Most women have never mapped their sexual accelerators (what turns you on) and brakes (what shuts you down). But research shows that understanding your brakes is the single most important thing you can do for your desire.
This quiz helps you notice your unique pattern — so you can stop blaming yourself and start working with your nervous system.
More about this quiz
Written by Andrea Leijon, Founder of Temple
The Dual Control Model — developed by researchers at the Kinsey Institute — is one of the most scientifically validated frameworks for understanding desire. It proposes that every person has a Sexual Excitation System (SES) — the accelerator — that responds to sexual stimuli, and a Sexual Inhibition System (SIS) — the brakes — that responds to threats, stress, and reasons not to engage. The model explains why the same situation can be a turn-on for one person and a complete desire-killer for another. Most conventional advice about desire only targets the accelerator. The research shows that addressing the brakes is usually more effective — and almost everyone's brakes are different. This quiz maps yours.
The research in numbers
What you'll discover
Key concepts
Sexual Excitation System (SES) — the accelerator
The neural system that responds to sexually relevant stimuli in the environment — physical, visual, emotional, or contextual cues that signal 'this is a good time for sex'. Varies considerably between individuals in both sensitivity and what specifically activates it.
Sexual Inhibition System (SIS) — the brakes
The neural system that scans for reasons NOT to have sex — threat, risk, distraction, inappropriate context, or emotional unease. Can be overactive (brakes always on) or appropriately calibrated. An overactive SIS explains most cases of persistent low desire more accurately than a weak SES.
Frequently asked questions
What's an example of a 'brake' for desire?
Brakes include anything the nervous system reads as a reason not to have sex: fear of pregnancy, performance anxiety, worry about how your body looks, an argument from yesterday, or chronic stress. These don't have to be logical — the nervous system responds to perceived threats, not actual ones.
How is this different from just having low libido?
Low libido is a symptom. The SES/SIS model explains the mechanism. Two people with identical low libido scores can have completely different root causes — one has a low accelerator, one has an overactive brake. The treatment is completely different depending on which you have.
How do I know if I have a sensitive brake system?
Signs of a sensitive SIS include: desire that disappears the moment something feels slightly off, difficulty staying present during sex, arousal that shuts down with small distractions, a long list of conditions that need to be right before you want sex, and desire that varies dramatically with stress levels. None of these are disorders — they're a biological profile.
Can I reduce my brake sensitivity?
Yes, partially. Brakes can be reduced by systematically removing known triggers (addressing relationship conflict, reducing performance pressure, improving body relationship, managing stress), building safety through nervous system regulation, and reducing shame around the specific things that activate your brakes.
Are some accelerators more common than others?
Research shows the most common accelerators include: feeling desired, novelty, visual/physical stimulation, emotional connection, and feeling safe. But the specific triggers are highly individual — what activates one person's SES may leave another's completely cold. This quiz identifies what genuinely works for yours.
Is a high accelerator sensitivity always good?
Not necessarily. Very high SES sensitivity (very easily aroused) combined with low SIS sensitivity (few brakes) can lead to impulsive sexual behaviour or difficulty exercising judgment around consent. The optimal is a well-calibrated system where both systems are appropriately sensitive to context.
Does the accelerator/brake model apply to men too?
Yes — completely. Men tend toward higher SES sensitivity and lower SIS sensitivity than women on average, which is why male desire patterns appear more spontaneous. But individual variation is large. Many men have very active brake systems that aren't recognised because we don't expect men to have brakes.
What's the most effective way to use this model in a relationship?
Both partners identifying their accelerators and brakes and then sharing that information explicitly. 'My biggest brake is feeling like you're annoyed at me' or 'My biggest accelerator is feeling that you want me specifically' gives your partner actionable information they can't intuit. The model converts vague desire problems into specific, solvable ones.
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Based on research by John Bancroft and Erick Janssen at the Kinsey Institute, and popularised by Emily Nagoski in Come As You Are.