Kinsey’s Studies Confidential interviews with 18,000 people (in early 1950’s). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female Scale of sexuality….0 to 6 where 0 is exclusively heterosexual and 6 homosexual and 7 is asexual. Human sexuality varies! Alfred Kinsey (1894- 1956) Professor and IU, taught a class on marriage & sexuality (only way it was acceptable) 1940s-1950s 17,000 interviews Scale of 0-6 on sexual orientation Surveys about sexual behavior, preferences, habits, etc Some of his data did include abuse of young children (did that basically condone it? What if that made it acceptable) 0= exclusively heterosexual Incidences of one or the other 3=bisexual 6= exclusively homosexual Because of his work that it was reported that 10% of the population was homosexual

– increased breathing, muscle tension – males/ejaculation, females/muscle contraction Hooking people up to electrodes, watching them have sex Rhetorical question: Would you have been involved in this study? Reason for using sex workers Later findings: Orgasm doesn’t always happen, other women it’s a multiple occurrence Testosterone and estrogen- both sexes have both, just differing levels Testosterone is responsible for sexual desire/interest Males have a refractory period in which achieving an erection is difficult

Estrogen Testosterone Sex hormones effect the development of sexual characteristics and (especially in animals) activate sexual behavior. Estrogen Female animals “in heat” express peak levels of estrogen. Female receptivity may be heightened with estrogen injections. Testosterone Levels of testosterone remain relatively constant in males, so it is difficult to manipulate and activate sexual behavior. Castration, which reduces testosterone levels, lowers sexual interest. Sex hormones may have milder affects on humans than on animals. Women are more likely to have sex when close to ovulation (increased testosterone), and men show increased testosterone levels when socializing with women.

The Journey of Sexual Arousal: Bet You Didn’t Know This One! When something gets your “sexual attention” your Hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary gland. The Pituitary gland then secretes two hormones (luteinizing and follicle stimulating) These hormones travel to your gonads (yes ladies you have gonads) – testes and ovaries Then your gonads provide you with the sensation of arousal.

The Physiology of Sex People can find sexually explicit images either pleasing or disturbing- but they are nonetheless biologically arousing. Viewing erotic materials: changes one's attitudes to be more liberal about sexual practices. may make some people dissatisfied with their own sexual interactions. elevates the likelihood of overt sexual activity for a few hours immediately after the exposure. Pheromones appear to be important in lower animals determinants of sexual desire in but of limited relevance to humans.

Culture Adolescent Sexuality Our culture determines what we find appropriate, attractive, arousing, etc. About ½ of all high school kids in US report having sex- rates are higher in Western Europe but lower in Arab or Asian countries. Also change over time in the same culture: in 1900 3% of women reported having sex by 18. Now that number is around half.

The Psychology of Sex

Aiding Survival The Need to Belong “[Man] is a social animal,” (Aristotle). Separation from others increases our need to belong. Social bonds boosted our ancestors’ survival rates. These bonds led to the following: Protecting against predators, especially for the young. Procuring food. Reproducing the next offspring. OBJECTIVE 17| Describe the adaptive value of social attachments, and identify both healthy and unhealthy consequences of our need to belong. “Cast Away,” Tom Hanks, suffers from social starvation.

The Need to Belong The need to belong is important to our well-being and rated happiness Creates deep attachments Increases activity in brain region that deals with the reward center and safety When the fear of being alone seems worse than the pain of emotional or physical abuse, attachments can keep people in abusive relationships.

Belongingness Wanting to Belong: The need to belong colors our thinking and emotions. Social Acceptance: A sense of belonging with others increases our self-esteem. Social segregation decreases it. Maintaining Relationships: We resist breaking social bonds, even bad ones (abusive relationships, gangs) Ostracism: Social exclusion leads to demoralization, depression, and at times nasty behavior. Fortifying Health: People who tend to have close friends are happier and healthier.

Ostracism- Social Exclusion Being shunned is a threat to our well being Ostracism elicits increased activity in a brain area, the anterior cingulate cortex, that also activates in response to physical pain “You will be excluded” vs. “You will be loved”

Review Questions What evidence points to our human affiliation need--- our need to belong? Our need to affiliate or belong– to feel connected and identified with others– had survival value for our ancestors, which may explain why humans in every society live in groups People suffer when socially excluded Feeling love activates brain regions associated with reward and safety systems

How does social networking influence us?

Achievement Motivation A desire for significant accomplishments; for mastery of things, people, or ideas; for attaining a high standard. High achievers want to: 1. master difficult challenges 2. outperform others 3. meet high standards of excellence

Traits of People that Score Highly on Achievement Motivation: They tend to work harder and more persistently on tasks They handle negative feedback better They are more likely to delay gratification in order to pursue long term goals They typically go into competitive occupations that provide them with the opportunity to excel.

Do people high in achievement need always tackle the biggest challenges available? David McClelland: “People with a high need for achievement are not gamblers; they are challenged to win by personal effort, not by luck.” Not necessarily. Subjects have been asked to choose how difficult a task they want to work on: Subjects high in the need for achievement tend to select tasks of intermediate difficulty. For instance, in one study, subjects playing a ring-tossing game were allowed to stand as close to or far away from the target peg as they wanted. High achievers tended to prefer a moderate degree of challenge.

STANFORD MARSHMALLOW EXPERIMENT Series of studies on delayed gratification in the late 1960s & early 1970s led by psychologist Walter Mischel, then a professor at Stanford University. In these studies, a child was offered a choice between one small reward provided immediately or two small rewards (i.e., a larger later reward) if they waited for a short period, approximately 15 minutes, during which the tester left the room and then returned. (The reward was sometimes a marshmallow, but often a cookie or a pretzel.) Follow-up studies: Researchers found that children who were able to wait longer for the preferred rewards tended to have better life outcomes: SAT scores, educational attainment, body mass index (BMI), & other life measures.

Two General Types of Rewards INtrinsic – from the action itself or from within EXtrinsic – for something else Intrinsic Motivators Extrinsic Motivators Refers to motivation that comes from inside an individual rather than from any external or outside rewards, such as money or grades. It is stronger than external motivation Refers to motivation that comes from external or outside rewards, such as money or grades.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic research: Research shows that people that are more intrinsically motivated tend to be psychologically healthier and happier. Over Justification Effect – Promising a reward for doing something you like to do results in you seeking the reward as the motivation for performing the task. This tends to diminish the intrinsic motivation to do something. Example: Rewarding a child for drawing a picture