Chapter 8: Attraction, Arousal, and Response Flashcards
Determinants of Sexual Attraction? (4)
- Symmetry
- Masculinity-feminitiy of faces
- Babyfacedness (BF Factor)
- Other features (clear skin, glossy hair, freedom from visible defects and disease)
Determinants of Sexual Attraction:
1. Symmetry?
- an index of health ?
Determinants of Sexual Attraction:
2. Masculinity-feminity of faces (2)
L> cues?
L> which are rated most attractive?
- extremes are rated most attractive
- cues to masculinity - femininity
L> jaw width
L> mouth and nose width
L> chin size
K> lip fullness
L> eyebrow bushiness
L> eye size
Determinants of Sexual Attraction:
3. Babyfacedness ( BF factor) (3)
- adult women with a 30% BF factor were rated most attractive
- BF features:
L> low position of facial features on the head
L> prominent forehead
L> small nose - elicits protectiveness in males? ( reason behind babyfacedness?)
Body Attractiveness: - Waist to hip ratio? L> women? L> men L> universal indicator? yay, nay? L> situational factors?
- women: prefer ratio of 0.9 in men
- men: prefer ration of 0.7-0.8 in women
- might be a universal indicator of attractiveness but absolute body fatness is not: wide cultural and historical variability
- situational factos can modify judgement of attractiveness, hungry men rate heavier women more attractive!
Body Attractiveness:
- Female Breast size
L>women often over/under-estimate men’s size preference?
L> female breast preference determinants?
- over
- cultural determinants and individual preferences
Body Attractiveness:
- male muscularity for women?
- optimal degree is swimmer not body builder
Body Attractiveness:
- Ethnicity?
- people find faces of those of their own ethnic group most attractive
- attractiveness judgements are consisted across ethnic groups
Body Attractiveness:
- choice blindness?
- process of judging visual attractiveness is a largely unconscious process
Does attraction involve senses beyond vision?
yes
Attraction involves what other senses?
- touch
- hearing
- olfactory
Attraction :
- hearing? (2)
- women like deep voiced men
2. men prefer women with voices pitched higher than average
Attraction:
- olfactory (body odour)
- men’s body odour may be correlated with symmetry
- women prefer the odour of men who differ from them genetically
Familiarity can do what to attraction?
increase and decrease it
Familiarity:
- Mere exposure to faces can do what to attractiveness?
increase
- we prefer mirror images of our own faces rather than photo images
Familiarity:
- closeness during early childhood does what to sexual attraction?
- opposite -sex siblings develop what to each other?
- inhibits sexual attraction….reduces chances of incestuous matings
- an aversion to the scent of each others bodies
Familiarity:
- Coolidge effect?
- sexual familiarity can reduce attractiveness
Familiarity:
- falling in love does what to attractiveness of the beloved?
- vastly increases the physical and behavioural attractiveness
(love is blind)
Perceived attractiveness varies across the ___ cycle.
- menstrual
Menstrual cycle and attractiveness:
1. Women prefer men with __ masculine faces near the time of ovulation and prefer ___ masculine faces at other times.
L> caution?
- more
- less
- the shift is subtle
Menstrual cycle and attractiveness:
2. Women are more likely to engage in sex outside the partnership near what time?
- ovulation
Menstrual cycle and attractiveness:
- women’s ____ to men varies around the menstrual cycle
L> study of tips given by man to lap dancers?
L> causes?
- sexual attractiveness
- peak just prior to ovulation
- women pay more attention to personal appearance circa ovulation
Some people can be asexual meaning what?
the lack of sexual attraction to anyone or low or absent interest in sexual activity.
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy?
- imagined sexual experiences
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> There are gender differences in ___ and ___.(2)
- frequency and content
L> men tend to fantasize more than women do
L> frequency of fantasy decreases with age
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> common fantasies are activities in which what?
- people frequently engage in not unusual forms of sex
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- do fantasies of lesbians and gay men differ from their heterosexual counterparts?
- no, the only difference is the sex of the imagined partner
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasies follow what?
- sexual stereotypes
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> sexual stereotypes? (2)
L> why would we study sexual stereotypes?
- men tend to visualize explicit acts with themselves in a more dominant role
- women’s fantasies tend to be more romantic with themselves in a passive role
- so sex therapists have a norm reference when clients come in worried about fantasies
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> fantasies in relation to sex life?
- those that engage in sexual fantasy generally have a more satisfying sex life.
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- fantasy
L> forced sex fantasies do or do not occur in many women?
- do occur
- they are often power fantasies…not like rape etc….more like “ I got him so turned on that he couldn’t help himself”
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Partner elicited arousal
L> gender differences in body scanning?
- gender differences in body scanning: man look at crotches but women focus more so on faces.
