REVIEW Human Sexuality

Learning Objectives

197

Test Yourself by taking a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within the module). Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term memory of the concepts (McDaniel et al., 2009).

Question

kFrl/UyaMcGSTjwnMn/PYsrBRqn7OdYRdIzJPGWgTAZ/GDrGEr/Rr3BuHUJXnFoo6qT2ig8DcThzEWeb/kzHW9DBJd7IfuDEKeN/1b5qohb9uVjow4I25lIfl3P1A0wSOjMuXfW1Ohxd6UfLpEKYVrLWrpxK/WmAgUFTGg==
ANSWER: For all but the tiny fraction of us considered asexual, dating and mating become a high priority from puberty on. The female estrogen and male testosterone hormones influence human sexual behavior less directly than they influence sexual behavior in other species. Women's sexuality is more responsive to testosterone level than to estrogen level. Short-term shifts in testosterone level are normal in men, partly in response to stimulation.

Question

wy7/FfY67qcn/1osfNKG0dtjwyBJTFNcHpPdo9iFoR2DPqAlTWJr5TAMSbdDWMoUBsmc72SCrpuFmnk7sESBVs7xRTqRxntobp55wVpyDqLuJa2JWPnezcxIJ6O+zl3JD3n1NgwKxNYmbCEYZNvKFqA6VePn33+ZDQQWB9GtWjTN3S5KRJmzkMOZJ55dRRdSyYER664K//5a8aW/zB/J2g2NJz4zDs8M
ANSWER: William Masters and Virginia Johnson described four stages in the human sexual response cycle: excitement, plateau, orgasm (which involves similar feelings and brain activity in males and females), and resolution. During the resolution phase, males experience a refractory period in which renewed arousal and orgasm are impossible. Sexual dysfunctions are problems that consistently impair sexual arousal or functioning. They include erectile disorder and female orgasmic disorder, and can often be successfully treated by behaviorally oriented therapy or drug therapy. Paraphilias are conditions, which may be classified as disorders, in which sexual arousal is related to nonhuman objects, the suffering of self or others, and/or nonconsenting persons.

Question

o/fOeL8adDYnN6WmeBFARlK2LRe5lNH/i+17KWJ1XTnaR65TOmGwHEcVCqTOF2W2eZ/CIrp0niMDxkxj3fppIa76pmM3OyYu0V0zyzi8lbr1kZXG7XsY9pyNZ3P9+/0nZXBeKPR6T29rFF1shB+KUU8fkhBekDU0HpTkvNE9lWE=
ANSWER: Safe-sex practices help prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Condoms are especially effective in preventing transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. A vaccination administered before sexual contact can prevent most human papilloma virus infections.

Question

LXor5QLlYGaiziIDhMbP7zSHuABbo7JTRaUqLJ7NWrQlrMJQyUsA3qMze9eF++3dxXJq8q/uNnkoA0V3YolgEXcR4DL0pbtiVyc9VSbZxGML+UXRLfab1WPjTiozE/8WUb2ABeQfID/Di7rUiMGT0EtLmYbmaE0Ea7VuvjWXIPitfmfi4xRlFTFsPQE=
ANSWER: External stimuli can trigger sexual arousal in both men and women. In experiments, depictions of sexual coercion have increased acceptance of rape. Sexually explicit material may lead people to perceive their partners as comparatively less appealing and to devalue their relationships. Imagined stimuli (dreams and fantasies) also influence sexual arousal.

Question

q3DBHB5rWkSC7HRM2Fr2oGm9pdbbuyTpX8/FglY9sWcXiNzZEccpuQW641xFXhLpIUHuS/WwwRsxaTuYqiRIUkFYR6JIv6MCl1FESNbzmfVV82lTYvKGdBCZvXMJBuLol3rTxzbldjbexXtHAToR0fY4TKP3ChfgDDMImTyO2z4re5PGFX3CH2tYx9bUijUIF3ZHExXcLKQ=
ANSWER: Rates of teen intercourse vary from culture to culture and era to era. Factors contributing to teen pregnancy include minimal communication about birth control with parents, partners, and peers; guilt related to sexual activity; alcohol use; and mass media norms of unprotected and impulsive sexuality. High intelligence, religious engagement, father presence, and participation in service learning programs have been predictors of teen sexual restraint.

