FMST 314 Gender and Sexuality

hookups

sex between partners not in a committed relationship, often occurring once or occasionally

• can include intercourse or other sexual activities

sexual double standard

tendency to judge women’s sexuality more harshly than men’s, especially in casual sex

extradyadic sex

sex with someone outside their committed romantic partner

sociosexual orientation

degree to which a person is willing to have sex without closeness or commitment

• unrestricted: comfortable with casual sex

• restricted: prefer sex within committed relaitonships

good genes hypothesis

evolutionary idea that some women may cheat to conceive children with genetically desirable traits while maintaining a stable partner for support

sperm competition

evolutionary concept where men’s sperm compete to fertilize an egg, which may influence anatomy and sexual behaviour

consensual non-monogamy

mutually agreed-upon arrangement to have multiple sexual/romantic relationships

open relationship

partners can have sex outside primary relationship, usually no romantic involvement

swingers

couples who engage in recreational sex with others, often event-based

polyamory

multipel romantic/sexual relaitonships, often with emotional bonds

sex drives

level of sexual desire or motivation a person experiences

• men generally report higher sex drives than women

cybersex

sexual interactions conducted online thru messages, video, virtually

illusion of unique invulnerability

belief that negative outcomes (eg: STIs) are less likely to happen to oneself than to others

alcohol myopia

alcohol-induced narrowing of focus, leading to short-term thinking and risky sexual decisions

pluralistic ignorance

mistaken belief that otehrs think differently than you, leading to misjudgements (eg: assuming your peers are more sexually involved)

stealthing

removing a condom during sex without the partner’s knowledge/consent

sexual growth beliefs

belief that sexual satisfaction can improve over time with effort, communication, creativity, etc.

sexual destiny beliefs

belief that sexual compatibility is fixed and determined early in a relationship

sexual satisfaction is influenced by

• gender roles

• motivation

• beliefs

• relationship quality

• frequency

• self-determination theory

self-determination theory

• autonomy

• competence

• relatedness

factors for sexual risk

• intoxication

• misinformation

• abstinence-only education

• power imbalance/coercion

• fear of reduced pleasure

role of sexual communication

• many people feel awkward so they avoid the topic

• improves sexual functioning, satisfaction, safety

factors associated with infidelity

• dissatisfaction with partner

• perceived alternatives

• personality traits

• previous history of cheating

examples of non-consensual acts

• verbal coercion

• substance use to impair judgement

• force or threats

• unwanted physical contact