Sexology week 1

sexual behaviours

behaviour that produces arousal and increases chance of orgasm

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greek beliefs

humans with double limbs

* double females/males
* heterosexual or homosexual

wet dreams (15th century christians)

resulted from intercourse with tiny spiritual creatures (incubi and succubi)

cultivation theory

what people see on tv = mainstream of what happens in society

framing theory (agenda seting)

news reportes decide on what to report and what angles to focus on

social learnin

media characters may serve as role models

reinforcing spiral theory

social identities influence what media we watch → influence beliefs and identity

differential susceptibility model

not everyone reacts to media same way

culture

traditional values and ideas transmitted to members of group through symbols (language)

ethnocentrism

perceiving your culture as superior

individuals, collectivism, honor

3 main themes in culture

honor cultures

focus on ‘face’ = reputation of individual and respect/honor that people show

cunnilingus

mouth stimulation of female genitals

1) behaviour always occurs in at least some indiv

2) same-gender sex behaviour is never predominant

2 general rules of same-sex partners

machismo

men are responsible for well-being and honor of family

* may also have to tolerate men’s sexual infidelities

marianism

* motherhood is highly valued
* virginity until marriage is closely guarded

familismo

support, loyalty, solidarity, family honor

asian americans

most sexually conservative with the lowest instance of multiple partners

sexual health

state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality

* social and political movement

negative freedom

freedom from sexual violence

positive freedom

freedom to express sexual feelings towards someone of same gender

sociobiology

application of evolutionary biology to understand social behaviour of animals

unhealthy societies

attractiviness is more important in mate selection in more __

sexual selection

creates differences between females and males


1. competition among men over female
2. preferential choice by female over certain male

evolutionary psychology

focuses on psychological mechanisms that have been shaped by natural selection

* F/M face different adaptive problems in short and long-term mating (research contradicts this!)

gender-neutral evolutionary theory

opposes sociology and evolutionary biology by saying its not adaptive for humans to display fixed sexual behaviour

* humans evolved to be flexible and adaptable

libido

sex drive or sex energy

thanatos

death instinct

id

basic aspect of personality

* resevoir of psychic energy (incl. libido)

ego

operates on reality principle

* have realistic, ratinal interactions

superego

conscience (contains values/ideas learned from society)

* operates on idealism
* inihibits id’s impulses and strives ego for moral>rational goals

erogenous zones

parts of skin or mucous membran that are sensitive to stimulation

* libido focuses in various regions

oral stage

0-1 years old

anal stage

2nd year

phallic stage

3-5 years old

* oedipus complex (in boys)
* electra complex (in girls)
* penis envy

latency stage

5-adolescence

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genital stage

puberty onwards

classical conditioning

why people can find smell of perfume or cologne sexually arousing and occurrence of fetishes

operant conditioning principles

1. if sex has repeatedly been associated with punishment, behaviour becomes less frequent
2. consequences (punishment/reinforcement) are most effective in shaping behaviour when they occur immediately after
3. punishments are NOT very effective in shaping reward (most often only teaches indiv to perform behaviour secretly)

social exchange theory

* comparison level of alternatives
* state of equity
* matching hypothesis

intersectionality

simultaneously consider person’s multiple group memberships and identities (gender, race, social class, sexual orientation) to understand person’s identity and sexuality

performativity

perform gender or sexuality based on society’s norms

* women dressing up in dresses and jewelry

role taking

viewing self and potential actions from perspective of other person → able to anticipate what behaviour will enable s to achieve goals

* exercise self-control to achieve goal

sexual scripts

sexual behaviour as a result of priior learning that teaches etiquette of sexual behaviour

* who, what, when, where and why we do what we do sexually

sexual field

site populated with ppl with erotic dispositions that they project on space and each other → reflection of each other’s desires

