PSY 111 - Week 11 (Sex, Gender, and Sexuality)

Sexuality

The ways in which we experience and express ourselves as sexual beings
• includes gender identity, orientation, attitudes, and activity

Identity

An individual's sense of self defined by

• a set of physical, psychological, and interpersonal characteristics that is not wholly shared with any other person

• a range of affiliations and social roles

Who you are

Attraction

The interest in and liking one individual by another, or mutual interest and liking between 2 or more individuals

The Kinsey Reports

Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948)
Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953)
• 18,000 surveys and interviews asking detailed question about their sexual beliefs and practices
• Sexual orientation as a spectrum or continuum

Masters and Johnson research

• Featured laboratory experimentation and observation
• First research to measure physiological response

Sex

The biological aspects of maleness or femaleness

Gender

The characteristics of women, men, girls, and boys that are socially constructed
• norms, behaviors, and roles associated with each
• understandings of gender vary from society to society and can change over time

Gender Identity

One's self-identification as male or female

Gender expression

How an individual chooses to express their gender through clothing, appearance, or behaviors

Gender role

The pattern of behavior, personality traits, and attitudes that define masculinity or femininity in a particular culture

Gender role stereotypes

Beliefs and expectation about typical thoughts, feelings, and actions that are applied to all men and women

Gender dysphoria

The possible distress arising from a sense of mismatch or incongruence, that one may have about one's experienced gender vs. one's assigned gender

Romantic Orientation

Attraction or non-attraction to other people characterized by the expression or non-expression of love

Sexual Orientation

An enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectional attraction or non-attraction to other people

All major psychological associations must...

1. explicitly state support for diverse sexual orientations and gender identities
2. explicitly oppose reparative therapy, conversion therapy, and sexual orientation change efforts

Sexual Response Cycle

1. Excitement
2. Plateau
3. Orgasm
4. Resolution

Sexual Dysfunction

Any sexual disorder characterized by problems in one or more phases of the sexual response cycle

Sex Therapy (Masters and Johnson's program)

1. Relationship focus (on the two people)
2. Investigate biological and psychological factors
3. Emphasis on cognitive factors
4. Specific behavioral techniques

Sexually Transmitted Infections/Diseases (STIs/STDs)

• Discomfort
• Increased cancer risk
• Infertility
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Death

Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections/Diseases (STIs/STDs)

• Use condoms
• frequent testing
• HPV vaccination
• low number of sexual partners
• mutual monogamy (one sexual partner at a time)

Consent

An agreement between participants to engage in sexual activity
• cannot be given when someone is underage, intoxicated, or asleep/unconscious
• can be withdrawn at any point