Chapter 13

Question 1

Lifelong

Answer 1

Evident during initial sexual experiences

Question 2

Acquired

Answer 2

Developed after successful sexual experiences

Question 3

Generalized:

Answer 3

Occurring in nearly all situations

Question 4

Situational

Answer 4

Occurring with certain partners, situations, or types of stimulation

Question 5

What is the most common sexual dysfunction for males?

Answer 5

Premature Ejaculation

Question 6

What are some specific emotional and cognitive elements of sexual dysfunctions? (See the psychological domain of etiology.)

Answer 6

• Situational or coital anxiety or guilt
• Performance anxiety
• Negative attitudes toward sex
• Fear of pregnancy, HIV infection, or venereal disease

Question 7

Procedures for Treating Female Orgasmic Dysfunction

Answer 7

Both structured behavioral exercises and com- munication training have been successful in treating sexual arousal dis- orders in women. Masturbation appears to be the most effective way for women with orgasmic dysfunction to achieve an orgasm. High success rates are reported with this procedure, especially for women who have never experienced an orgasm. However, this approach does not necessarily lead to a woman’s ability to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse

Question 8

Procedures for Treating Early Ejaculation

Answer 8

In one technique, the partner stimulates the penis until the man feels the sensation of impending ejaculation. At this point, the partner momentarily stops the stimulation and then continues it again. This pattern is repeated until the man can tolerate increasingly greater periods of stimula- tion before ejaculation

Question 9

Procedures for Treating Vaginismus

Answer 9

The results of treatment for vaginismus have been uniformly positive. The involuntary spasms or closure of the vaginal muscle can be deconditioned by first training the woman to relax and then inserting successively larger dilators while she is relaxed

Question 10

Is the concept of a “dirty old man” accurate in terms of the typical exhibitionist? If not, what is actually typical?

Answer 10

Exhibitionistic disorder most commonly occurs in men. The main goal seems to be the sexual arousal that comes from exposing oneself. The act may involve exposing a limp penis or masturbating an erect penis. Exhibitionists desire no further contact with their victims, but hope to produce a reaction such as surprise or sexual arousal. Most individuals with the disorder are in their 20s far from being the “dirty old men” of popular myth. Individuals with this paraphilia report lower satisfaction in life, a high level of sexual arousability, and pornography use

Question 11

Why might frotteuristic disorder be more common than we think?

Answer 11

It may be more common than thought because the behavior may go unnoticed, be ignored, or be overlooked because it is presumed to be accidental

Question 12

What are the typical patterns of incest that are observed?

Answer 12

Sexual contact between individuals who are too closely related to marry legally. The cases of incest most frequently reported to law enforcement agencies involve sexual contact between a father and daughter or stepdaughter. Mother–son incest seems to be rare. Although brother–sister incest is more common, most research has focused on father–daughter incest

Question 13

What seems to be the main source of appeal for sexual masochists?

Answer 13

Characterized by sexual urges, fantasies, or acts that involve being humiliated, bound, or made to suffer. People who engage in sexual masochism report that they do not seek harm or injury but that they find the sensation of utter helplessness appealing. Because of their passive role, masochists are not considered dangerous to others. A sexual masochism disorder diagnosis occurs only if the paraphilia causes distress or impairment in functioning. The prevalence of sexual masochism is unknown

Question 14

Among early attempts to explain paraphilic disorders, psychodynamic theorists proposed that these sexual behaviors represent…

Answer 14

Unconscious conflicts that began in early childhood. Castration anxiety in men, for example, is hypothesized to underlie transvestic disorder, fetishistic disorder, exhibitionistic disorder, sexual sadism disorder, and sexual masochism disorder. A man with exhibitionistic disorder, for example, exposes himself to reassure himself that castration has not occurred. The shock that registers on the faces of others assures him that he still has a penis

Question 15

Learning theorists stress the importance of early conditioning experiences in the etiology of paraphilias. In other words, paraphilias may result from…

Answer 15

Accidental associations between sexual arousal and exposure to certain situations, events, acts, or objects. A young boy may develop a fetish for women’s panties after he becomes sexually excited watching girls come down a slide with their underpants exposed. He begins to masturbate to fantasies of girls with their panties showing; this behavior could lead to an underwear fetish. Paraphilias often develop during adolescence when sexual interest and arousal are particularly susceptible to conditioning. Additionally, if an adolescent masturbates while engaged in sexually deviant fantasies, the conditioning may hamper the development of normal sexual patterns.

Question 16

Behavioral approaches to treating sexual deviations have generally involved one or more of the following elements:

Answer 16

(a) Weakening or eliminating the sexually inappropriate behaviors through processes such as extinction or aversive conditioning; (b) Acquiring or strengthening sexually appropriate behaviors; and (c) Developing appropriate social skills

Question 17

What is aversive behavioral rehearsal?

Answer 17

One of the more unique treatments for exhibitionism involves aversive behavior rehearsal, in which shame or humiliation is the aversive stimulus. The technique requires that the person exhibit himself in his usual manner to a preselected audience of women. During the exhibiting act, the person must verbalize a conversation between himself and his penis. He must talk about what he is feeling emotionally and physically and must explain his fantasies regarding what he supposes the female observers are thinking about him. One premise of this technique is that exhibitionism often occurs during a state similar to hypnosis, when the exhibitionist’s fantasies are extremely active and his judgment is impaired. This method forces him to experience and examine his actions while being fully aware of what he is doing

Question 18

What are the two phases of rape trauma syndrome?

Answer 18

Acute phase and Long-term phase

Question 19

Acute Phase of Rape Trauma Syndrome

Answer 19

Disorganization. During the period immediately following the assault, the rape survivor may have feelings of self-blame, fear, and depression. Survivors may believe they were responsible for the rape (for example, by not locking the door or by being friendly toward the attacker). They may also have a fear that the attacker will return and that they may again be raped or even killed. They may express these emotional reactions and beliefs directly as anger, fear, rage, anxiety, or depression, or conceal them, appearing amazingly calm. Beneath this exterior, however, are signs of tension, including headaches, irritability, restlessness, sleeplessness, and jumpiness.

Question 20

Long-term Phase of Rape Trauma Syndrome

Answer 20

Reorganization. This second phase may last for several years. Survivors begin to deal directly with their feelings and attempt to reorganize their lives. Fears and phobic reactivity may continue in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder, especially in situations with reminders of the traumatic incident. A host of reactions may be present. Many survivors report one or more sexual dysfunctions as the result of the rape; fear of sex and lack of desire or arousal are most common.