Assessment of the sensitivity and specificity of a phallometric test: An update of phallometric diagnosis of pedophilia.

• DOI: 10.1037/1040-3590.3.2.254
• Publication Date: 2005-09-21T14:41:22Z
• Authors: Kurt Freund; Robin J. Watson

The specificity and sensitivity of the phallometric test of an erotic preference for minors was assessed. The specificity was determined to be 96.9% if using a group of sex offenders against female adults and 80.6% if using a group of paid volunteers. Test results of 27 sex offenders against at least 2 female children each and of 22 offenders against at least 2 male minors each (either against children or against pubescents, but not against both), demonstratedsensitivitiesof 78.2% for heterosexual pedophiles and 88.6% for homosexual pedophiles or hebephiles. From these test sensitivities, the percentage of subjects preferring minors in a group of offenders against only 1 female child each, a group of offenders against at least 1 female child and at least 1 female pubescent each, and a group of offenders against only 1 male minor each (child or pubescent) were determined as being 44.5%, 74.6%, and 86.7%, respectively. The differential diagnosis between the various erotic preferences can be established by means of the phallometric test, which uses continuous recording of penile volume changes while a subject views potentially arousing pictures on screens or listens to such taped narratives (Abel, Becker, Murphy, & Flanagan, 1981). The current study was limited to the phallometric test of pedophilia and homosexual hebephilia as it is used in the differential diagnosis between pedophilia or homosexual hebephilia and gynephilia (Freund, Diamant, & Pinkava, 1958; Quinsey, Steinman, Bergersen, & Holmes, 1975).