Unit 8: Motivation & Emotion

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Scientific Study of Sexuality Kinsey interviewed 17,000 Americans concerning their sexual behavior Masters and Johnson Sexual response cycle – Four-stage sequence of arousal, plateau, orgasm, and resolution occurring in both men and women

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Sexual Motivation Virtually any stimulus that becomes associated with genital touch and orgasm can become a conditioned stimulus that motivates sexual activity Sexual scripts – Socially learned ways of responding in sexual situations Both learning and genetics affect our sexual behaviors

Sexual Motivation and Behavior: Determining Desire Hormonal regulation Estrogens Androgens Testosterone Pheromones Synchronized menstrual cycles Aphrodisiacs Erotic materials Attraction to a Partner The Coolidge effect Evolutionary factors

Fig 10.7 – Parental investment theory and mating preferences. Parental investment theory suggests that basic differences between males and females in parental investment have great adaptive significance and lead to gender differences in mating propensities and preferences, as outlined here.

The Human Sexual Response Masters and Johnson – 1966 Stages: Excitement Plateau Orgasm Resolution

Fig – The human sexual response cycle. There are similarities and differences between men and women in patterns of sexual arousal. Pattern A, which culminates in orgasm and resolution, is the ideal sequence for both sexes, but not something one can count on (see Figure 10.20). Pattern B, which involves sexual arousal without orgasm followed by a slow resolution, is seen in both sexes but is more common among women. Pattern C, which involves multiple orgasms, is seen almost exclusively in women, as men go through a refractory period before they are capable of another orgasm. (Based on Masters & Johnson, 1966)

Fig – The gender gap in orgasm consistency. In their sexual interactions, men seem to reach orgasm more reliably than women. The data shown here, from Laumann et al. (1994), suggest that the gender gap in orgasmic consistency is pretty sizable. Both biological and sociocultural factors may contribute to this gender gap.

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall14-10 The Biology of Desire Hormones and Sexual Response Arousal and Orgasm The Evolutionary View

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall14-11 Attitudes Toward Chastity

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall14-12 The Psychology of Desire Many Motives for Sex Enhancement Intimacy Coping Self-Affirmation Partner Approval Peer Approval

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall14-13 The Culture of Desire Sexual Scripts: Sets of implicit rules that specify proper sexual behavior for a person in a given situation, varying with the person’s age, culture, and gender.

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall14-15 The Six Styles of Love Eros Romantic, passionate love Ludus Game-playing love Storge Affectionate, friendly love Pragma Logical, pragmatic love Mania Possessive, dependent, “crazy” love Agape Unselfish love

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall14-16 Triangle Theory of Love Varieties of love occur because of differing combinations of three elements Examples: Liking: Intimacy alone Companionate love: Intimacy + Commitment Romantic love: Intimacy + Passion Commitment Passion Intimacy

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall14-17

The Mystery of Sexual Orientation Sexual orientation – One’s erotic attraction toward members of the same sex, the opposite sex, or both sexes Heterosexual – Bisexual – Homosexual A continuum Theories explaining homosexuality Environmental – become from learning Biological – born this way Interactionist -

Fig – Homosexuality and heterosexuality as endpoints on a continuum. Sex researchers view heterosexuality and homosexuality as falling on a continuum rather than make an all-or-none distinction. Kinsey and his associates (1948, 1953) created this seven-point scale (from 0 to 6) to describe people’s sexual orientation. They used the term ambisexual to describe those who fall in the middle of the scale, but such people are commonly called bisexual today.

gay

Fig – How common is homosexuality? The answer to this question is both complex and controversial. Michaels (1996) brought together data from two large-scale surveys to arrive at the estimates shown here. If you look at how many people have actually had a same- sex partner in the last five years, the figures are relatively low, but if you count those who have had a same-sex partner since puberty the figures more than double. Still another approach is to ask people whether they are attracted to others of the same sex (regardless of their actual behavior). This approach suggests that about 8% of the population could be characterized as homosexual.

Affiliation and Achievement Motivation Affiliation motive = need for social bonds Devote more time to interpersonal activities Worry more about acceptance Achievement motive = need to excel Work harder and more persistently Delay gratification Pursue competitive careers Situational influences on achievement motives Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Fig – Determinants of achievement behavior. According to John Atkinson, a person’s pursuit of achievement in a particular situation depends on several factors. Some of these factors, such as need for achievement or fear of failure, are relatively stable motives that are part of the person’s personality. Many other factors, such as the likelihood and value of success or failure, vary from one situation to another, depending on the circumstances.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Motives in Conflict Approach-approach conflict – A conflict in which one must choose between two equally attractive options Approach-avoidance conflict – A conflict in which there are both appealing and negative aspects to the decision to be made

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Motives in Conflict Avoidance-avoidance conflict – A conflict in which one must choose between two equally unattractive options Multiple approach-avoidance conflict – A conflict in which one must choose between options that have both many attractive and many negative aspects