Lecture 8: Sexuality in Adulthood Flashcards
Two factors are critical for maintaining sexual capacity in old age
- good physical and mental health
- regularly of sexual expression (use it or lose it)
Changes in men
- Less testosterone production and sperm output
- Erections occur more slowly
- Volume of ejaculate decreases
- Prostrate enlargement
Changes in women
- Menopause
- Changes in levels of sex hormones
- Decline in vaginal lubrication and elasticity
Sex Later on in Life
- Older people still have sex (and satisfaction is high)
- Some changes to consider when having sex in older adulthood
CNM Relationship Outcomes
- Engage in sex with both partners for intrinsic reasons (e.g., pleasure)
- Greater sexual fulfillment with a second partner associated with lower sexual satisfaction in first partner
Open Relationship Agreements
- Variable from one couple to another
- Require clear communication to specify boundaries
Consensual nonmonogamy (CNM)
- swinging
- polyamory
- open relationships
Monogamy Maintenance
- Behaviors intended to maintain monogamy in an exclusive relationship
- Proactive avoidance
- Relationship enhancement
- Derogating the alternative
Mate poaching
“Mate poaching occurs when someone forms a romantic and/or sexual relationship with someone who they know is already in an exclusive relationship.”
outcomes of cheating
- Psychological distress for both partners
- Relationship breakup
Why do people cheat?
infidelity associated with:
- stronger sexual interest
- more permissive sexual values
- lower relationship satisfaction
- weaker network ties to partner
- greater sexual opportunities
for many people, being faithful in a long-term monogamous relationship takes work
The Never-Married Adults
- longer delay until marriage
- many never-married adults are in romantic relationships
Percentage of adults that never married
1971
- 20-24 - 56%
- 25-29 - 21%
2016
- 20-24 - 96%
- 25-29 - 77%
Long-Distance Relationships
- No differences in relationship or sexual satisfaction
- No differences in rates of infidelity
Singlehood
- Singleism: stigmatizing and stereotyping of people who are not in a romantic relationship
- Committed relationship ideology
- Singles are perceived as possessing more negative characteristics than partnered peers