Are you having body image issues during sex? Is worrying about you body getting in the way of enjoying sex?
Judging your body during sex is not only a common phenomenon called spectatoring. It is so common that it is safe to say is done by everyone in the world at some point in their lives.
Here are some facts about body spectatoring to help keep things in perspective.
General spectatoring facts:
1. Women worry more about their body during sex than men. (but more men spectator about their “performance” than women, so it evens out)
2. People who live together spectator less than those who live separately.
The effects of body spectatoring:
Body spectatoring is linked to:
– Low sexual desire
– Sexual avoidance
– Difficulty lubricating
– Difficulty getting erections (or keeping them)
– Difficulty reaching orgasm
– Low sexual satisfaction
Not all body spectatoring is bad, however. If you have a strong body-esteem (you feel hot and sexy), you will be immune to these effects. In fact, having a high body esteem is linked to: feeling more optimistic about sex, being more adventurous during sex, having sex more frequently and greater sexual function. (Koch, 2005)
It all comes down to how your feel about your body.
What is spectatoring?
The term “Spectatoring” was coined by Masters and Johnson in 1970. The official definition is: when your attention is on yourself “from a third person perspective during sexual activity, rather than focusing on one’s sensations and/or sexual partner, can increase performance fears and cause deleterious effects on sexual performance.”
Since M&J sex researchers have found that women worry less about performance and more about body image.
Sources:
Masters and Johnson, 1970
Koch, 2005
Meana, 2006
Zebroff, 2014 (unpublished)
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