Question

jDbYKpgNufkQMM/rZNqGQO2Z0+vSU1xmo9HOW9nNHPw5DaOdNRr1jCCPIpDHNTTrVLCaRMVmOxgzuJypIS/iZtfgpUfh/mPgDQBefMlK+RpkYdBaGWCsgpI++0KNmmdcD6a9jXD/Lp7vQJ5X1ADJ08W/auXEVWcC0J3h88BKsu0=
ANSWER: Sexual orientation is an enduring sexual attraction toward members of one's own sex (homosexual orientation), the other sex (heterosexual orientation), or both sexes (bisexual orientation). About 3 or 4 percent of men and 2 percent of women in Europe and the United States identify as exclusively homosexual, and 3.4 percent of Americans describe themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. There is no evidence that environmental influences determine sexual orientation. Evidence for biological influences includes the presence of same-sex attraction in many animal species; straight-gay brain differences; higher rates in certain families and in identical twins; exposure to certain hormones during critical periods of prenatal development; and the fraternal birth-order effect.

Question

1cCQX6pchwCW7kJsUBLq8MrN9NcmlhmQkl62+KlhQuqaGK8A0i4cek/87wa6OOLS32fsfnHp06AmvHPYRWljRQZ+EUmvLhpkWlYPB5eUL5nHC5hNK0IAjLZXH7bHTqHXAUJg7ceyeMD2f1n4q0dFTb2F144b5FqKvMlZnJW15PPJMbosgFAslHNXjtErd5mUbnKhi1WADW0oY7rCL+pZ0mK62k8HSHJ18SPiykALPoc9K7Zmd2WQRQqxqclfJkZN6bJtP7kAC/lulzKkXQZzP70Wx1dnpWD4uqGMMALnaGSvc7Jj
ANSWER: Evolutionary psychologists use natural selection to explain why women tend to be choosier than men when selecting sexual partners. These psychologists reason that men's attraction to multiple healthy, fertile-appearing partners increases their chances of spreading their genes widely. Because women incubate and nurse babies, they have more at stake. Women increase their own and their children's chances of survival by searching for mates with the potential for long-term investment in their joint offspring.

Question

Lt4S25BJkO0QuEyLjG3QO2spg6snskKKUzj5YN063czmZ0Oq+f9SfXGjtPHfnWxVkBx+25HabOnuNfWJ9SDYPYFejp0jnyznbdGg4LfByp38D9iph6fYp9sW/lCd/bR1kQSyy/63npzxGy31qqA6yCTFAFLJd2kWIbT4Cgqh38S9thmcLNWU5qpfaBkmB8iJxqL6lBoevy0jam8trSr0dSmlx3hQZVWtK5mBCejHHe6SjxQFwUICrCdJCb82Cb0Qr2Lbmw==
ANSWER: Critics argue that evolutionary psychologists start with an effect and work backward to an explanation. They also charge that evolutionary psychologists try to explain today's behavior based on decisions our distant ancestors made thousands of years ago, noting that a better, more immediate explanation takes learned social scripts into account. And, the critics wonder, does this kind of explanation absolve people from taking responsibility for their sexual behavior? Evolutionary psychologists respond that understanding our predispositions can help us overcome them. They recognize the importance of social and cultural influences, but they also cite the value of testable predictions based on evolutionary principles.

Question

5V/0CUA44ilm3QETidigLpLz47wygU9oZtLoWoLIIsaMwivPztqJwLRzD4673sOBYZGRtWZBCPmy4tCaBcTN3YTcVcL6PcqxuVPw7v43lF/2JUfdA5g9iWdanTdFWKwq/CQR232Mypc+DlxzWZxnqs3n5PDWrYoJPUyV0i9IP62KDIB0z2sObujhrZkdGyph0cTxXwfOEnqziKLGy3i9KQcviw8Ie0Ls/ChqlCzvkOy7TIw5FdZdaBgQ7fCGrdyJ03wd7oeHoy6LWZ94AOOqK+ily1U=
ANSWER: Our ancestral history helped form us as a species. Our genes form us, but our culture and experiences also form us. Sex is a socially significant act, and our gender identities and mating behaviors are the products of both our genes and our environments. We are both the creatures and creators of our worlds, with our own hopes, goals, and expectations directing our future.

Terms and Concepts to Remember

Test yourself on these terms.

Question

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

Experience the Testing Effect

Test yourself repeatedly throughout your studies. This will not only help you figure out what you know and don’t know; the testing itself will help you learn and remember the information more effectively thanks to the testing effect.

