Psych Unit 13 and 14 Flashcards
1
Q
Sexual Orientation Over Time
A
1860s - it became popular to put people into categories based on what sex they were attracted to
1900s - terms heterosexuality and homosexuality used more
*homosexuality is considered an offensive term bc it has associations with pathologizing sexual minorities (saying sexual minority ppl were ill)
*sexual orientation will continue to change
2
Q
Sexual Orientation
A
Sexual Orientation = a person’s erotic and emotional orientation toward members of their own gender or members of the other gender
*the textbook defines sexual orientation by binary (men and women)
3
Q
Straight/Heterosexual
A
Straight = heterosexual – a person whose sexual orientation is towards the other gender (ex: male likes female)
4
Q
Gay
A
Gay = people who are sexually attracted to members of their own gender (usually when men are attracted to men)
5
Q
Lesbian
A
Lesbian = a woman who is sexually attracted to other women
6
Q
Asexuality
A
low sexual attraction or no sexual attraction
- the person can still experience romantic attraction
*textbook doesn’t treat asexuality as a sexuality (they see it as a sexual variation)
7
Q
Bisexuality
A
being sexually attracted to men and women
8
Q
Demisexuality
A
someone only becomes sexually attracted to someone else after a strong emotional connection is formed
9
Q
Pansexuality
A
attraction to all people and sexualities
10
Q
Queer
A
an umbrella term for people don’t identify as heterosexual
- a person who doesn’t identify with any sexual orientation
11
Q
Skoliosexuality
A
attraction towards non-binary people
12
Q
Gay Right’s Movement
A
Henry Gerber: founded the first gay right’s organization
1957 - Evelyn Hooker
- published a study that showed ni difference in psychological adjustment between straight and gay men
1969 - Stonewall Riots
- police raided a gay bar in NYC
- Marsha P. Johnson (activist)
- riots served as the catalyst for modern day gay rights movement
Harvey Milk:
- first openly gay politician in CA
1982 - Wisconsin became the first state to ban discrimination on the basis of sex
13
Q
How Many People are Gay, Straight or Bi?
A
Kinsey:
- 37% of men
- 13% of women
**he overestimated bc he used convenience sampling
- numbers depend on how define gay and straight
- there can be contradictions between someone’s sexual ideniotty and their behaviors
ex: a woman might identify as a lesbian but sleeps with men sometimes
14
Q
Kinsey Scale
A
- before the scale, people thought sexual orientations were completely separate (ex: gay and straight)
- he said that being gay and straight exist on a continuum
- the midpoint (3) - people who are equally heterosexual and queer
- people fall on different points of the scale
*criticisms of the scale:
- really focused on sexual identity
- doesn’t account for attraction and behavior
15
Q
NSFG Data on Sexual Orientation: 2019
A
7% of men report same-gender behavior
- 21% of women report same-gender behavior
- a small # of ppl report having a gay or bi identity
**these numbers are much smaller than Kinsey’s numbers
- abiut 90% of men and 80% of women are only heterosexual
- determining how many people are gay depends on how you count
16
Q
Sexual Orientation Components/Dimensions
A
3 parts to it
identity – label that ppl assign to them
Behavior – kinds of sexual behavior that someone participates in
Attraction – who someone says they’re attracted to
- these dimensions might not be consistent with each other
ex: someone who attracted to people in their own gender but won’t identify as queer
17
Q
Sexual Fluidity
A
sexual orientation is fluid not stable
- changes can occur over time in someone’s sexual identity, attractions, or behavior
Diamond’s study:
- longitudinal research on women (non-heterosexual)
- over 8 years, people changed in all directions
- data is consistent with Queer Theory
18
Q
Attitudes towards Queer People
A
from 1973 – things have improved
- most people now agree that a gay man can teach at a school
- 61% of people say that gay relations are not wrong at all
19
Q
Homophobia
A
homophobia = strong, irrational fear of gay people
- fixed negative attitudes and reactions to gay people
other terms:
- antigay, prejudice, homonegativity
20
Q
Hate Crimes
A
14% of LGBs report being assaulted with a weapon
ex: wyoming student was lured into a van and left to die
- hate crimes against sexual minorites are common
21
Q
Stressors of Victimization and DIscrimination
A
- it is especially stressful when someone’s family causes the stress
- most minority communities aren’;t the stressor, but in this case, they can be the stressor
22
Q
Media Portrayal
A
many people don’t like the way gay and lesbian ppl are portrayed on TV
- the amount of gay and lesbian ppl on TV is porportional to the number of them in the population
23
Q
Implicit Test
A
They found that most people had a preference for straight people over gay and lesbian people
However, over time, the preference for straight people has declined
24
Q
Hat Experiment
A
looking for discrimination against gay people
- half of the participants wore a texan hat = control group
- other half wore a gay hat = experimental
they looked at formal discrimination = permission to complete a job application
also informal discrimination = # of words spoken to them
results:
- no difference between groups on formal discrimination
- for informal discrimination, employers spoke a lot fewer words to the group wearing the gay hat
25
Attitudes Towards Gays and Lesbians
sometimes being recieving the stigma can make you have internalized stigmatization
internalized homophobia = when ppl direct anti-gay attitudes toward themselves
- this causes stress which can cause mental health problems (ex: substance abuse)
