Chapter 1 Flashcards
gender
the state of being male or female, but usually used in reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological differences
gender role
complex clusters of ways in which males and females are expected to behave within a given culture
human sexuality
the ways in which people experience and express themselves as sexual beings
values
the qualities in life that are deemed important or unimportant, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable
phallic worship
worship of the penis as a symbol of generative power
phallic symbol
an image of the penis
incest taboo
the prohibition against intercourse and reproduction among close blood relatives
bisexual
sexually responsive to either gender
pederasty
sexual love of boys
courtesan
a prostitute
concubine
a secondary wife
bestiality
sexual relations between a person and an animal
sadism
the practice of achieving sexual gratification through hurting or humiliating others
fellatio
a sexual activity involving oral contact with the penis
cunnilingus
a sexual activity involving oral contact with the female genitals
fornication
sexual intercourse between people who are not married to one another
genes
the basic units of heredity
chromosomes
the rodlike structures that reside in the nuclei of every living cell and carry the genetic code in the form of genes
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid - the chemical substance whose molecules make up genes and chromosomes
evolution
the development of a species to its present state, which is believed to involve adaptations to its environment
natural selection
the evolutionary process by which adaptive traits enable members of a species to survive to reproductive age and transmit these traits to future generations
mutation
a random change in the molecular structure of DNA
psychoanalysis
human behavior represents the outcome of clashing inner forces
defense mechanisms
automatic processes that protect the ego from anxiety by disguising or ejecting unacceptable ideas and urges
repression
automatic ejection of anxiety-evoking ideas from consciousness
erogenous zones
parts of the body that are responsive to sexual stimulation
psychosexual development
the process by which sexual feelings shift from one erogenous zone to another
oedipus complex
a conflict of the phallic stage in which the boy wishes to possess his mother sexually and perceives his father as a rival in love
behaviorists
learning theorists who argue that a scientific approach to understanding behavior must refer only to observable and measurable behaviors
coitus
sexual intercourse
social-cognitive theory
cognitively oriented learning theory in which observational learning and values play key roles in determining behavior
feminist theory
theory that challenges acceptance of the males as the norm, traditional gender roles, and male oppression of females
queer theory
theory that challenges heteronormativity and heterosexism
heteronormativity
assumption that heterosexuality is normal
homophobia
hatred of homosexuals
empirical
derived from or based on observation and experimentation
hypothesis
a precise prediction about behavior that is tested through research
variables
quantities or qualities that vary or may vary
demographic
concerning the vital statistics of human populations
population
a complete group of organisms or events
sample
part of a population
generalize
to go from the particular to the general
random sample
a sample in which every member of a population has an equal chance of participating
stratified random sample
random sample in which known subgroups in a population are represented in proportion to their numbers in the population
case study
a carefully drawn, in-depth biography of an individual or a small group of individuals that may be obtained through interviews , questionnaires and historical records
survey
a detailed study of a sample obtained by means such as interviews and questionnaires
volunteer bais
a slanting of research data that is caused by the characteristics of individuals who volunteer to participate
confidentiality
keeping records and the name of research participants or therapy clients private
reliability
consistency or accuracy of a measure
validity
with respect to interviews, questionnaires, and tests, the degree to which an item measures what it is supposed to measure
incidence
measure of the occurrence or the degree of occurrence of an event
frequency
number of times an action is repeated within a given period
social desirability
response to bias to a questionnaire or interview in which the person provides a socially acceptable response
naturalistic observation
method in which organisms are observed in their natural environments
ethnographic observation
method of research that deals descriptively with specific cultures
participant observation
method in which observers interact with the people thy study as they collect data
laboratory observation
method in which subjects are studied in a lab setting
penile strain gauge
devise for measuring sexual arousal in men in terms of changes in the circumference of the penis
vaginal plethysmograph
tampon-like prove that is inserted in the vagina and suggests the level of vasocongestion by measuring the light reflected from the vaginal walls
vasocongestion
congestion from the flow of blood
myotonia
muscle tension
correlation
statistical measure of the relationships between two variables
correlation coefficient
statistic that expresses the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables
experiment
scientific method that seeks to confirm cause-and-effect relationships by manipulating independent variables and observing their effects on dependent variables
treatment
(in experiments) intervention that is administered to participants so that is effects may be observed
independent variable
condition in a scientific study that is manipulated by the researchers so that its effects may be observed
dependent variable
measured result of an experiment that is believed to be a function of the independent variable
experimental group
group of study participants who receive a treatment
control group
group of study participants who do not receive the experimental treatment
selection factor
bias that may operate in research when people are allowed to determine whether or not they will receive a treatment
