HSB Flashcards
What shapes behaviour? Understanding what gave rise to the behaviour
Neurobiology - Releasing stimuli (trigger) - Acute hormonal exposure - Culture - Chronich hormonal exposure (early developmental) - Perinatal effects - Genetics of the individual - genetics and evolution of the population - of the species
- Ecological something or other along the way -
motivation for sex
- it feels good (sensory stimuli and feedback)
- proximal motivating mechanisms:
fixed action patterns across vertebrate species
- pelvic thrusting
- orgasms
- ejaculation
- lordosis reflexes
- etc
Has to be specific to each species to not mess up
lordosis reflex
The lordosis reflex is defined as the dorsal flexion of the female rat’s back in response to physical contact (e.g., mounting) from a male rat (Beach, 1976). The lordosis posture facilitates penile penetration and reflects a female’s willingness to receive sexual stimulation from the male (i.e., sexual receptivity)
chaining of behaviour
The fixed action pattern of one of the individuals constitutes the releasing stimulus for the other individual
Proceptive phase
In biology and sexology, the proceptive phase is the initial period in a relationship when organisms are “courting” each other,[1] prior to the acceptive phase when copulation occurs. Behaviors that occur during the proceptive phase depend very much on the species, but may include visual displays, movements, sounds and odors.
libido
Attractivity, Proceptivity, Receptivity
- How attractive an individual is to someone else
- How receptive that individual is to the interest of the other individual
- The active behaviours that are carried out in response to being attracted to
female orgasm
- fertility is not dpendent on it
- other species with female orgasms: primate species
- facitilation: something about the vaginal fluid, more vaginal secretion increases sperm motility
- orgasm causes you to be horizontal
- reinforcment theory
- most studies has shown that there is no relationship between the fertility of a woman and her propensity towards orgasm
- spandrel in women (like nipples in men)
sexual behaviours that are not unique to humans
- non-reproductive sex: bonobo chimps, cetaceans lik dolphins,
- foreplay: bonobo chimps (more patience)
- homosexuality: more common among animals in captivity
- masturbation: animals in zoo, male primates
- fantasy: bonobo chimps (erection form the sight of a female)
- marriage: there are other monogamous pair-bonding species (all human cultures have it)
sexual behaviours that are unique to humans
- privacy
- confusing sexual behaviour with violence
- cheating
- romance (only centuries old)
- passion should persist
monogamy among humans
There is social monogamy but not sexual monogamy
avrage duration of marriages
- 2-4 years - typical duration of children being dependent on high degree of parenting
- humans are serial monogamists
Ventromedial hypothalamus and other parts regulating female sexual behaviour
- Most important area in regulating female sexual behaviour.
- Evidence: lesion studies, stimulation, destroy it - no sexual behaviour
- This is the hotspot of the hypothalamus for receptors for estrogen and testosterone
- midbrain: hormonal aspects of sexual behaviour
- spinal cord
regulating sexual behaviour in males
- medial preoptic area: hotspot of the hypothalamus for testosterone and androgene receptors
- ## amygdala: fear, anxiety, agression, sexual motivation - confusing sexuality with agression
two types of erections
- muscular: faster
- vascular: lasts longer