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Ward and Keenan (1999, Child molesters' implicit theories. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14(8), 821–838. doi: 10.1177/088626099014008003) hypothesised that some individuals who sexually offend against children have belief systems through which they perceive the world as an inherently dangerous place – labelled a dangerous world implicit theory (DWIT). Individuals with a DWIT are hypothesised to either (1) believe it is necessary to punish women and/or children who are perceived as threatening, or (2) see children as more accepting than adults, and as capable of understanding and gratifying the individual's needs and desires. In two online studies (N = 113 and N = 123) we examined the possible overlap between the DWIT and four other constructs: hostile attribution bias, hostile sexism, emotional congruence with children, and a 'children as sexual beings' implicit theory. Results suggest that identifying with an individual holding DWIT overlaps considerably with some of the other constructs, but not with hostile attribution bias – a finding that ran counter to our hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the visual processing of sexual content, pupil dilation is an indicator of arousal that has been linked to observers' sexual orientation. This study investigated whether this measure can be extended to determine age-specific sexual interest. In two experiments, the pupillary responses of heterosexual adults to images of males and females of different ages were related to self-reported sexual interest, sexual appeal to the stimuli, and a child molestation proclivity scale. In both experiments, the pupils of male observers dilated to photographs of women but not men, children, or neutral stimuli. These pupillary responses corresponded with observer's self-reported sexual interests and their sexual appeal ratings of the stimuli. Female observers showed pupil dilation to photographs of men and women but not children. In women, pupillary responses also correlated poorly with sexual appeal ratings of the stimuli. These experiments provide initial evidence that eye-tracking could be used as a measure of sex-specific interest in male observers, and as an age-specific index in male and female observers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latency-based measures of sexual interest require additional evidence of validity, as do newer pupil dilation approaches. A total of 102 community men completed six latency-based measures of sexual interest. Pupillary responses were recorded during three of these tasks and in an additional task where no participant response was required. For adult stimuli, there was a high degree of intercorrelation between measures, suggesting that tasks may be measuring the same underlying construct (convergent validity). In addition to being correlated with one another, measures also predicted participants' self-reported sexual interest, demonstrating concurrent validity (i.e., the ability of a task to predict a more validated, simultaneously recorded, measure). Latency-based and pupillometric approaches also showed preliminary evidence of concurrent validity in predicting both self-reported interest in child molestation and viewing pornographic material containing children. Taken together, the study findings build on the evidence base for the validity of latency-based and pupillometric measures of sexual interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Most current research and theory accepts implicitly or explicitly that there is a relationship between deviant sexual interest and cognitive distortions surrounding sexual contact with children. However the current literature is lacking a framework by which deviant interest and offense supportive or facilitative cognitive structures or processes may interact. Recent advances in the application of indirect measures of cognitive distortions and sexual deviance have indicated a potential utility of such measures as alternatives or adjuncts to existing measures such as penile plethysmography, viewing time tasks and questionnaires. However, without a coherent theory of what these subtle tasks are measuring and how constructs such as offense-supportive schema and deviant sexual interest interact, it will be difficult to make sense of current findings and indeed to agree on best practice for the use of indirect measures in clinical assessment. This article discusses the cognitive structures and processes involved in both cognitive distortions and deviant sexual interest and explores how they might overlap and interact in facilitating and maintaining offending behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper forms the second part of a debate led by Marshall, Marshall, and Kingston (2011) regarding the need to address so-called cognitive distortions in sexual offender treatment. In their paper, Marshall et al. argue that so-called cognitive distortions may not necessarily require intense and focused attention or challenge throughout treatment. In evaluating Marshall et al.'s arguments, we highlight some inherent differences in how both Marshall et al. and ourselves choose to define the term 'cognitive distortion'. We surmise that these key definitional differences appear to account for many of the issues that we 'debate'. In particular, for example, Marshall et al. focus their arguments regarding cognitive distortions more explicitly upon excuses, denial and minimisations, whereas we choose to focus upon schemas and higher-order belief structures. Thus, we argue that the broadness and vagueness of the term 'cognitive distortion' can lend itself to quite different interpretations and research foci. We offer some alternative views to Marshall et al.'s position and advocate the consideration of cognitions with an aetiological role in offending. We conclude with some suggestions for future research and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]