Chapter 10: Sexuality

Question 1

How do you study sexuality

Answer 1

• surveys: requires truthfulness in private matters, self-selection of participation and representativeness of sample
• direct observation: people are less willing to participate, research on animals may not generalize to humans

Question 2

Sex Surveys

Answer 2

• results questioned prevailing victorian social norms of repression and denial of sexuality
  (victorian views are not reflected in sexual behaviour)

Question 3

The Kinsey Surveys

Answer 3

• sexual behaviour of the time not always consistent with prevailing social opinions
• double standard for sexual behaviour: men compared to women are not held to the standard of being sexually inexperienced before marriage (men wider variety of sexual experience than women)

Question 4

Hunts Playboy Foundation Survey

Answer 4

• attempt to update the Kinsey findings
• confirmed the prevalence of masturbation (increased rates for pre-adolescents
• decreased estimates of same-sex sexuality (form of adolescent experimentation but stops around 16)

Question 5

The National Health and Social life survey

Answer 5

• first study to obtain a representative sample (increase in more liberal sexual standards)

Question 6

Then National Health and Social Life Survey: Gender Differences in First Intercourse

Answer 6

• men: more varied sexual interests, more partners, group sex, watching sex, oral sex, anal sex, masturbation
• women: more likely to feel guilt about masturbation, more frequent intercourse (few times a month)
• 28% of women and 8% of men say they did not want it or did it out of affection or forced

Question 7

What are the Two Large differences ( and similarities) in sexual attitudes and behaviour?

Answer 7

• men more masturbation, use of pornography, frequency and permissive attitudes of casual sex
• differences in other sexual attitudes and behaviours were either small or absent and must have decreased over time (men and women sexual behaviours quite similar)

Question 8

What is the tendency for people to report according to gender norms

Answer 8

• men: overestimate more

- Women: underestimate more

Question 9

Master’s and Johnson’s Approach

Answer 9

direct observation of sexual behaviours (masturbation, oral- genital, intercourse)

• contrasted with freudian view of sex. Women do not have two different orgasms (vaginal and clitoral), just clitoral
• ignored individual differences, used stages

Question 10

When does sexuality begin?

Answer 10

early age

• infant boys: erections
• infant girls: lubrication
• pre- school children: manipulate their genitals (exploration) different from adult sexual behaviours, more so related to self exploration

Question 11

What defines childhood sexual abuse

Answer 11

• sexual contact with an adult or adolescent at least 5 years older than the child
  ( young children close to the same age typically is exploration)

Question 12

Rates of abuse for childhood sexual abuse

Answer 12

• girls: 15%
• boys: 5%
• most common pattern is male perpetrator and female victim

Question 13

Heterosexuality

Answer 13

• attraction to people of the opposite sex
• the sexual orientation of the majority
• gender segregation restricts heterosexuality activity (teasing- flirting)

Question 14

Heterosexuality during adolescents

Answer 14

• typical period of sexual initiation

- societal messages regarding sex: promotes pleasures of sex but urges not to participate, girls more warned of sex

Question 15

Monogamy

Answer 15

• one sexual partner

- women more so

Question 16

Serial monogamy

Answer 16

having a series of partners at one time

Question 17

sexual freedom

Answer 17

hooking up

Question 18

Reactions to sexual betrayal

Answer 18

-women more likely to leave partner

Question 19

Homosexuality

Answer 19

attraction to people of the same sex

- the sexual orientation of the minority

Question 20

Genetics and Homosexuality

Answer 20

• inheritance for sexual orientation is unclear, some strong evidence
• role of prenatal exposure to testosterone (index finger length

Question 21

Exotic-Becomes- Erotic Theory

Answer 21

• social and biological factors
• childhood activity preference associated with other gender results in making opposite gender less exotic
• stronger prediction for boys

Question 22

Homosexuality during adolescence

Answer 22

• sexual attraction and sexual orientation do not correspond to sexual identity in adulthood
• 25% of women change identity within 5 years

Question 23

Process of developing sexual identity

Answer 23

• labeling self (women first)
• engaging in sex ( men first)
• acknowledging orientation

Question 24

Challenges to same sex relationships

Answer 24

• stigma, legal rights, discrimination

Question 25

Bisexuality

Answer 25

• attraction to individuals of both genders
• some claim it is those who have not accepted that they are gay or lesbian
• sexual fluidity

Question 26

sexual fluidity

Answer 26

sexual orientation is not fixed and can change over time

Question 27

Considering diversity

Answer 27

• no universally accepted or rejected set of sexual behaviours
• sexuality is culturally specific

Question 28

Lepcha of India: childhood sexuality

Answer 28

• to mature girls they must engage in intercourse