The Psychology of Sex Hunger responds to a need. If we do not eat, we die. In that sense, sex is not a need because if we do not have sex, we do not die.

3 Sexual Orientation: Biology

Social Motives: Achievement and Affiliation

Achievement Motivation  The need to excel, to overcome obstacles, outperform others  Studied by David McClelland  Correlated with:  Life satisfaction  Success in life  Quality of life  Parental support for achievement is correlated with achievement motivation in children

Characteristics of High Achievers  Insist on excellent performance in every task they undertake  Prefer very clear feedback  Grades, GPA  Workforce?  Fast learners  Self-confident  Willing to take on new responsibilities  Do not succumb to social pressures  Enjoy opportunities to develop new strategies for tasks

What kind of tasks do high achievers prefer?  Moderately difficult tasks  Why?  Success is attainable and attributable to their skill and effort  What about people low in achievement motivation?  Prefer very easy or very difficult tasks  Failure is unlikely or not embarrassing

Affiliation Motive  The need to be with others  Good times or bad times  Company of others can be stress reducing  Why? Sometimes they can provide information  Punishment is often in the form of social isolation  Solitary Confinement  “Time outs”  Why?

Evolutionary Standpoint  Social bonds helped our ancestors survive  Child-rearing  Those who formed attachments were more likely to reproduce  Survival was enhanced by cooperation  Combat  Hunting and gathering  Loneliness evolved to warn human beings that they were facing a threat to their survival and that their social connections were in need of repair

Individual Differences  We differ in the amount of social connection we desire  Some argue we have a set point for social activity (similar to our set point for weight)  When a gap exists between our actual social connectivity and that which we desire, we experience loneliness