DescriptionChapter 1: Perspectives on Sexuality
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjkiebus/true-or-false-sex
Sexual Intelligence
• Four components of sexual intelligence
− Self-understanding about sexuality
− Having interpersonal sexual skills and
integrity
− Obtaining accurate scientific knowledge
− Having consideration of cultural context
• Sexual intelligence abilities help us make
responsible decisions in sexual behavior
A Psychosocial Orientation
• Psychosocial approach: combination of
psychological and social factors
− Psychological factors: emotions,
attitudes, and motivations
− Social conditioning factors: process with
which we learn our social norms
− Biological factors: hormones, nervous
system, genetics, etc.
Diversity in Human Sexuality
• The United States
1) Many factors contribute to diverse
sexual attitudes and behaviors in the
United States
▪ Many ethnic and religious groups
▪ Wide range of values
▪ Varying degrees of education and
socioeconomic status
▪ Intergroup differences
− Often more variability within a group
than between any two groups
2) Inclusive terminology
− Terms used to explain gender identity
and sexual orientation are changing
rapidly
− Scientific understanding of gender and
sexual orientation are also evolving
Our Cultural Legacy: Sex for Procreation
and Rigid Gender Roles
Theme 1: Sex for procreation
− Historic view of sex only legitimate for
procreation
− Residual effects
▪ Sex = penis-in-vagina intercourse
▪ Penis is primary source of
satisfaction
Theme 2: Rigid gender roles
− Extend beyond physiological differences
− Expectations of “appropriate behavior”
for men and women
− Rigid gender-role conditioning can limit
each person’s potential and can harm
their sexuality
Sexuality in the Western World: A
Historical Perspective
• Judaic and Christian traditions
− Ancient Hebrews
▪ Gender roles were highly specialized
▪ Procreation was essential
− Christianity
▪ Spirituality through celibacy
▪ Sex outside of marriage as sinful
▪ Contradictory images of women emerged
o Virgin Mary: compassionate, pure, and
unattainable
o Eve: evil temptress
2) A sex-positive shift
− Protestant reformation
▪ Valued sex in marriage
− Enlightenment; scientific rationalism
▪ Value of sex in marriage goes
beyond procreation
▪ Increased respect for women
3) Victorian Era
− Women’s role was polarized between
the images of Madonna and Eve
− Distance between husband and wife
▪ Intensely passionate friendships
sometimes developed between
women
− Prostitution flourished
4) Sexuality in the Western World: A
Historical Perspective
The beginning of the 20th century
− 19th Amendment gave women the right
to vote
− Great Depression, more restrained beh
− Postwar retreat, traditional gender roles
▪ Men returned to the workplace
▪ Women devoted themselves to their
homes, children, and husbands
5) After World War
• The times are changing
− 1960s and 1970s “sexual revolution”
confronted the norms of previous
decades
▪ Many contraceptives
− Attitudes change toward homosexuality
▪ Gay and lesbian people began to
openly declare sexual orientation
▪ Supreme court legalization of samesex marriage in 2015
The Media & Sexuality: Traditional Media
• Television
− Increased sexual content
• Music videos
− Overt and explicit sexual content
• Advertising
− Subtle and blatant content
• Magazines
− Content may promote stereotypical gender
roles, body-image insecurity, superficiality, etc.
The Media and Sexuality: New Media
• The Internet has potentially epic impact on
sexual attitudes
− By 2017, 3.5 billion Internet users
worldwide
− Americans spend almost half of their
day on a screen
− Internet used for dating, finding sex
partners, retrieving sexual health
information, viewing pornography,
expressing sexual fantasies, and more
Sexuality: Where the Personal Is Political
• The personal and political are truly merged
when it comes to sexuality
− Impact of social norms
− Increased freedoms and responsibilities
today
− Controversies regarding social policies,
laws, and ethics
Summary
• Sexual intelligence involves understanding
oneself sexually and having interpersonal
sexual skills and integrity
− Abilities help make responsible
decisions about sexual behavior based
on values
• The changes in the 20th century led to the
contemporary individual’s increased ability
to make personal sexuality decisions
− Scientific, psychological, and social
Psyc 376 Film Reflection
Instructions and Rubric
Objectives:
-Demonstrate an understanding and application of the cultural and psychological perspectives
of human sexuality
-Describe and apply the impact of these perspectives as illustrated in a character’s personal
philosophy of sexuality
Please write your responses on this assignment sheet
1) Describe three (3) feelings and reactions you experienced to the film with an example for
each (approximately one paragraph; 10 possible points).
