1. Sexual Motivation

2. I. Sexual motivation: desire to have pleasurable erotic experiences
Distinction between sexual desire and romantic love
Evolutionary roots vs. attachment
Distinct brain and hormonal mechanisms
Sexual desire linked to cognitive, behavior, and emotional processes
Passionate vs. compassionate love

3. B. Neuro-endocrine factors
Role of the brain (hypothalamus, pituitary gland)
Role of hormones from gonads and adrenal glands (androgens, estrogens)

4. Masters and Johnson’s Stages of Sexual Response Cycle (physio)
Excitement phase: level of physical arousal usually rises rapidly
Which nervous system is at work?
Vasocongestion: engorgement of blood vessels
Males – penile erection and swollen testes
Females – swelling and hardening of clitoris, expansion of vaginal lips, and vaginal lubrication

5. 2. Plateau Phase: physiological arousal continues to build, but at a slower pace
Vasocongestion still underway, but may change due to time and amount of foreplay
Changes in male erections and amount of vaginal lubrication
Men: secrete a bit of fluid at the tip of penis (contains sperm, but is not technically ejaculate)
 coitus interruptus – NOT A THING
Women: tightening of vaginal entrance, clitoris withdraws under the clitoral hood

6. 3. Orgasm phase: sexual arousal reaches peak intensity and is discharged in a series of muscular contractions that pulsate throughout pelvic area
Males: ejaculation of seminal fluid
Women: subjective (physical vs. psychological)

7. Women have a larger tendency to be multiorgasmic
able to experience more than one climax in a sexual pattern
Tend to engage in intercourse without experiencing orgasm
Men?
Climatic expectation
Tendency to be limited in orgasm experiences

8. BUT WHY?!?!
Men experience a refractory period during the 4th phase - resolution
Time following orgasm during which males are largely unresponsive to further stimulation (varies)
So what does the cycle look like, graphically speaking?

9. Animals seek pleasure and repeat behaviors leading to it
C. Behavioral factors
Animals seek pleasure and repeat behaviors leading to it
(OC/reward stimulus)
2. Stimuli associated with sexual arousal become rewarding
Animals and masturbation
Humans and masturbation

10. D. Socio-cultural factors
Society influences what is sexually attractive
2. All cultures have rules about acceptable sexual partners and practices

11. E. Evolutionary factors
Sexual desire rooted in reproductive success
Cross-cultural consistencies in sexual partner preferences
Incest avoidance, waist-to-hip ratio
Sexuality is more loosely linked to reproduction in humans than in most animals
Complex aspect of identity, relationships, social life

12. Parental investment
Refers to what each sex has to invest in terms of time, energy, survival risk, and forgone opportunities to produce and nurture offspring
Efforts required to guard eggs, build nests
What’s the human conclusion?
Discrimination in mating behavior

13. Gender Differences in Mate Preferences
Evolutionary theory of preferences = subconscious preferences
NOT CONSCIOUS STRATEGY

14. Sexual Problems
Men generally suffer from two kinds of sexual problems:
premature ejaculation and erectile disorder.
Women may suffer from orgasmic disorders.
These problems are not due to personality disorders and can be treated through behavior therapy and drugs such as Viagra.

15. Hormones and Sexual Behavior
Sex hormones effect the development of sexual characteristics and (especially in animals) activate sexual behavior.
Male
Testes
Testosterone
(Small amounts of estrogen)
Female
Ovaries
Adrenals
Estrogen
(Small amounts of testosterone)
Preview Question 7: Do hormones influence human sexual motivation?

16. 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.
Preview Question 8: How do internal and external stimuli influence sexual motivation?

17. Imagined Stimuli
Our imagination in our brain can influence sexual arousal and desire. People with spinal cord injuries and no genital sensation can still feel sexual desire.
Sotographs/The Gamma-Liaison Network/ Getty Images

18. Adolescent Sexuality
When individuals reach adolescence, their sexual behavior develops. However, there are cultural differences.
Preview Question 9: What factors influence teenage pregnancy and risk of sexually transmitted infections?
Sexual promiscuity in modern Western culture is much greater than in Arab countries and other Asian countries.

