Adulthood Flashcards
Tasks of Adulthood
Continued exploration of sexual identity
Identify sexual likes and dislikes
Develop effective communication
Being responsible about sex
Intimacy
The Never-Married Adults
- adults who have never been married
- is increasing
- Many never- married adults are
in romantic relationships - most adults will get married though
Long-Distance Relationships
No differences in relationship
or sexual satisfaction
No differences in rates of infidelity
- portayed in media negatively
- is better when people have faith in the relationhip
- they also tend to idealisize their partners
Singlehood
- Singleism: stigmatizing and
stereotyping of people who are not in a romantic relationship - Committed relationship ideology
- Singles are perceived as possessing
more negative characteristics than
their partnered peers
-singles = less atrctive,less sociable(not true) - Why?
-society ideology
-wedding ring effect = when someone is taken the seem more attractive (specifically men in a relationship)
Are singles really that bad?
- No!
- No differences in personality,
attractiveness, self-esteem,
and social ability
Settling for less…fear
of being single
- Many people fear being single (single and partnered alike)
- Fear of being single is a predictor of settling for less in existing relationships
- This fear also predicts romantic interest in lower quality partners
Cohabitation
- Stage before marriage (for many)
- Common-law: people who lived together for 12months they have the same rights as married couples (except property division)
- Does not cause divorce rather tend to be more educated and less religious (which are people who already get more divorce
- More frequent sex then married couples
- most common in quebec
Marriage
- Why bother?
-signify commitment
-moral values and belifs
-belive children should get merried parents
lgbtq communities
-signify commitment
-legal protection
-political fight for equality
- Sex 2-3x/week (more then singles)
- Masturbation is normal
More sexual satisfaction if:
- sexual rewards > sexual costs
- sexual rewards > sexual costs expected
- Equal reward cost ratios
- Satisfaction with nonsexual relationship
sexual rewards: sexual plesure, intimacy
sexual costs: pain,time
Discrepant Sexual Desire
- Individuals can differ in levels of sexual desire
- Maintain satisfaction
via sexual communal
strength:means having sex with their partner to strenghen the relationship
-people with high sexual communal strengh tend to have an Approach(connect partner,have fun) vs. avoidance(so they stop neging me,get over with
Having Babies &
Careers
- Children affect the sexual
relationship of the couple - Tendency to delay having
children - Two-career homes do not differ
in sexual satisfaction but they differ between satifying job vs not satisfying
Monogamy
- Monogamy = Expectation for romantic and sexual exclusivity in romantic relationship
- Most expect monogamy but only some discuss it
- Even so, infidelity is common
Infidelity
- Sexual: physically arousing contact (e.g.,kissing, sexual touching, oral sex)
-
Romantic: close affection or intimate
connection (e.g., “falling in love”) - Some behaviours are almost always
considered infidelity (ex:having sex with someone else)
Four categories of sexual infidelity:
1.Sexual/explicit behaviours – intercourse, oral sex, touching, kissing
2.Technology/online behaviours - sexting, cybersex,
browsing dating profiles
3.Emotional/affectionate behaviours – sharing secrets, working late, giving/receiving emotional support/dressing to attract
4.Solitary behaviours – viewing porn, masturbation, finding a celebrity attractive
Prevalence
-
hard to find out
1. people dont want to adimit
2. different defenitions for infidality - 1.2%-37.5% in nationally representative U.S. Samples
- 16.5% - 85.5% in community/college samples
very common
Why do people
cheat?
treas and Giesen (2000); Selterman et al. (2020)
- stronger sexual interest: want to have more sex
- more permissive sexual values: more relexed about infidality
- lower relationship satisfaction
- weaker network ties to partner: mutual friends
- **greater sexual opportunities: **ex people who travel a lot
→ for many people, being faithful in a long-term monogamous relationship takes work
Cheating outcomes
- Psychological distress for
both partners - Relationship breakup( popular cause of divorce)
- stages of healing:
1. understand the afair(who,why)
2. make decision to break up or try to work out
3. try to rebuild the relationship - 55% break up immeditality,30% try to work it out but end up breaking up , 15% stayed together
Mate Poaching
- Mate poaching occurs when someone forms a romantic and/or sexualrelationship with someone who they know is already in an exclusive
relationship. - mate pouching relationships starts with lower quality
- more likely to engage infidality
Sociosexual orientation:
- people confort and interest in sexual activity in the absecen of love or commitment
- the more people that are confertable sociosexual orientation , less quality in their relatioiship and more ingage in infedelity
Behaviors intended to maintain monogamy in an
exclusive relationship
- Proactive avoidance (avoid opportunities
- Relationship enhancement : focus on positive thoughs about ur parents
- Derogating the alternative
Consensual
nonmonogam
y (CNM)
- Swinging( married couples exchange partners)
- Polyamory: sexual reletionship /emotional with multiple people
- Open Relationships:becoming more popular
Open Relationship
Agreements
Variable from one couple to another
Require clear communication to specify boundaries
CNM Relationship Outcomes
- Engage in sex with both partners for intrinsic reasons (e.g., pleasure)
- Greater sexual fulfillment with a second partner associated with lower sexual satisfaction in first partner
Sex Later on in Life
Older people still have sex (and satisfaction is high)
Some changes to consider when having sex in older adulthood
-specially older women find sexual partner
-women out leave men
-for women we dont see this
Changes in women
- Menopause
- Changes in levels of sex
hormones - Decline in vaginal
lubrication and elasticity - less plesure,less orgasms
Changes in men
- Less testosterone production and sperm output
- Erections occur more slowly
- Volume of ejaculate decreases
- Prostrate enlargement
Two factors are critical for maintaining sexual capacity in old age
- Good physical and mental health
- Regularly of sexual expression (“use it or loseit”)
Orgasms keep you alive
longer
