Interdisciplinary Study: Scrotal Sac and Testes—Psychophysiological and Psychological Observations

An interdisciplinary investigation of the total male genital was undertaken. Preliminary findings are reported here. Psychophysiological observations demonstrate that in adult subjects under controlled conditions, utilizing structured interviews, the activities of the testes, cremaster muscle, and tunica dartos are very sensitive indicators of changes in psychological mood and are particularly relevant to both consciously and unconsciously perceived anxiety. Pronounced scrotal activity occurred with anxiety-provoking discussions on topics relating to bowel training, castration anxiety, passivity, feminine identification, bisexual trends, body image, and heterosexual and homosexual activity. During these same discussions the penile strain gage showed no changes; it responded only to discussions of current sexual activity or to past sexual activity and to immediate erotic stimuli. These findings tend to support the earlier theories of Bell derived from studies of children, adolescents, and adults (1), (2), (3), (5), (6). The findings also point to the need for more thorough investigation of 'anality' in the male and a more intensive

study of the mechanism of displacement from the scrotum to the penis.