Chapter 8: Attraction, Arousal, and Response Flashcards
(56 cards)
1
Q
Determinants of Sexual Attraction? (4)
A
- Symmetry
- Masculinity-feminitiy of faces
- Babyfacedness (BF Factor)
- Other features (clear skin, glossy hair, freedom from visible defects and disease)
2
Q
Determinants of Sexual Attraction:
1. Symmetry?
A
- an index of health ?
3
Q
Determinants of Sexual Attraction:
2. Masculinity-feminity of faces (2)
L> cues?
L> which are rated most attractive?
A
- extremes are rated most attractive
- cues to masculinity - femininity
L> jaw width
L> mouth and nose width
L> chin size
K> lip fullness
L> eyebrow bushiness
L> eye size
4
Q
Determinants of Sexual Attraction:
3. Babyfacedness ( BF factor) (3)
A
- adult women with a 30% BF factor were rated most attractive
- BF features:
L> low position of facial features on the head
L> prominent forehead
L> small nose - elicits protectiveness in males? ( reason behind babyfacedness?)
5
Q
Body Attractiveness: - Waist to hip ratio? L> women? L> men L> universal indicator? yay, nay? L> situational factors?
A
- women: prefer ratio of 0.9 in men
- men: prefer ration of 0.7-0.8 in women
- might be a universal indicator of attractiveness but absolute body fatness is not: wide cultural and historical variability
- situational factos can modify judgement of attractiveness, hungry men rate heavier women more attractive!
6
Q
Body Attractiveness:
- Female Breast size
L>women often over/under-estimate men’s size preference?
L> female breast preference determinants?
A
- over
- cultural determinants and individual preferences
7
Q
Body Attractiveness:
- male muscularity for women?
A
- optimal degree is swimmer not body builder
8
Q
Body Attractiveness:
- Ethnicity?
A
- people find faces of those of their own ethnic group most attractive
- attractiveness judgements are consisted across ethnic groups
9
Q
Body Attractiveness:
- choice blindness?
A
- process of judging visual attractiveness is a largely unconscious process
10
Q
Does attraction involve senses beyond vision?
A
yes
11
Q
Attraction involves what other senses?
A
- touch
- hearing
- olfactory
12
Q
Attraction :
- hearing? (2)
A
- women like deep voiced men
2. men prefer women with voices pitched higher than average
13
Q
Attraction:
- olfactory (body odour)
A
- men’s body odour may be correlated with symmetry
- women prefer the odour of men who differ from them genetically
14
Q
Familiarity can do what to attraction?
A
increase and decrease it
15
Q
Familiarity:
- Mere exposure to faces can do what to attractiveness?
A
increase
- we prefer mirror images of our own faces rather than photo images
16
Q
Familiarity:
- closeness during early childhood does what to sexual attraction?
- opposite -sex siblings develop what to each other?
A
- inhibits sexual attraction….reduces chances of incestuous matings
- an aversion to the scent of each others bodies
17
Q
Familiarity:
- Coolidge effect?
A
- sexual familiarity can reduce attractiveness
18
Q
Familiarity:
- falling in love does what to attractiveness of the beloved?
A
- vastly increases the physical and behavioural attractiveness
(love is blind)
19
Q
Perceived attractiveness varies across the ___ cycle.
A
- menstrual
20
Q
Menstrual cycle and attractiveness:
1. Women prefer men with __ masculine faces near the time of ovulation and prefer ___ masculine faces at other times.
L> caution?
A
- more
- less
- the shift is subtle
21
Q
Menstrual cycle and attractiveness:
2. Women are more likely to engage in sex outside the partnership near what time?
A
- ovulation
22
Q
Menstrual cycle and attractiveness:
- women’s ____ to men varies around the menstrual cycle
L> study of tips given by man to lap dancers?
L> causes?
A
- sexual attractiveness
- peak just prior to ovulation
- women pay more attention to personal appearance circa ovulation
23
Q
Some people can be asexual meaning what?
A
the lack of sexual attraction to anyone or low or absent interest in sexual activity.
24
Q
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy?
A
- imagined sexual experiences
25
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> There are gender differences in ___ and ___.(2)
- frequency and content
L> men tend to fantasize more than women do
L> frequency of fantasy decreases with age
26
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> common fantasies are activities in which what?
- people frequently engage in not unusual forms of sex
27
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
| - do fantasies of lesbians and gay men differ from their heterosexual counterparts?
- no, the only difference is the sex of the imagined partner
28
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
| - fantasies follow what?
- sexual stereotypes
29
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> sexual stereotypes? (2)
L> why would we study sexual stereotypes?
1. men tend to visualize explicit acts with themselves in a more dominant role
2. women's fantasies tend to be more romantic with themselves in a passive role
- so sex therapists have a norm reference when clients come in worried about fantasies
30
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> fantasies in relation to sex life?
- those that engage in sexual fantasy generally have a more satisfying sex life.
31
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> forced sex fantasies do or do not occur in many women?
