- Sexual response cycle – four stage cycle experienced during sexual arousal
- Excitement phase – arousal builds rapidly
- Plateau phase – respiration, heart rate, vasocongestion, and muscle tension continue to build until there is enough muscle tension to trigger orgasm
- Orgasm phase – males: rhythmic contractions of internal organs and muscle tissue surrounding the urethra project semen, females: rhythmic contractions of the outer third vagina, surrounding muscles, and uterus
- Resolution phase – physiological arousal decreases rapidly and the genital organs and tissue return to normal condition
- Refractory period (male only) – period where orgasm is temporarily incapable of occurring
- Hypothalamus control pituitary gland, which regulates secretion of hormones called gonadtrophins into bloodstream
- Affect rate at which gonads secrete androgens (testosterone) and estrogens (estradiol)
- Hormones have organizational effects that direct the development of male and female sex characteristics
- Hormones have activational effects that stimulate sexual desire and behaviour
- The Psychology of Sex
- Half of men and fifth of women fantasize about sex at least once a day
- More sexually active people tend to fantasize more
- Psychological factors can trigger and inhibit sexual arousal
- Sexual dysfunction – chronic, impaired sexual functioning that distresses a person
- Half of men and fifth of women fantasize about sex at least once a day
- Cultural and Environmental Influences
- Two psychological viewpoints are relevant to predicting pornography’s effects
- Social learning theory – people learn through observation
- Rape myths modeled in porn movies can teach people that it is acceptable
- Catharsis principle – as inborn aggressive and sexual impulses build up, actions that release this tension provide a catharsis that temporarily returns to a more balanced state
- Viewing porn should provide a safe outlet for releasing tension
- Social learning theory – people learn through observation
- Two psychological viewpoints are relevant to predicting pornography’s effects
- Sexual Orientation
- Refers to one’s emotional and erotic preference for partners of a particular sex
- Modern researchers propose that sexual orientation has three dimensions: self-identity, sexual attraction, and actual sexual behaviour
- Researchers found one notable pattern among studies of homosexual and heterosexual
- Even in childhood, homosexuals felt they were different from their same-sex peers, and were more likely to engage in non-gender-conforming activity