19. Contraception
Ignorance: Canadian teen girls do not have the right ideas about birth control methods.
Survey showed that 9/10 were unaware that oral sex can transmit STI
Guilt Related to Sexual Activity: Guilt reduces sexual activity, but it also reduces the use of contraceptives.
Minimal Communication: Many teenagers feel uncomfortable discussing contraceptives.
Alcohol Use: Those who use alcohol prior to sex are less likely to use contraceptives.
Mass Media: The media’s portrayal of unsafe extramarital sex decreases the use of contraceptives.

20. Sexually Transmitted Infections
Factors that reduce sexual activity in teens.
High Intelligence: Teens with higher intelligence are likely to delay sex.
Religiosity: Religious teens and adults often reserve sex for a marital commitment.
Father Presence: A father’s absence from home can contribute to higher teen sexual activity.
Learning Programs: Teens who volunteer and tutor in programs dedicated to reducing teen pregnancy are less likely to engage in unsafe sex.

21. F. sexual orientation: enduring sexual attraction to people whose gender is the same (homosexual) or different from (heterosexual) oneself or to both (bisexual) – How is this different from gender orientation?
Strong evidence for prenatal and genetic influences
Development, nature, and fluidity of orientation differ between genders and individuals

22. Table 11.1 Myers: Psychology, Ninth Edition Copyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers

23. Figure Hair whorls and sexual orientation Myers: Psychology, Ninth Edition Copyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers

24. Figure Spatial abilities and sexual orientation Myers: Psychology, Ninth Edition Copyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers

25. Sexuality as a spectrum

26. Outdated Behaviorist theories
Sexuality based on nurture
Disproved by lack of correlative evidence
No evidence linking parent’s sexual orientation to that of their children
Femininity in early males and masculinity in early females = transition to homosexual life
Totally false, sexual exploration prior to education
Conformity vs. nonconformity

27. Biological Theories on Sexual Orientation
1990’s saw genetic predispositions
Twin studies
Today’s theory focuses on prenatal environment
Hormonal secretions during prenatal development in a critical period

28. Socio-cultural factors
Studies have shown homosexuality in men vs. women can be different
Women and sexual plasticity

29. Truth?
No one really knows – scientific and observational opinions fluctuate
Trends in research change over time
Nature vs. nurture debate continues…

30. Pornography
Due to the internet, recent studies of young adults show that 87% of males and 31% of women have viewed pornography
67% of males and 49% of females believed using porn was “acceptable way to express one’s sexuality”
Men are more likely to admit to find erotic materials enjoyable and arousing than women… why is that?

31. Porn and Sex Crimes
Is there a correlation between increase in amount of pornography and increase in sex crimes in the US?
No.
During the last years, internet porn has grown exponentially while rates of reported rapes have declined
Criticism… “reported” rapes

32. They do however ALTER attitudes that may influence sexual behavior
University students in a study were exposed to porn 3-6 times a week reported more liberal attitudes towards sex
Liberal attitudes about casual sex and multiple partners
Danish studies show self-perception of happiness in sex-life correlated to amount of porn (more porn, happier sex life)

33. Sexual Aggression Aggressive pornography has concerning correlations
Promotes myth that women enjoy being raped
Studies show increased aggressive behavior following the viewing of aggressive porn
“they asked for it” theory
Viewing aggressive pornography when already at high risk for sexual aggression may produce further sexual coercion

34. Effects on Rape/Rape Identity
¼ of young women in US may be victims of rape or attempted rape
Only a minority of rapes are committed by strangers
Date rape
1 in 12 men admitted to either having forced a date into sex or having tried to do so
None of these men admitted to being a rapist