- do occur
- they are often power fantasies...not like rape etc....more like " I got him so turned on that he couldn't help himself"
32
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Partner elicited arousal
L> gender differences in body scanning?
- gender differences in body scanning: man look at crotches but women focus more so on faces.
( see fig 8.11)
33
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Partner elicited arousal
L> Sexual arousal is correlated with activity in the ____ of the brain.
- anterior cingulate cortex of the brain
| - love and cocaine do this too
34
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Partner elicited arousal
L> Gender differences in arousal when viewing erotic images?(2)
- men look at the women most, while women look at both
- men are aroused by the target of their sexual orientation while women are aroused by erotic images of both men and women.
35
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Misattribution of Sexual arousal
L> definition?
- tendency of nonsexual arousal such as fear to facilitate sexual arousal
36
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Misattribution of Sexual arousal
L> The Dutton and Aron (1974) bridge study in British Columbia??
- (see Meston and Froelich's 2003 roller coaster study in text)
- two types of bridges....steep shaky one and a very level and stable one.
- both had a female at the end waiting to ask them a few questions and give them their number
- guys that went across the steep shaky bridge called her more than those on the stable bridge.
- they misattributed their physiological reactions to fear etc of the bridge to being attracted to her.
37
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
| - Testosterone has ___ effecst on sexual feelings or desires
- minimal if any ...short term
38
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
| - Testosterone levels do or do not predict whether sex will occur ?
- do not
| BUT they are elected after sex has occurred
39
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
| - testosterone does have ____ effects on the ____ to experience sexual arousal.
- long term
| - capacity
40
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
| - At puberty testosterone rises are correlated with what in both boys and girls?
- sexual feelings and behaviour
41
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
- Conditioning and arousal
L> explain the study conducted with the guy, girl and a shoe
- guy + girl = guy is aroused
- guy + shoes= guy is not aroused
- guy + girl wearing the shoes= guy is aroused
- guy + shoes = guy is aroused
42
What are the phases of the sexual response cycle?(5)
1. Excitement
2. Plateau Phase
3. Orgasm
4. Resolution
5. Refractory (only in males)
43
```
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Excitement phase?
L>Vasocongestion
L>myotonia
**breasts?
```
-resulting from physical or mental erotic stimuli leading to sexual arousal
1.the swelling of bodily tissues caused by increased vascular blood flow and a localized increase in blood pressure.
2.cremaster muscle elevates the testicles
L> dartos muscle causes thickening and wrinkling of the scrotum
- breasts swell
44
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Plateau Phase?
L> males?
L>females?
- the period of sexual excitement prior to orgasm
- maintenance of arousal
- secretions of the bulbourethral glands may appear
- in females formation of the orgasmic platform occurs.....tightening of the outer 1/3 of the vagina and ballooning of the inner 2/3
45
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Orgasm Phase?
L> clitoral vs vaginal vs cervical orgasm?
L> types of muscle contractions?
- Orgasm is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle and is experienced by both males and females.
- spasmodic muscle contractions (8-10) in both sexes
- Physiologically all identical but sensations may differ
46
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Orgasm Phase?
L> Brain scans during this phase reveal what ?
- males and females share?
- in females what brain region is involved?
- what is released (think NT)
- what hormone is released
1. males and females have an increased activity in the thalamus and surrounding area and decreased activity in the cerebral cortex.
2. females: Nuceleus accumbens is involved
3. Dopamine is released
4. Oxytocin is released from the pituitary gland and helps to genera pleasurable sensations
47
Sexual Response Cycle:
| - Resolution Phase?
- after orgasm and allows the muscles to relax, blood pressure to drop and the body to slow down from its excited state.
- approximately 15 mins
48
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Refractory Phase?
- time frame?
- types? (2)
-is the time frame in which usually a man is unable to orgasm again.
- 30 to 90 mins
- absolute and relative
L> absolute: the interval during which a second action potential absolutely cannot be initiated, no matter how large a stimulus is applied.
L> relative: the interval immediately following during which initiation of a second action potential is inhibited but not impossible.
49
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Patterns of Sexual Response
L> they are constant or variable?
L> is sex without an orgasm satisfying?
- variable
- males: 34% said yes (blue balls may occur)
- females: 50% said yes
50
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Multiple Orgasms
L> def?
- two or more examples with descent to plateau only
51
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Multiple Orgasms
L> status orgasmus?
- one single prolonged orgasm with multiple peaks
52
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Multiple Orgasms
L> can males have multiple orgasms with ejaculation at the end?
- can males have multiple orgasms with ejaculation each time?
- yes
| - some can
53
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Other male/female differences
L> In males, ____ events and ___ arousal are correlated.
- physiological and psychological
54
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Other male/female differences
L> Women do or do not always feel sexually aroused/excited when their physiology indicates arousal?
- DO NOT ALWAYS
55
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Other male/female differences
L> men's desire for sex is _______ driven creating a sense of____.
- biologically
| - horniness
56
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Other male/female differences
L> Women's desire for sex often beings with a desire for what? What does it then progress to?
- intimacy
| L> progresses to physical arousal and than desire once activity has begun.
