Chapter 15 - Variations in Sexual Behaviour Flashcards
What is the statistical definition of “normal” sexual behavior?
Define “normal” in terms of prevalence of a sexual behavior and in terms of statistics.
What is the socio-cultural approach to define “normal” sexual behavior?
Sexual “norms” of a specific culture define what is acceptable and unacceptable.
What is another definition of “normal” sexual behavior based on consent?
Any behavior that does not cause harm to any person.
What does “Para” mean? (2 points)
- The side of
- Deviation
What does “Philos” mean? (2 points)
- Love
- Attraction
What is a Paraphilia?
Strong and atypical arousal in response to atypical stimuli evidenced by fantasies, urges, or behaviors for a period of 6 months or longer.
What is a Paraphilic Disorder?
Paraphilia that is currently causing distress or impairment to the individual; causing personal harm or risk of harm to others when acted upon.
What is “abnormal” sexual behavior?
It is considered “abnormal” when the strength of preference for fetish object falls under “Necessity”.
According to the DSM, what is Criterion A? Give an example.
- Describes the paraphilias
- Ex: Flashing genitals + enjoy receiving pain
According to the DSM, what is Criterion B? Give an example.
- Specifies the negative consequences of such a behavior
- Ex: Harm to others + coming in conflict w/ the law + personal distress + occupational functioning
Which DSM Criteria are necessary to diagnose a paraphilic disorder?
Criteria A + B
What are the 2 categories that divide paraphilias + paraphilic disorders?
- With consenting partners
- With non-consenting partners
What are Courtship Disorders?
- A disturbance of developing partnered sexual activity phases (looking for a partner, talking to/approaching a partner, non-genital physical touching, and sexual intercourse)
- People who lack the proper social skills to approach sex in a consenting manner
List 3 types of Courtship Disorder.
- Voyeuristic disorder
- Exhibitionistic disorder
- Frotteuristic disorder
What is Voyeuristic disorder?
- A recurrent and intense arousal from observing an unsuspecting person who is naked, disrobing, or engaging in sex
- Intense arousal is due to the fact that the other person isn’t aware of being observed at
How is Voyeuristic Disorder considered a disorder? (3 points)
- Individual has acted upon sexual behavior with a non-consenting person
- When urges + fantasies cause significant distress
- When the person is unable to get sexually aroused without observing an unsuspecting person who is naked, disrobing, or engaging in sex
What is Exhibitionistic disorder? (3 points)
What type of reaction is an exhibitionist hoping for in his victims?
- Intense arousal from exposing one’s genitals to an unsuspecting person
- Called “indecent exposure”
- Most common law-breaking sexual acts (in men than women)
- The perpetrator is expecting for their victim to be aroused when seeing their exposed genitals
What is Telephone Scatologia? (2 points)
What are its’ consequences (victim + legal)?
- Form of verbal exhibitionism
- A person gets excited by making sexually explicit phone calls and masturbating during or afterward
- Can threaten to come to victim’s house + be charged w/ sexual harassment + stalking
- Can pose as police + sexual researchers to coerce victims into talking about sex
What is Frotteuristic Disorder?
- Sexual arousal from fantasizing about or actually engaging in rubbing against a non-consenting person
- Male perpetrator + female victim
- Occurs in crowded public areas where the perpetrator can say it was accidental
What is Toucherism?
Touching lovingly someone without their knowing or consent
What is Pedophilic disorder?
Who are pedophiles exclusively attracted to?
What makes it diagnosable?
- Pedophiles are attracted to children who are below the age of puberty
- Attracted to exclusively children or children + adults
- By simply having urges + fantasies w/ children
What is BDSM?
- Referred as “kink”
- Consensual activities
- Emphasis on etiquette + safety
- Pain outside of a set sexual script is not arousing for people who engage in BDSM
What does BDSM stand for?
- Bondage + discipline
- Domination + submission
- SadoMasochism
Name examples of play scripts.
- Master = top
- Slave = bottom
What is Sadism?
Inflicting pain
What is Masochism?
Receiving pain
What is Sadomasochism?
Sexual sadism + masochism
What is Sexual Sadism Disorder?
How is it classified as a disorder? (2 points)
- Pleasure from inflicting pain/suffering on others
- Person inflict pain on non-consenting person
- Person is troubled by their sadistic sexual urges + fantasies
What is Sexual Masochism Disorder?
Who’s work was it based on? Provide the year.
How is it classified as a disorder?
- Intense arousal from being made to suffer + being beaten + humiliated
- In 1886, by Richard von Krafft-Ebing based on Sacher-Masoch’s novels about his fantasies
- Sexual urge to be hurt causes significant personal impairment or distress
What are fetiches?
How are they classified as a disorder?
- Persistent + repetitive use/dependence on non-living objects or a specific body part (e.g.: leather + feet)
- Disorder when it causes significant personal distress (e.g.: unable to function sexually w/o the object)
What is a transvestic fetish?
How is it considered a disorder?
What is a transvestic fetish w/ fetishism?
What is a transvestic fetish w/ autogynephilia?
- For at least 6 months, recurrent + intense sexual arousal from cross-dressing as manifested by fantasies + urges + behavior
- Disorder when it has to be accompanied by significant distress + functional impairment
- W/ fetishism –> aroused by fabrics + materials + garments
- W/ autogynephilia –> if sexually aroused by thoughts of image of self as female
What is the difference between Transvestism and Drag Queens?
Drag queens cross-dress for entertainment purposes whereas people w/ transvestism cross-dress to enhance sexual arousal.
What is Hypersexuality? (4 points)
- An excessive sex drive that leads people to continually pursue sexual encounters despite negative repercussions
- Associated w/ risk-taking activities (smoking + drinking + drug use)
- May be related to impulse control issue
- No diagnosis for “sex addiction”
List 2 theories that explain paraphilias + paraphilic disorders.
- Psychoanalytic theory
- Behavioral theory
What is the Psychoanalytic theory? (3 points)
- Paraphilias may arise from castration anxiety + oedipus complex
- Courtship disorders may be caused by sexual abuse + early trauma
- Less secure attachment in pedophilia
What is the Behavioral theory? (3 points)
- Paraphilias occur through classical conditioning
- Sexual arousal occurs w/ paraphilic object –> sexual arousal is accidentally associated w/ it
- The media sexualizes items + objectifies women
What type of “cognitive issues” are common in pedophiles that justify their behaviours? Give an example.
Pedophiles use cognitive distortion to justify their offenses against children:
- The child seduced me
- I’m not doing anything wrong –> people have had sex w/ children for centuries –> society is too uptight
Name the different types of treatments that are commonly used to treat paraphilic disorders.
- Satiation therapy
- Orgasmic reconditioning
- Aversion therapy.
What is Satiation therapy? (3 points)
- Redirecting sexual impulses to a more desirable target through masturbation
- Masturbate to an appropriate fantasy, then masturbate again to the undesired fantasy
- It decreases sex drive on 2nd masturbation attempt –> experience will feel less exciting
What is Orgasmic reconditioning?
- Process where an individual is about to orgasm, they are switched to a more appropriate object of desire.
What is Aversion therapy?
- Linking fantasies w/ unpleasant stimulus (e.g bad smell + electric shocks)
Which psychological theory are Satiation therapy, Orgasmic reconditioning, and Aversion therapy based on?
Based on Classical Conditioning (pairing Neutral stimulus + Unconditioned stimulus results in conditioned response)
