▁desire ▁and ▁psych ological ▁sexual ▁ar ous al . ▁Psych ological ▁sexual ▁ar ous al ▁also ▁has ▁an ▁effect ▁on ▁phys i ological ▁mechan isms ; ▁Gol de y ▁and ▁van ▁Anders ▁showed