Attraction & Arousal, Sexual Behavior

fluctuating asymmetry

The more symmetrical an individual is, the more attractive they are considered. This is meant to minimize unfavorable genetic mutations, and is largely non-conscious.

Masculinity-Femininity Principle

The more sexually differentiated an individual of a specific sex is, the more attractive they appear to members of the opposite sex.

This effect heightens for women who are close to ovulation.

babyfacedness (neoteny)

People whose features are slightly more babyish (30% admixture) are considered more attractivee to men

Waist to hip ratio

• Measured by dividing circumferences of waist and hip

• Universal indicator of attactiveness

• Most attractive men: 0.9

• Most attractive women: 0.7 - 0.8

Homophily

Tendency to be attracted to people who resemble ourselves (non-conscious)

Coolidge effect

Sexual familiarity may reduce attractiveness to men. Repeated exposure to same stimuli in lab results in habituation (behavioral extinction)

Habituation

Decline of sexual arousal with repeated stimuli

Sexual arousal

• Acute psychological state marked by sexual feelings, attractions, or desires

• Psychological (subjective) and physiological (objective) arousal usually go hand in hand, but not always

  • less often aligned for women than for men

• may be triggered by external or internal events

Sexual fantasy

Imagined sexual experiences during waking hours

• key component of physiological arousal

• most people engage in sexual fantasy

  • men average 7.2 fantasies/day, women average 4.5/day

  • Men are more likely to fantasize about penetration and genitals, while women focus more on intimacy and foreplay

Misattribution of arousal

Emotional arousal of any kind can promote sexual arousal through association (nonsexual arousal facilitates sexual arousal)

Excitement

First stage of sexual arousal, where blood rushes to the genitals and heart rate and blood pressure increase.

Plateau

State of high arousal that may or may not be maintained

Orgasm

Climax of sexual arousal, subjective experience of intense pleasure that results in release of oxytocin

Resolution

Stage where arousal subsides and blood pressure, heart rate, hormone levels return to baseline

refractory period

Period of time in men where orgasm is not possible. This period of time increases with age.

masturbation

Common form of sexual expression involving erotic stimulation by oneself (non-partnered)

• more common among men, middle-aged, single people, gay men

• less common among less educated, married people, POC, religious people

fellatio

Mouth to penis sexual contact

cunnilingus

mouth to vulva sexual contact

analingus

Mouth to anus sexual contact

coitus

Sexual intercourse (penile insertion into vagina)

• 95% of sexual encounters between opposite-sex adults include coitus

• variety of positions in humans (historically Missionary was most common)

zone in the midline

Most active region in the brain during orgasm, includes part of the thalamus and is the same region activated during a heroin rush (activation of dopamine-related neural systems)

cerebral cortex

See a decrease in activity in this region of the brain during orgasm