( see fig 8.11)
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Partner elicited arousal
L> Sexual arousal is correlated with activity in the ____ of the brain.
- anterior cingulate cortex of the brain
- love and cocaine do this too
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Partner elicited arousal
L> Gender differences in arousal when viewing erotic images?(2)
- men look at the women most, while women look at both
- men are aroused by the target of their sexual orientation while women are aroused by erotic images of both men and women.
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Misattribution of Sexual arousal
L> definition?
- tendency of nonsexual arousal such as fear to facilitate sexual arousal
Sources of Sexual Arousal:
- Misattribution of Sexual arousal
L> The Dutton and Aron (1974) bridge study in British Columbia??
- (see Meston and Froelich’s 2003 roller coaster study in text)
- two types of bridges….steep shaky one and a very level and stable one.
- both had a female at the end waiting to ask them a few questions and give them their number
- guys that went across the steep shaky bridge called her more than those on the stable bridge.
- they misattributed their physiological reactions to fear etc of the bridge to being attracted to her.
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
- Testosterone has ___ effecst on sexual feelings or desires
- minimal if any …short term
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
- Testosterone levels do or do not predict whether sex will occur ?
- do not
BUT they are elected after sex has occurred
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
- testosterone does have ____ effects on the ____ to experience sexual arousal.
- long term
- capacity
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
- At puberty testosterone rises are correlated with what in both boys and girls?
- sexual feelings and behaviour
Hormones and Sexual Arousability:
- Conditioning and arousal
L> explain the study conducted with the guy, girl and a shoe
- guy + girl = guy is aroused
- guy + shoes= guy is not aroused
- guy + girl wearing the shoes= guy is aroused
- guy + shoes = guy is aroused
What are the phases of the sexual response cycle?(5)
- Excitement
- Plateau Phase
- Orgasm
- Resolution
- Refractory (only in males)
Sexual Response Cycle: - Excitement phase? L>Vasocongestion L>myotonia **breasts?
-resulting from physical or mental erotic stimuli leading to sexual arousal
1.the swelling of bodily tissues caused by increased vascular blood flow and a localized increase in blood pressure.
2.cremaster muscle elevates the testicles
L> dartos muscle causes thickening and wrinkling of the scrotum
- breasts swell
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Plateau Phase?
L> males?
L>females?
- the period of sexual excitement prior to orgasm
- maintenance of arousal
- secretions of the bulbourethral glands may appear
- in females formation of the orgasmic platform occurs…..tightening of the outer 1/3 of the vagina and ballooning of the inner 2/3
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Orgasm Phase?
L> clitoral vs vaginal vs cervical orgasm?
L> types of muscle contractions?
- Orgasm is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle and is experienced by both males and females.
- spasmodic muscle contractions (8-10) in both sexes
- Physiologically all identical but sensations may differ
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Orgasm Phase?
L> Brain scans during this phase reveal what ?
- males and females share?
- in females what brain region is involved?
- what is released (think NT)
- what hormone is released
- males and females have an increased activity in the thalamus and surrounding area and decreased activity in the cerebral cortex.
- females: Nuceleus accumbens is involved
- Dopamine is released
- Oxytocin is released from the pituitary gland and helps to genera pleasurable sensations
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Resolution Phase?
- after orgasm and allows the muscles to relax, blood pressure to drop and the body to slow down from its excited state.
- approximately 15 mins
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Refractory Phase?
- time frame?
- types? (2)
-is the time frame in which usually a man is unable to orgasm again.
- 30 to 90 mins
- absolute and relative
L> absolute: the interval during which a second action potential absolutely cannot be initiated, no matter how large a stimulus is applied.
L> relative: the interval immediately following during which initiation of a second action potential is inhibited but not impossible.
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Patterns of Sexual Response
L> they are constant or variable?
L> is sex without an orgasm satisfying?
- variable
- males: 34% said yes (blue balls may occur)
- females: 50% said yes
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Multiple Orgasms
L> def?
- two or more examples with descent to plateau only
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Multiple Orgasms
L> status orgasmus?
- one single prolonged orgasm with multiple peaks
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Multiple Orgasms
L> can males have multiple orgasms with ejaculation at the end?
- can males have multiple orgasms with ejaculation each time?
- yes
- some can
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Other male/female differences
L> In males, ____ events and ___ arousal are correlated.
- physiological and psychological
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Other male/female differences
L> Women do or do not always feel sexually aroused/excited when their physiology indicates arousal?
- DO NOT ALWAYS
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Other male/female differences
L> men’s desire for sex is _______ driven creating a sense of____.
- biologically
- horniness
Sexual Response Cycle:
- Other male/female differences
L> Women’s desire for sex often beings with a desire for what? What does it then progress to?
- intimacy
L> progresses to physical arousal and than desire once activity has begun.
