Psychology Vocab Unit 6

Sex

in psychology, the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male, female, and intersex.

Gender

in psychology, the behavioral characteristics that people associate with boy, girl, man, and woman. (Refer also to gender identity.)

Intersex

possessing male and female biological sexual characteristics at birth.

Binary

identifying as either male or female.

Nonbinary

not identifying as solely male or solely female.

Aggression

any act intended to harm someone physically or emotionally.

Relational Aggression

an act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing.

X Chromosome

the sex chromosome found in females and males. Females typically have two X chromosomes; males typically have one. An X chromosome from each parent produces a female child.

Y Chromosome

the sex chromosome typically found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child.

Testosterone

a male sex hormone. Males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs during the fetal period, and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty

Estrogens

sex hormones, such as estradiol, that contribute to female sex characteristics and are secreted in greater amounts by females than by males.

Puberty

the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing.

Primary Sex Characteristics

the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

Secondary Sex Characteristics

nonreproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair.

Spermarche

the first ejaculation.

Menarche

the first menstrual period.

Role

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

Gender Role

a set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for men and for women.

Sexual Aggression

any physical or verbal behavior of a sexual nature that is unwanted or intended to harm someone physically or emotionally. Can be expressed as either sexual harassment or sexual assault.

Gender Identity

our personal sense of being male, female, neither, or some combination of male and female.

Social Learning Theory

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished.

Gender Typing

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role.

Androgyny

blending traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine psychological characteristics.

Transgender

an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their biological sex.

Sexuality

our thoughts, feelings, and actions related to our physical attraction to another.

Asexual

having no sexual attraction toward others.

Sexual Response Cycle

the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson — excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

Refractory Period

(1) in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state. (2) in human sexuality, a resting pause that occurs after orgasm, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm.

Sexual Dysfunctions

a problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or functioning.

Erectile Disorder

inability to develop or maintain an erection

Female Orgasmic Disorder

distress due to weak orgasmic feelings, or infrequently or never experiencing orgasm.

Paraphilias

sexual arousal from fantasies, behaviors, or urges involving nonhuman objects, the suffering of self or others, and/or nonconsenting persons.

AIDS

a life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a sexually transmitted infection. AIDS depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections.

Social Scripts

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations.

Sexual Orientation

the direction of our sexual attractions, as reflected in our longings and fantasies.

Evolutionary Psychologists

the study of how our behavior and mind have changed in adaptive ways over time due to natural selection.

Natural Selection

the principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to subsequent generations.