Assessment of the Sensitivity and Specificity of a Phallometric Test: An Update of Phallometric Diagnosis of Pedophilia

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), demonstrated sensitivities of 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.