Chapter 8.2 Sexual Attraction Flashcards
What is sexual attraction?
The first stage in bringing individuals together; may be synchronized with physiological readiness
What is proceptive?
Behavior that establishes, maintains, or promote sexual interaction
What is sexual receptive?
A state typically in females when she is willing to copulate
Exhibited by pheromones, behavior, bodily changes
What is Copulation aka coitus?
One or more intromissions: male penis inserted into female vagina and male ejaculation of sperm-bearing semen into female
What is the refractory period?
A period where one individual discontinues copulation; may vary from minutes to months
What is the Coolidge effect?
It’s resuming sexual activity with a new partner
What is Postcopulatory behavior?
It’s a vaginal plug; copulatory lock occurs in dogs and some mice’s
May include parental behavior to nurture offspring
What is a zygote?
It’s the fusion of sperm and ovum
What happens when a female rat ovulate
They see out a male and display proceptive behavior; then adopt a posture called lordosis
What is lordosis?
Found in 4 legged animal, tail pushed to side to facilitate intermission by males
How can castrated males regain their interest in mating?
Through testosterone treatment
What is the activational effect?
A temporary change in behavior due to the effects of a hormone
What about activational effects on female rats without ovaries?
They will show proceptive and receptive behavior for a few hours in response to estrogen and progesterone treatments
How is estrogen affected in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus?
It increases dendritic trees of neurons and stimulates the progesterone receptors to become more responsive to that hormone; which helps mediate the lordosis reflex
Where does the Ventromedial hypothalamus send axons to?
It sends it to the periaqueductal gray (PAG)- involved in pain receptors; which projects to other brain regions and to the spinal cord