* bar, cafe, clubs etc

sociologist approach

1. every society regulates sexuality of its members
2. in/appropriateness of sexual behaviour depends on the institutional context within which it occurs
3. basic institution

judeo-christian

religious tradition that has been powerful shaper of sexual norms

procreational ideology

premarital, extramarital and homosexual sex are wrong

* view that only heterosexual couple can procreate

unemployment rate

important influence on sexuality

* men have high unemployment rate → reluctant to marry →female-headed household → sexuality occurs outside of marriage and kids born without legal father

before IR

importance of family and marriage in terms of *survival*

during IR

importance of survival

* emphasis on interpersonal relations in family
* love

1970s

argued that sex outside of marriage (in context of loving relationship) was acceptable

* relational ideology

direct observation, eye tracking, police reports

behavioural measures

enlargement (purposeful distortion)

exagerating sexual activity

concealment (purposeful distortion)

minimise/hide things they’ve done

computer-assisted self-interview

respondent fills out questionnaires on computer

* helps increase honesty → reliability

kinsley report

sex survey that is largely of historical interest

* only white people interviewed

NHSLS

one of the best sex surveys of general US population

* not enough minority groups
* national health and society life survey

NSSHB

most recent major US sex survey

* national survey of secual health and behav

ethnography

aims to provide complete description of a human society

* observing a preliterate group on remote island

excitement, orgasm, resolution

three stages of sexual response

vasocongestion and myotonia

physiological processes that occur during 3 stages of sexual respons

vasocongestion

dilation of blood vessels in genitals →more blood flow in genitals

* during excitement

myotonia

when muscles contract in genitals and throughout body

vasodilation

for erection to occur, arteries supplying corpora cavernosa and spongiosum must dialate

nitric oxide and dopamine

neurotransmitters involved during vasodilation

viagra

acts on nitric oxide during vasodilation

vasoconstriction

makes erection go away after orgasm

norepinephrine and epinephrine

neutransmitters involved in vasoconstriction

lubrication of vagina (vasocongestion)

how females excitement occurs

female erections

happen within seconds after stimulation

female lubrication

happens within 10-30 seconds after stimulation

vaginal entrance tightens

as the woman becomes more aroused and closer to orgasm, orgasmic platform forms and __

nitric oxide and estrogen

important chemicals during vasocongestion in women

sex flush

like measles rash starting from upper abs to spreading over chest p

heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure

physiological changes in both womena nd men during excitement

0\.8 second intervals

males: orgasm consists of series of rhythmic contractions of pelvic organs at

preliminary stage (male orgasm)

vas, seminal vesicles, prostate contract

* ejaculation into bulb at base of urethra

second stage (male orgasm)

urethral bulb and penis contract rhythmically → forces semen through urethra and out of tip

during masturbation

when can women have more orgasms in a row (5-50)

resolution stage

in 5-10 seconds after end of orgasm, clitoris returns to normal position

* takes longer to shrink back (15-30 mins)

detumescence

loss of penis erection

* 2 stages

detumescence stage 1

rapid but penis is still enlarged

* emptying of corpora cavernosa

detumescence stage 2

slower emptying of corpus spongiosum and glans

refractory period

follows after male orgasm where male cannot be sexually aroused (mins to a day depending on age)

Kaplan’s triphasic model

3 relatively independent phases or components

sexual desire, vasocongestion, reflex muscular contractions

kaplans triphasic model

parasympathetic

arousal

sympathetic

orgasm

dual control model

sexual response is controlled by sexual inhibition and excitation

high sex inhibition, low excitation

likely to develop sexual disorders

high sex excitation, low inhibition

likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviours

receptors

detect stimuli and transmit message to spinal cord or brain

transmitters

centers in the spinal cord or brain that receive message, interpret and send out message to produce response

effectors

neurons / muscles that respond to stimulation coded by transmitters

premature, delayed, retrograde ejaculation

3 main problems of ejaculation

male orgasmic disorder

delayed enjaculation

retrograde ejaculation

empties bladder instead of leaving penis → dry orgasm

anticipatory phase, consummatory phase, post-orgamsic period

brain imaging researchers stages of sexual response

limbic system

anticipatory phase

* videos produce stronger arousal and erection