Deviant sexual preference is known as a risk factor for child abuse. Most often the examination of sexual preferences relies on interviews, self-ratings like the Multiphasic Sex Inventory or rather invasive methods like phallometry respectively the so called Abel-Screen, derived from the latest. The computer based Implicit Association Test (IAT) has proven its validity in several fields like sexism or racism by measuring the subjects attitude to certain association. Gray et al. from Cardiff published in 2005 significant associations between children and sex in pedophiles.

As part of a larger study about visual erotic stimulation of child abusers and internet sex offenders, we conducted the IAT in two different versions with visual stimuli on both child abusers and internet sex offenders as well as on male and female comparison samples. Psychological and Personality profiles were assessed by HAWIE, WCST - 64, SKID, MMPI, MSI, IPO and SCL-90 R.

Preliminary data suggests discriminant validity of the IAT concerning sexual preference. In addition, tests for frontal inhibition show poor performance of child abusers in contrast to controls and internet sex offenders.

Our preliminary data about the IAT suggests that both child abusers and internet sex offenders display other associations on visual erotic stimulations than the comparison sample. Further research about deviant sexual preferences should take the impact of cognitive processes into consideration.