PSYCH/WGSS 170 (03) Exam Review: Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Human Sexual Response

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards for PSYCH/WGSS 170 (03) covering gender development, sexual orientation theories and measurements, human sexual response models, and sexual dysfunction frameworks.

Biological Sex

The classification of an individual based on biological criteria, including chromosomes, gonads, hormones, and anatomical characteristics.

Gender Identity

An individual's deeply held, internal sense of their own gender, which may or may not align with their biological sex assigned at birth.

Gender Expression

The external presentation and behavioral manifestation of gender, including clothing, hairstyle, mannerisms, and voice.

Intersex

A term describing individuals born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not fit typical definitions of male or female.

Transgender

An umbrella term describing individuals whose gender identity or expression differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.

Two-Spirit

An Indigenous North American concept describing individuals who embody both masculine and feminine traits or alternative gender roles within their community.

Hijras

A recognized cultural and social third-gender group in South Asia.

Cisgender

A term describing an individual whose gender identity corresponds to the sex assigned to them at birth.

Misgendering

The practice of referring to an individual using language, pronouns, or gender labels that do not align with their affirmed gender identity.

Gender Dysphoria

Clinical distress or discomfort resulting from an incongruence between an individual's gender identity and their sex assigned at birth.

Gender Essentialism

The perspective that gender categories and behaviors are rooted strictly in innate biological differences rather than social or cultural factors.

Bobo Doll Study

An experiment demonstrating observational learning, cited in the study of psycho-socio-cultural influences on gender development and aggression.

Gender Affirming Care

Medical, psychological, and behavioral healthcare services that affirm and validate an individual's gender identity.

Three Components of Sexual Orientation

The three distinct dimensions used to define sexual orientation: identity, behavior, and attraction.

Allosexual

A term describing individuals who experience sexual attraction to other people, contrasting with asexual.

Pansexual

A sexual orientation characterized by the potential for attraction to people regardless of their biological sex or gender identity.

Asexual

A sexual orientation characterized by a general lack of sexual attraction to others.

Graysexual

A term situated along the asexuality spectrum describing individuals who experience sexual attraction infrequently or only under specific circumstances.

Demisexual

A term on the asexuality spectrum describing individuals who only experience sexual attraction after forming a strong emotional bond.

Kinsey Scale

A 7-point continuum measuring sexual orientation from exclusively heterosexual ($0$) to exclusively homosexual ($6$).

Bi-dimensional Scale

A measurement of sexual orientation assessing attraction to both same-sex and other-sex individuals as separate, independent dimensions.

Allo-Parenting Hypothesis

An evolutionary explanation proposing that non-heterosexual orientations evolved to support the caregiving and survival of related offspring.

Fraternal Birth Order Effect

A biological finding indicating that each additional older biological brother increases the statistical probability of a male being homosexual.

Bem's Exotic Becomes Erotic

A biopsychosocial theory proposing that feeling different from same- or other-sex peers leads to psychological arousal that later transforms into sexual attraction.

Diamond's Sexual Fluidity

A biopsychosocial model demonstrating situational variability and changes in sexual responsiveness and attraction over time, particularly in women.

Bisexual Erasure

The systemic tendency to overlook, deny, falsify, or re-categorize bisexuality within culture, media, and academic research.

Monosexism

The belief or assumption that attraction to only one sex or gender is the only valid, normal, or mature form of sexual orientation.

Heteronormativity

The cultural assumption and societal structures framing heterosexuality as the default, standard, and preferred orientation.

Minority Stress Model

A framework explaining that chronic stress from prejudice, stigma, and discrimination leads to negative health outcomes in marginalized sexual and gender minority groups.

Gender Inversion Stereotypes

The false cultural assumption that gay men inherently take on feminine traits and lesbians inherently take on masculine traits.

Contact Theory

A social psychological principle stating that interpersonal interaction between different social groups can reduce prejudice under favorable conditions.

Vasocongestion

The engorgement and swelling of bodily tissues with blood during sexual excitement.

Myotonia

Increased skeletal and smooth muscle tension that occurs throughout the body during the sexual response cycle.

Masters & Johnson Sexual Response Cycle

A four-stage linear model of human physiological sexual response consisting of excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

The Triphasic Model

A model of sexual response focusing on three distinct phases: desire, excitement, and orgasm.

Basson's Circular Model

A non-linear model of sexual response highlighting the circular interplay of emotional intimacy, sexual stimuli, and responsive desire.

Refractory Period

A stage during the resolution phase following ejaculation in males where physiological rest is required before another orgasm can occur.

Anaphrodisiacs

Chemical substances or drugs that suppress or inhibit sexual desire and physiological sexual arousal.

The New View of Women's Sexual Problems

A critique and alternative model of female sexual difficulties that prioritizes relational, social, and emotional contexts over purely physiological DSM dysfunctions.

Sensate Focus

A structured behavioral exercise series used in sex therapy to reduce performance anxiety and refocus attention on non-goal-oriented sensory touch.

Spectatoring

A psychological impediment to sexual response where an individual critically judges and monitors their own sexual performance from an outside observer perspective.