26
Difficulty in Heteronormative World
people who are LGB can hide their sexual orientation which makes it easier for them to pass in a heteronormative society
- but this promotes hiding their identities which can make them live a lie
27
Medical Model
some americans think homosexuality is an illness
medical model = homosexuality was viewed as a sickness
- they were sent to therapists who said they were mentally ill, poor adjsuted, or neurotic
- they later found that gay and lesbians are normall adjusted
*LGB used to be in the DSM (where they list medical illnesses)
28
LGB Suicide and Depression
LGBs have higher rates of depression
- 9.4% of adolescent suicide is from LGBs
- 2% are straight adolescents
ex: Rutger's student who's roommate taped him having sex with another man -- he later committed suicide
29
Minority Stress Model
talks about the associated stress of being a member of a stigmatized group and how it negatively impacts their mental health
- explains health outcomes in queer people
- explains how experiencing prejudice can cause you to do unhealthy things (ex: substance abuse which causes illness)
*the higher rates are because of discrimination and violence, lack of support, and stress of hiding their true identity
30
Conversion Therapy
Kentucky lawmakers voted to protect conversion therapy this year
- it's very harmful and it doesn't work
- rooted in homophobia and transphobia
- they use horrible methods like brain surgery and electrical shocks
7.6% of LGBT people in the South have been sent to conversion therapy
31
Gay Families
studies of kids who grow up with lesbian or gay parents aren't disadvatanged to kids with straight parents
- no differences on all categories
- kids of queer parents are no more likely to experience difficulty with gender identity or gender roles
- kids of queer parents are no more likely to identitify as a sexual minority than kids of straight parents
32
Sexual Orientation Developing: Biological Theories
some scientists believe that people become gay because of biological factors (genetics, prenatal factors, differences in brain structure)
33
Genetic Factors
if one identitical twin is gay, it's likely that the other twin will be gay too
- not as likely for fraternal twins
- there are genes that influence sexual orientation but no gene that determines homosexuality
**instead, multiple genes need to be involved but it doesn't always gurantee their sexual orientation
**genetic and prenatal theories have the best evidence
34
Prenatal Factors
fraternal birth order effect: gay men are more likely to have more older brothers not more older sisters
- they think that after each birth of a male baby, the mom makes antibodies against a protein on the Y chromosome (think this affects sexual differentiation of the brain)
Finger-Length Ratio:
- the ratio of the index finger (2D) to the ring finger (4D)
- men usually have lower 2D:4D ratios
- lower 2D:4D ratio is bc of prenatal androgen exposure
ex: Lesbians usually have more prenatal androgen exposure than straight women
- gay men are more likely to be left-handed than straight men
***genetic and prenatal theories have the best evidence
35
Brain Factors
there are differences in brain structures between gay and straight people
Levay: found differences in the Hypothalamus
- the hypothalamus of gay men is more similar to women than straight men
- studied brain's of dead people
- lesbians weren't included in the study
problems:
- the straight men were assumed to be straight (they could've been gay)
- they looked at only adult brains (other things could have caused differences in brain structures)
36
Pheromone Research
they recorded brain responses after being exposed to pheromones
results:
- gay men and straight women had activation in their hypothalamus, whereas straight men did not
37
Hormonal Imbalance
they looked to see if there was a difference in testosterone levels between gay and straight men
*studies showed no difference
doctors tried to cure homosexuality by giving them testosterone
- this failed
- it actually made them have more homosexual behavior than usual bc higher testosterone levels = more sexual desire
38
Phase Models
Sexual identity development is about going through different phases that mark important transitions in how people identity
- Phases don’t have to happen in a certain order
- Not everyone experiences all of the phases
- 3 paths of the phases (for asexual, queer, and straight people)
*includes heterosexual ppl in this model, a lot of models don't
Awareness Phase:
- a lot of sexual minority ppl are in this phase bc they think they're different and realize they have a diff sexual orientation
- straight ppl usually don't go thru this phase bc the norm is to be straight so they don't think abt it that much
Exploration Phase:
- sexual minority ppl might explore their attractions for people
Deepening and Commitment phase:
- more info gathering
- more of a commitment to their sexual orientation
Integration and Synthesis Phase:
- sexual identity fully integrated into full sense of self
39
Phase Model: Asexuality
asexual ppl report feeling similarily to sexual minority ppl
- not well understood
- might experience an awareness phase
- similar exploration and idenitity phases
- might experience a coming out phase
- it's hard for asexual ppl to go thry the integration and sythesis phase bc in a heteronormative society, we expect that everyone is attracted to someone
40
Growing up Asexual and Religious
a lot of asexual ppl don't know you're asexual growing up until later
- if they're religious, this might be bc religion says that you should be a virgin (which protects them bc they're not attracted to anyone)