Criteria
Distinguished (4)
Proficient (3)
Basic (2)
Unsatisfactory (1)
NonPerformance (0)
Reactions
(x 2.5)
Description contains
accurate, thoughtful
content surrounding at
least 3 reactions/feelings
about the book in a very
clear and concise
manner, and meets
length requirement
Description contains
accurate, thoughtful
content surrounding at
least 3 reactions/feelings
about the book in a
somewhat clear and
concise manner, and
meets length
requirement
Description contains
accurate, thoughtful
content surrounding at
least 3
reactions/feelings about
the book but in a
somewhat confusing
manner
Description contains
inaccurate or missing
content surrounding at
least 3
reactions/feelings about
the book
Did not provide any
content surrounding
at least 3
reactions/feelings
about the book
2) Cultural Perspectives
1. Select two (2) cultural perspectives of human sexuality you observed in the film
2. Briefly explain your 2 chosen cultural perspectives
3. Give two (2) specific examples (1 example for each of you 2 chosen perspectives) and explain
how your examples illustrates your two chosen cultural perspectives
(approximately 2 short paragraphs)
Criteria
2 Cultural
Perspectives &
2 Examples
(x 2.5)
Distinguished (4)
Proficient (3)
Basic (2)
Unsatisfactory (1) Non-Performance
Description contains
accurate, in-depth
content surrounding the
3 points above in a
very clear and concise
manner, and meets
length requirement
Description contains
accurate, satisfactory
content surrounding the
3 points above in a
somewhat clear and
concise manner, and
meets length
requirement
Description contains
satisfactory content
surrounding the 3 points
above but in a
somewhat confusing
manner
Description contains
inaccurate or
missing content
surrounding the 3
points above
(0)
Did not provide any
content surrounding
the 3 points above
3) Psychological Perspectives
1. Select two (2) psychological perspectives of human sexuality you observed in the film
2. Briefly explain your 2 chosen psychological perspectives
3. Give two (2) specific examples (1 example for each of you 2 chosen perspectives) and explain
how your examples illustrates your two chosen psychological perspectives
(approximately 2 short paragraphs)
Criteria
2
Psychological
Perspectives &
2 Examples
(x 2.5
Distinguished (4)
Proficient (3)
Basic (2)
Unsatisfactory (1) Non-Performance
Description contains
accurate, in-depth
content surrounding the
3 points above in a
very clear and concise
manner, and meets
length requirement
Description contains
accurate, satisfactory
content surrounding the
3 points above in a
somewhat clear and
concise manner, and
meets length
requirement
Description contains
satisfactory content
surrounding the 3 points
above but in a
somewhat confusing
manner
Description contains
inaccurate or
missing content
surrounding the 3
points above
(0)
Did not provide any
content surrounding
the 3 points above
4. Select one (1) character from the film and explain what you believe to be his/her philosophy
of sexuality
1. Integrate at least three cultural or psychological perspectives that are part of your
character’s philosophy; integrating an explanation and specific example for each perspective
3. Explain the impact of your character’s philosophy of sexuality on his/her life and if it had a
positive or negative impact on his/her life using at least two (2) specific examples from the film
(approximately one paragraph, 10 possible points).
Criteria
Distinguished (4)
Proficient (3)
Basic (2)
Unsatisfactory (1) Non-Performance
Philosophy of
Sexuality of
One Character
(x 2.5)
Description contains
accurate content
surrounding the 3 points
above in a very clear
and concise manner
and meets length
requirement
Description contains
accurate content
surrounding the 3 points
above in a somewhat
clear and concise
manner and meets
length requirement
Description contains
accurate content
surrounding the 3 points
above but in a
somewhat confusing
manner
Description contains
inaccurate or
missing content
surrounding the 3
points above
(0)
Did not provide any
content surrounding
the 3 points above
Psychological Perspectives on Human Sexuality
What drives us to have sex?