Question 5.9

ttN79hrkZXBj1WAoeAPEETnBTwgGlRM2OBpMgDUG+fzieekzrftHaT7dO1H1hvjyXrwPSex2VHMg0MMFtXxBzA/hJ36DQ54ShNxevOKM50SZVnU9CmB7YYM/+314V5gG6sot/sTi7CduQ3ZrtoYPaXZhI8qQ7otrgJm3lNAB7Nf+WGqqic8y7RWmqzrcICiWXz9gfuWZg8Ycx+Jnab4h+cdyyYqcn/fnKJAR+DTYP5c8fgXrBfEV0x2iBTmYLAVqfjz/EtDHWEZlX0y8XqW5a91e8KeHUm5PPbiCDmvELcGj+qja/2lTAYb9dAFFwwmLJPBLLQOzihyUItwJGL8dTr4tu4GXeDB1BgDFXD3LRkd51vP1FW2ZiRvSUsbjgff+YWm4PTtRFK0yqPuYoJpXgMv50TIfCuGI+pPQZ2Ce+6ItfQA+

Question 5.10

ALh8tvfXY5N9I91tB/ntVHU4z6HoiYOXCxPwdNmRIA8xCjYnUrlzwsJhB2tXY4kPWRDRCwAcP1QLv5ugEQq8U9Ye7jfGs+/uQf1Nns0c0F75O1vWGTkHZJAiziWRSN9g/9kBqjBRUnrgDd7NxJKf2U4Zn9C1T1ereHuqU1cNLJAEjnH4Wtgi5AuY9licSGvONeXhB5FEdI8jCHl8Onq6lrT5iOnulqY8BeNjTcMkVX2LZf3m6buIqHgYEgE+SlwrNBRSVQB9pWSN8mX4GX6zH+2L/OV8cxDbvoJPsx7BnXL8zn3suvIELjqPTL5hDblyMuXyQcIXqgZ98uLSzrmYgMHw1bus/NFq3OlqOZaR8huaAcqzrQfwLXOpsrBzuqQR/0p0JryizpfpcLdIzlxxJRqpgHfcTME51VCQ3lOKoqdv9lRSi8lvOXeiY91oyLVrsa9oX0SivEvLRMlZOvstcG0nYLQ+L5oP/J0Q4ejbmKI=

Question 5.11

UtlINLlfKt4gSwFIaD7e4xLfWnFxYq1/UM7eA5GJ0tPJshLHzw2VTrGuVgPd8fVnyx3Bki0S6KZ5ycHU8kUwl39UqG4p6muNyfQeeEwkbPrKUnLAQdXd4JW/TxKqGM5znvbt1vN8An9VJRBFs0To8IUIUgpghCsB
ANSWER: Sexual dysfunctions are problems that men and women may have related to sexual arousal and sexual function. Paraphilias are conditions, which may be classified as psychological disorders, in which sexual arousal is associated with nonhuman objects, the suffering of self or others, and/or nonconsenting persons.

Question 5.12

4. The use of condoms during sex UuyvZf3kfOxHV9FQ (does/doesn't) reduce the risk of getting HIV and wfuE7iNURTJ/Smlg (does/doesn't) fully protect against skin-to-skin STIs.

Question 5.13

BP+aMI08he/sMICIsrkCyUW23pHcNbvUuyk3SdWnTZG5nQH9ZKHahE08+DFo6r0lUYOTDz/AaXXWyoSAjrqUgzFvV6cMqhiLlWxSnnOVI8oVrPpxh4aEqgJuk3GD48gOwmeuDlEwQpcEr+hdurElHGdhlImvM7ou/c1tVHKgI5mjnjhugt0ILSDvuwboVqZCArQGlGL0GSuMDpAwbCrU7EtkLOL808hELp8G5aQBpscyMEtR7mgXR26CeJ+V328YYr4EnKMu9jmzKOwPhWhF5jtvRJc7gKzcpq/0g/9gGDtOk5hQ3chkXtZUQMM+u0XNJ8vy8Q==

Question 5.14

/jzl00rVJW7IJ3MFFcD0uhUyaYeSsZAXl1h/jItqKkh0ZDha+i3QdDIDzya2PsjnROSPaEDj7In1Vs3REoKidCvY+HAkFZ3uMkbGzh0qdt4QpfR+9Mb1/LimU+aPAmn0Ff6HV/u4Me0KfM2xcJe4VdhpsY9Cz55yc0QY1uo8bXo8UtGtbxDhC2VS756aoMBMV1BK45RscjsivT8m7Hz4DIbti2eKFA9W
ANSWER: Researchers have found no evidence that any environmental factor (parental relationships, childhood experiences, peer relationships, or dating experiences) influences the development of our sexual orientation.

Use image to create your personalized study plan, which will direct you to the resources that will help you most in image .