Lectures 18 & 19 - Psychology of Sexual Development I & II

Question 1

3 stages of sexuality according to the American Psychiatry Association?

Answer 1

1. Desire
2. Excitement
3. Orgasm

Question 2

Difference between sex and gender?

Answer 2

1. Sex: biologic distinctions

2. Gender: sociocultural and psychological gender-norms and dimensions

Question 3

What are gender roles?

Answer 3

Set of expectations that prescribes how females and males should think, act, and feel

Question 4

4 types of sexual development?

Answer 4

1. Physical
2. Psychological
3. Cognitive
4. Expressed sexuality

Question 5

Describe PHYSICAL sexual development in infancy (birth to age 2).

Answer 5

1. Genital Response in the uterus: male fetuses have erections in the uterus and female babies are capable of vaginal lubrication from birth
2. Ability to reach orgasm: Kinsey established that half of boys between the ages of 3 and 4 could achieve muscle spasms of orgasm, though no fluid is ejaculated

Question 6

Describe PSYCHOSEXUAL development described by Kohlber.

Answer 6

1. Gender identity - 2 yo: ability to understand binary boy/girl and know what they are
2. Gender stability - 3 to 5 yo: understanding that girls/boys become women/men
3. Gender consistency - 6 yo: get the gestalt of being a boy/girl and that boys can have long hair and girls can wear boy clothes
   Involves conservation and reversibility:
   - conservation = ability to determine that a certain quantity will remain the same despite adjustment of the container, shape, or apparent size
   - reversibility = ability to recognize that numbers or objects can be changed and returned to their original condition

Question 7

Describe SEXUAL BEHAVIORS in infancy (birth to age 2).

Answer 7

1. Body pleasures and genital response: Stimulation can create a generalized neurological response that stimulates the genital response (erections or vaginal lubrication)
2. Masturbation: normal at this age and indicates exploration of body

Question 8

How do children get from one developmental stage to the next?

Answer 8

Trial and error = experimentation:

1. Physical: self directed or interactive
2. Cognitive: verbal/silent, interactive/imaginative
3. Relational: Vygotsky - scaffolding
4. Modulated by affect of the people around

Question 9

Describe the internalization of attitudes as sexual selves described by Erikson.

Answer 9

CONFLICTS:

1. Shame/Doubt (2-3)
   - Curiosity driven (mastery of control: body, choices…)
   - Exploration is heavily modulated by attachment security
   - Balancing social norms (healthy shame) & exploration (prideful self-awareness)
   - Developmental demand: intact curiosity about sexual self
2. Initiative/Guilt (4-5)
   - More goal driven: emboldened, aware of others (INFLUENCE)
   - Risks: inhibition (excessive guilt) or lack of compassion (range: selfish to abusive)
   - Developmental demand: initiative in exploring curiosity about sexual self
3. Industry/inferiority (6-12)
   - Developmental demand: competence
   - Responsibility and clearer sense of right and wrong
   - Challenge to developing sexuality: feeling “enough” (good, desirable, competent)
4. Identity/Role confusion (12-18)
   - How am I unique v. fitting in
   - Developmental crisis is one of “self-in-relation”
   - Sexuality: virginity or readiness for any sexual “next step”, sexual orientation, “Am I man enough?”, body-image questions, demands for sexual objectification

Question 10

Describe PHYSICAL development in early childhood (2-5).

Answer 10

Crucial period for physical development from walking to talking + learn about nature of their bodies

Question 11

Describe PSYCHOSEXUAL development in early childhood (2-5).

Answer 11

1. Toilet training leads to an intense interest in genitals and bodily wastes
2. Children begin to ask basic questions about sexuality
3. Children are also exploring what it means to be “boys” or “girls”

Question 12

Describe SEXUAL BEHAVIOR in early childhood (2-5).

Answer 12

1. Masturbation:
   - may be deliberate and obvious and may even become a preoccupation
   - parental reaction important
   - setting socially acceptable limits vs. supporting developmentally driven exploration
2. Sexual Contact: childhood sex play often begins with exposing the genitals, touching, and even rubbing up against each other

Question 13

How to talk to preschool kids about sex?

Answer 13

1. Teach kids to use PROPER NAMES!
2. Self-Stimulation: NORMAL, but private
3. SIMPLICITY, basic functionality, and honesty
4. Important themes:
   - Intercourse
   - Partner Selection
   - Exploring/Boundaries (avoiding sexual victimization, mitigating risks, delaying pregnancy, feeling ready)
   - Tolerance for diversity of sexual and gender experiences

Question 14

Is Freud’s latency period an accepted concept? Explain.

Answer 14

NOPE

Sexual interest increases throughout childhood, but children become better at hiding their sexual interests and behaviors

Question 15

Describe SEXUAL BEHAVIOR in early preadolescence (6-12).

