PSY 316 Unit 1

What does biomedical research focus on in regards to sex? List four things that it focuses on.

Hormone-based contraception, drug treatments for reproductive disorders, treating infertility, improving the safety of childbirth

What does cultural anthropology focus on in regards to sex?

Sexual diversity across cultures

What three branches of psychology (mentioned in the textbook) draw relations to sexuality?

Social psychology, cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology

How does sociology study sex?

Focuses on connection between sex and society

What does the Evolutionary Theory of Psychology say about Sexuality?

Natural selection, variation in genes, competition for mates

What is the Red Queen Hypothesis?

Variability means less likely for all to be wiped out. Protection from diseases, parasites, and mutations.

What are the sexual differences between males and females? Explain these statements:

• Size of sex cells

• Reproductive capacity

• Reproductive certainty

• Reproductive span over lifetime

Eggs have more nutrients and are bigger; males can produce more offspring because they can have more partners; females don’t have to worry as much about the certainty of their offspring; females become less fertile the older they get

What does sexual reproduction do beneficially that asexual reproduction cannot?

Variation of genes allows for survival

Fill in the blank: Reproduction requires an ___________

Investment of resources

How do males and females differ in reproductive strategies? Do males invest more or less than females?

Females commit to nurturing strategy by investing in their eggs; males commit to exploitative strategy by producing sperm; less

What are the different reproductive risks between females and males?

Females might have offspring that will not survive due to ineffective male; males might have few or no offspring at all

What are the differences between males and females in terms of competition?

Males compete for females; females choose males

Why do some species have males not be so promiscuous?

Females might refuse to engage in extra-pair sex

What are the benefits of females being promiscuous?

Could have more resources from multiple males

What is kin selection?

Siblings staying within the group to help raise offspring due to their altruism

What is the Westermarck effect? Does it affect adopted siblings? What about siblings who didn’t grow up together?

Psychological effect that causes siblings to be sexually unattractive. Works on adopted siblings. Does not work on siblings who didn’t grow up together.

List the four phases of the Masters and Johnson arousal response cycle and what happens in each.

Excitement phase - physiological signs of arousal; Plateau phase - high arousal is maintained; orgasm - climax; resolution phase - arousal subsides

What is the refractory period that is associated with men?

Period of time after orgasm where cannot become aroused by sexual stimulation

What two pituitary hormones influence the arousal response cycle, and how?

Oxytocin increases during arousal and plateau phases and surge during orgasm; prolactin reduces arousal during resolution phase and refractory period

How is dopamine involved with the arousal response cycle?

Releases during sexual arousal and orgasm in parts of the brain for reward and motivation

What is the Coolidge Effect?

Males who have just mated will quickly mate again if presented with a new female

What are some critiques of Master and Johnson’s response cycle theory? List five.

Only one response pathway (clitoris) in women; invariancy of stages; atypical participants; absence of psychological and motivational component of desire

What is Kaplan’s model? It contains three simple stages.

Desire; excitement; orgasm

What chemicals are released during orgasm?

Oxytocin and dopamine

What are some theories as to why women have orgasms? List four.

Adaptive theories (promotes bonding), mate selection (upsuck hypothesis), expel others’ ejaculate; by-productive hypothesis (no reason, they just do)

What is the heat of the moment effect?

Decision-making affected by arousal

What are primary sexual traits? What are secondary sexual traits?

Primary: physical reproductive traits (egg, sperm, etc); secondary: not involved with reproduction but caused by sex hormones

What are three influences of testosterone? (Hint: one of them is prenatal)

Mating patterns, reduces desire, prenatally steers male in the male direction

What are organizing vs activating effects?

Prenatal exposure vs physical manifestation

What is the disorder, hypogonadism, that has to do with T?

Don’t produce enough T

What were the results of Chivers’ study? (Studied sexual arousal in straight women, straight men, lesbians, and gay men)

Women more aroused by sexual activity/context than attractiveness alone

What are the traits of the disorder XXY Kleinfeller?

Fail to develop male secondary sex traits, can be treated with testosterone

What are the traits of Turner’s Syndrome? (X0)

No testes or ovaries, normal internal female sex organs but no ova, neck webbing, estrogen therapy

What are the traits of ovotesticular (formerly hermophrodite) syndrome?

One gonad of each gender, mixture of XY and XX

What are the traits of adrenogenital (congenital) syndrome?

Adrenal hyperplasia: adrenal glands produce abnormal amounts of androgen. XX female but wolffian and mullerian ducts. Internal organs female, external more masculine

What is androgen insensitivity?

Body doesn’t recognize testosterone. Female default takes over

What is hypospadia?

Urethral opening located somewhere else other than tip of penis