Learning Objectives, know, understand & apply…
Many factors! Stable, fleeting, emotion
A. Psychological influences
B. Sociocultural factors
C. Biological/evolutionary factors
A. Psychological influences
Both stable psychological traits & moment-to-moment
states…
• Personality
-Big Five (OCEAN)
-Learned associations
-we all have them!
• Attitudes; positive/negative
• Mood states; varies
B. Biological & evolutionary factors
• Biological factors
– Genetics and hormones
• e.g., homosexuality appears to have a
genetic component, psychological
masculinity femininity related to prenatal
hormone exposure
• Evolutionary factors
– similarities in the sexual behaviors of humans
and other species
Psychological Theories Human Sexuality
– A. Psychoanalytic theory
– B. Cognitive-behavioral theories
– C. Exchange theories
– D. Personality theories
– E. Evolutionary theory
– F. Biopsychosocial theory
A. Psychoanalytic theory
Freud; unconscious
beh is driven by libido & thanatos
-pers. structure (id, ego, superego….)
-five stages of psychosexual dev
-fixation may lead to unusual sexual interests and
behaviors in adulthood
B. Cognitive-behavioral theories
-1. Classical conditioning (Pavlov, 1927)
– Repeated pairing of a neutral stimulus with a
stimulus that causes a specific behavior can lead
that neutral stimulus to become a cue for that
behavior
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhvfAAdK3
Dw
Activity…
-Kayla finds red cars very arousing, every time
she sees one, she gets turned on!!
Crash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTaGH1POl
ds&ab_channel=LittleWhiteLies
symphorophiliacs
-Sven finds ladies’ bathrobes very arousing,
every time he sees one he gets turned on!!
-Classsical conditioning; psychological root of many
sexual behaviors & fetishes!!!
-2. Operant conditioning (Skinner, 1938)
-Reinforced beh increase frequency; punished beh
decrease
-sex…leads to other + consequences
Activity; Marvin has had sex with other 100 women…
UpwyHcDs8Q&ab_channel=WatchMojo.com
What would a female James Bond be called?
Pleasurable consequences…
Punishing….
3. Social learning (Bandura, Ross, 1962)
-We imitate beh we observe in others when we see
that behavior reinforced
Eg. O’Hara and colleagues: exposed to more sexual
content in movies take more sexual risks…
-sexually active = popularity
Bandura; sex and media
-most media examples responsible, or risky and
unrealistic?
-contraception, risks
Adolescents & pornography
-think this is “normal” sex
-potential dangers & implications?
C. Exchange theories
How we feel about a given relationship depends on
outcomes we receive
– Outcomes held to a comparison level (i.e., are
we getting what we think we deserve? Past
relationships?)
• Sex is a commonly traded resource in relationships
(Baumeister & Vohs, 2004)
• Cost-benefits ratio
• Sellers & buyers (who?)
• According to these theorists, sex is a common traded
resource in heterosexual relationship
• Female sexuality valued…
limited supply
• Views of virginity by gender
D. Personality theories
Traits related to sex beh
• The Big Five (OCEAN)
-high extraversion, low agreeableness high openness
• “traits”; Erotophilia and erotophobia
-how individuals approach sex
• Sensation seeking
-tendency to pursue thrilling/risky activities (including
risky sex)
• Sociosexuality
-willingness to have sex without commitment/emotional
connection
E. Evolutionary theory
-produce as many offspring as possible
-different mating strategies based parental investment
-preferences…males & females
-sexual strategies; different approaches to mating
-Men…healthy & fertile
-Women…reliable partners w/ resources
F. Biopsychosocial theory
-Takes a holistic approach to study of sex
-Considers entire person
-Mind and body interconnected
…Sexual health is more than just the absence of disease
and dysfunction
BPS; interconnections
-how bio influences health…..& influences
-psychological components….
-social components…
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