Answer 15

1. Children learn about adult sexual behaviors and begin to assimilate cultural taboos and prejudices around sexual behaviors
2. Masturbation is not uncommon, more conscious process than early masturbatory exploration
3. Sexual contact
   - Sexual play
   - Sex games such as “spin the bottle,” “Truth or Dare,” & “7’ in heaven”
   - Both boys and girls exhibit a range of same-sex sexual behaviors as they move through childhood

Question 16

Describe the importance of relationships in preadolescence (6-12).

Answer 16

1. Modeling
2. Expectations: peer pressure/hierarchies/cliques
3. Assimilation of new perspectives/information
4. Start to recognize selves as relationally sexual
5. Sexual play: range from normal to abusive (coercive)

Question 17

What is the scripting of absence described by Plummer?

Answer 17

Lack of language to talk about sexual contexts because none has been introduced due to parental shame and avoidance because they want to help, they do not know what to say, and avoid it

Question 18

How to talk to young kids? 3 rules

Answer 18

1. Do not avoid questions
2. Meet a question with a question (especially on the tough ones)
3. Answer questions simply, but follow up (this is for young kids, the rules change by about 10-11…)

Question 19

Vocab for preschool kids vs middle school?

Answer 19

Breasts, Vagina, Penis, Testicles

VS

Breasts, Vulva, Clitoris, Vagina, Ovaries, Penis, Testicles & FUNCTIONS

Question 20

How does early puberty affect girls and boys?

Answer 20

Boys: more confidence and do better in school

Opposite for girls: earlier exposure to sex, drugs, alcohol, risky behaviors

Question 21

What is sexual self-efficacy?

Answer 21

1. Ability to say no to unwanted sex
2. Ability to achieve sexual satisfaction
3. Ability to purchase and use condoms, talk to doctors, ask questions

Question 22

What is sexual self-image?

Answer 22

1. Perception of arousal
2. Perception of openness to sexual experimentation
3. Anxiety in sexual situations
4. Commitment to a single sexual partner

Question 23

What is sexual self-esteem?

Answer 23

1. Feelings about one’s sexual activity
2. Perception of one’s sexual appeal
3. Feelings concerning one’s sexual adequacy
4. Contentment with one’s body

Question 24

When does the shifting from internal to interpersonal occur? What does it mean?

Answer 24

Adolescence (12-18)

Question 25

How does the parental role change at adolescence? Goal?

Answer 25

Shift from moral compass to moral motivational consultant so that child assumes the position of competent decision maker

Goal = move out of outdated (and loaded) approval/disapproval model

Question 26

What is gender identity disorder? Other name?

Answer 26

= transgenderism => umbrella term for people whose gender identity, expression or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth, including but not limited to transsexuals, cross- dressers, androgynous people, genderqueers, and gender non-conforming people

Question 27

What is a a transvestite?

Answer 27

Person who dresses in the clothing of the other gender and derives sexual pleasure from doing so

Question 28

What does genderqueer mean?

Answer 28

Anyone who exists outside of the binary gender identity

Question 29

What does androginous mean?

Answer 29

Gender identity includes aspects of both males and females

Question 30

What does intergendered mean?

Answer 30

Gender states between binary roles

Question 31

What is the Kinsey scale?

Answer 31

Model of sexual orientation saying that sexual orientation exists on a spectrum ranging from exclusively hetero (0) to exclusively homo (6)

Question 32

What % of males are predominantly gay?

Answer 32

3-4%

Question 33

What % of women are predominantly gay?

Answer 33

1.2-2%

Question 34

What % of people are bisexual?

Answer 34

2-5%

Question 35

Biological theories of sexual orientation?

Answer 35

1. Genetics:
   - Twin studies - conflicting, but general trend toward association
   - Chromosomes - Gay men have more gay relatives on mother’s side
2. Hormones:
   - Prenatal exposure shown to have an effect on sexual orientation in adulthood
   - Birth order: 33% increase in likelihood with each male born due to change in hormonal uterine conditions
   - Adult hormone levels not explanatory of sexual orientation differences

Question 36

Behaviorist theory of sexual orientation?

Answer 36

Reinforcement (gay), punishment (hetero)

Question 37

What are the 6 Cass stages of identity formation?

Answer 37

1. Identity confusion
2. Identity comparison
3. Identity tolerance
4. Identity acceptance
5. Identity pride
6. Identity synthesis

Question 38

Difference between transgender and transexual?

Answer 38

Transgender—people who live full or part-time in the other
gender’s role and derive psychosocial comfort in doing so

ii. Transsexuals—a person who feels that he or she is trapped in the
body of the wrong gender