Love, sex, and attraction

Question 1

List 4 examples of love

Answer 1

Partner love, family/close friends, pets, objects

Question 2

Explain the two distinctions of love

Answer 2

Passionate love is wildly emotional condition, marked it by intense physiological arousal and absorption in another person
Compassionate love involves deep affection, friendship, emotional intimacy

Question 3

How do the distinctions of love work in a long-term relationship

Answer 3

Passionate love decreases, companionate love increases

Question 4

Explain Sternberg’s triangular theory

Answer 4

Three elements of love:

1. Intimacy; closeness, connectedness
2. Passion; romance, attraction, sexual consummation
3. Commitment; decision to stay in relationship

Question 5

Sternberg triangular theory makes up the seven varieties of love. List them

Answer 5

Liking, companionate, empty love, fatuous love, infatuation, romantic love

Question 6

Explain the four laws of attraction

Answer 6

Proximity, mere exposure/familiarity
Similarity, birds of a feather vs opposites attract
Reciprocity, liking others who like us
Physical attractiveness, similar attractiveness

Question 7

List examples of physical attractiveness

Answer 7

Baby preferences, teacher preferences, popularity, crime

Universal agreements
Facial symmetry, hourglass women, triangular men

Question 8

Explain evolutionary perspectives to attraction

Answer 8

Reproductive success is key to understanding attraction.

Question 9

Explain the different environmental pressures on men and women relating to evolutionary perspective on attraction

Answer 9

Women: reproduction is costly, restricted number of offspring, maternal certainty
Men: reproduction is easy, large number of offspring, paternal uncertainty

Question 10

Explain the implications relating to different environmental pressures on men and women relating to evolutionary perspectives on attractiveness

Answer 10

What women want: care about personality, status of resources more. Choosier about who to partner with. Seek someone who will stick around

What men want: care about youth and attractiveness more, no pressure to be cheesy, desire many partners, seek fertile people to bear children for them

Question 11

Difference between coitus and copulation

Answer 11

Coitus; a coming together, uniting

Copulation; sexual intercourse

Question 12

List the 4 sex researchers and what they did

Answer 12

Havelock Ellis; transgenderism, homosexuality, autoeroticism
Sigmund Freud; psychosexual development, libido
Alfred Kinsey;
- Sexuality on continuum
- Extramarital sex not uncommon
- People more sexually adventurous than expected
- Masturbation not psychologically or physically damaging
William Masters & Virginia Johnson
- Actually observed men and women having sex
- Studied psychology and physiology of sex
- Notable contributions:
- Sexual response cycle (1966)
- Documented sex mechanisms (e.g., lubrication), physiological orgasmic responses
- Debunked common myths at the time - e.g., masturbation leads to illness and psychological disturbances

Question 13

Explain the sexual response cycle

Answer 13

Excitement; first phase, caused by physical and/or psychological stimulation

Plateau; second phase, a levelling off of sexual tension occurs

Orgasm; third phase

Resolution; maximum excitement, body returns to unaroused state

Question 14

Explain the benefits of sex

Answer 14

• relationship satisfaction
• love and commitment
• physical health (cardiovascular)
• physical health (but not with casual sex)