Module 39: Sexual Motivation

Question 1

Is sex a need?

Answer 1

Sex is not an actual need yet sex motivates

Asexual

Question 2

How do sex hormones influnece human development

Answer 2

• during the prenatal period, sex hormones direct our development as males or females
• during puberty, a sex hormone surge ushers us into adolescence
• after puberty and well into the late adult years, sex hormones facilitate sexual behavior

Question 3

Testosterone

Answer 3

Both males and females have testosterone, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of male sex organs during the fetal period and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty

Question 4

Estrogen

Answer 4

Estrogen is a sex hormone that contribute to female sex characteristics and is secreted in greater amounts by females than by males
- estrogen levels peak during ovulation

Question 5

How do hormones influence sexuality?

Answer 5

• females become sexually receptive when their estrogens peak at ovulation
• if a women’s natural testosterone level drops, as happens with the removal of the ovaries or adrenal glands, her sexual interest may wane
• in human males with abnormally low testosterone levels, testosterone-replacement therapy often increases sexual desire and also energy and vitality

Question 6

How can hormonal surges impact sexual desire?

Answer 6

The surge of hormones that occurs during puberty triggers the development of sex characteristics and sexual interest

Question 7

How can hormonal decline impact sexual desire?

Answer 7

In later life, sex hormone levels fall. Women experience menopause as their estrogen levels decrease; males experience a more gradual change

Sex remains a part of life, but as hormone levels decline, sexual fantasies and intercourse decline as well

For some, surgery or drugs may cause hormonal shifts
Castrated men - sex drive decline sharply & male sex offenders w/ testosterone reducing drug - lost much of their sexual rage

Question 8

Note:

Answer 8

There are many biological processes that govern human behavior less rigidly than they govern the behaviors of other species

Because of our highly developed brain, sex hormones have less control over our behavior than they do over other animals’ behavior

Question 9

What about hormone replacement?

Answer 9

We might compare human sex hormones, especially testosterone, to the fuel in a car. W/o fuel, a car will not run. But if the fuel level is minimally adequate adding more won’t change how the car runs

Question 10

Sexual Response Cycle

Answer 10

Excitement: Genitals engorged with blood, Vagina expands and secretes lubricant - Penis enlarges

Plateau: Excitement peaks such as breathing, pulse, and blood pressure

Orgasm: Contractions all over the body, increase in breathing, pulse, & blood pressure, sexual release

Resolution: Engorged genitals release blood. male goes through refractory period - women resolve slower

Question 11

Biological Influences on Sexuality

Answer 11

• sexually maturity

- sex hormones, especially testosterone

Question 12

Psychological Influences on Sexuality

Answer 12

• exposure to stimulating conditions

- sexual fantasies

Question 13

Social-Cultural Influences on Sexuality

Answer 13

• family and society values
• religious and personal values
• cultural expectations
• media

Question 14

How do external stimuli influence sexual arousal?

Answer 14

Men and women become aroused when they see, hear, or read erotic material

However, with repeated exposure to any stimulus, including an erotic stimulus, the emotional response lessens or habituates

Question 15

How important are psychological factors?

Answer 15

Compared w/ our motivation for eating, our sexual motivation is less influenced by biological factors

Psychological and social-cultural factors play a bigger role

Question 16

Can exposure to sexually explicit material have adverse effects on women?

Answer 16

Yes, Depictions of women being sexually coerced- and appearing to enjoy it- have increased viewers’ belief in the false idea that women want to be overpowered, and have increased male viewers’ expressed willingness to hurt women and to commit rape after viewing such scenes

Question 17

Can exposure to sexually explicit material have adverse effects on relationships?

Answer 17

Yes, After viewing images or erotic films of sexually attractive women and men, people have judged an average person, their own partner, or their spouse as less attractive. And they have found their own relationship less satisfying

Question 18

Can exposure to sexually explicit material have adverse effects on men?

Answer 18

Yes, Some studies have found that extensive online pornography exposure desensitizes young men to normal sexuality, thus contributing to erectile problems, lowered sexual desire, and diminished brain activation in response to sexual images
- in one brain-imaging study, men who frequently watched pornography had smaller-sized brain regions that aid sexual pleasure

Question 19

Does imagination play a role in sexual arousal?

Answer 19

• both men and women report having sexual fantasies, which for a few women can, by themselves, produce orgasms
• men, regardless of sexual orientation, tend to have more frequent, more physical, and less romantic fantasies
• some men also prefer less personal and faster-paced sexual content in books and videos

Question 20

How does commitment enhance contentment?

Answer 20

In one national study that followed participants to age 30, later first sex predicted greater satisfaction in one’s marriage or partnership

Question 21

How does building a relationship enhance sexual satisfaction?

Answer 21

Another study asked 2035 married people when they started having sex (while controlling for education, religious engagement, and relationship length). Those whose relationship first developed to a deep commitment, such as marriage, not only reported greater relationship satisfaction and stability but also better sex

Question 22

Refractory Period

Answer 22

A resting period after orgasm, during which a man cannot achieve another orgasm

Question 23

Sexual Dysfunction

Answer 23

A problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or functioning