- later as they grow up, they realize they feel different than their peers
41
Milestone Models
instead of looking at the stages of development, we look at timing, sequence and tone of milestones
ex: awareness of first same-gender attraction, first same-gender contact, first time they told people they liked same-gender
Lesbian study:
- found that on average they're first same-gender attraction was at age 14
42
Differences between Lesbians and Gay Men
sometimes they get grouped together in research
lesbians:
- value emotional intimacy more
- women tend to identify more as bisexual than men do and are more sexually fluid
gay men:
- have sex more frequently
- more punished for being gay
- reach developmental milestones earlier than lesbians do
43
LGB Development
don't know the exact age it's determined at
- not conforming to typical gender norms can predict sexual orientation
ex: being a girl and skateboarding
- parents who said their kids behave a lot like the opposite gender were more likely to be attracted to their same gender
44
Coming Out
coming out = involves acknowledging your identity and then telling others
- receiving positive or negative support after coming out impacts that person's mental health
45
Lesbian, Gay and Bi Culture
gay and lesbians start flourishing after WWII
- activist groups start forming (a lot post-Stonewall riot)
- HIV/AIDS crisis increased
- lesbians make their own culture a lot thru music
- the pink triangle (used by Nazis) is now reclaimed as a symbol of pride
- lesbian and gay marches in June
- gay bars
- many LGBs can meet each other online
46
Gay and Lesbian Relationships
2015 - Supreme Court legalized same-gender marriage
- marriage equality is an example of positive social institutions
- same-gender marriages both benefits physical and mental health
47
Learning Theory
rewards and punishments shape the person into being mostly gay or mostly straight
- people are born sexual (not gay or straight)
- after learning, certain behaviors become more likely than others
ex: a person who has early heterosexual expereinces that they don't like might become homosexual
*this is bc heterosexuality has been punished so homosexuality is more likely
another idea:
- if early experiences are same-gender and pleasant, the person might become gay
- this is bc same-gender behavior has been rewarded so it's more likely
**learning theory treats homosexuality as normal and says heterosexuality must be learned too
48
Learning Theory Evidence
evidence is mixed
- data doesn't support that homosexuality comes from unpleasant heterosexual experiences
- the majority of kids who grow up with a lesbian or gay parent are straight
- sexual orientation isn't learned from parents
49
Sociological Theory
Reiss's Theory:
- in society, there is a RIGID male role but young boys have little opprotunities to learn it from men
- bc the gender role is rigid, there are men who reject its heterosexuality component
*this shows the negative pathway to homosexuality
50
Sexual Orientation Across Cultures
different cultures have different views on homosexuality
- Black community dislikes them more
- some ethnic minorities experience racism within the LGB community
- Black and Latino men are more likely to engage in same-gender sexual behavior and still consider themselves as straight than white men
- it's more difficult to be a lesbian in the latina community bc of familaismo
**definition of homosexuality is defined by the culture
ex: only determined gay in Egypt if you recieve during anal sex
- more accepting in the Netherlands and not accepting in Saudia Arabia
51
Bisexuality
not rare - more common than being exclusively homosexual
- the gay community views bi community with hostility
being bi-sexual does exist
52
Mostly Heterosexuals
people who aren't exclusively heterosexual but not bi-sexual
- this supports Kinsey's idea that sexual orientation is on a continuum
(rated these ppl as a 1)
53
Statistical Definition of Abnormality
an abnormal sexual behavior is a behavior that is rare
ex: having sex while in a handstand
54
Psychological Approach of Abnormal Behavior
4Ds:
Dysfunction
Distress
Deviant Behavior
Dangerous Behavior
55
Normal-Abnormal Continuum
ex: lingerie is sexually arousing (it's common) but it's also a common sexual fetish object
- many people have mild fetishes (ex: silk underwear)
- it becomes an abnormal behavior when the man can't get aroused if someone isn't wearing silk underwear
56
Fetishism
fetishism = sexual arousal to some object or non-genital part of the body (ex: feet)
- becomes a fetishistic disorder if the person becomes distressed abt the fetish or if it causes impairments in daily functioning
- fetishes develop early on in life
**people might develop fetishes because of learning theory or cognitive theory
57
Learning Theory: Fetishes
fetishes happen because of classical conditioning
ex: smelling leather --> orgasm
58
Cognitive Theory: Fetishes
their perception of arousal is distorted
- the arousal might be because of guilt
ex: feet
- you are feeling guilty while thinking about an unconvential sexual thing (feet) which causes you to be aroused
- becasue you get aroused from feet you get an orgasm
- after you get an orgasm you feel relieved but then judge the experiencing negatively which leads to more guilt and shame
**now they're in the cycle which makes the behavior with the fetish continue
**the brain links feeling guilty to sexual arousal by mistake
59
Sexual Sadist
Sexual Sadist = a person who experiences intense sexual arousal from the physical or psychological suffering of another person
60
Sexual Masochist
Sexual Masochist = a person who experiences intense sexual arousal from fantasies or the behavior of being humiliated, hurt, bound, or made to suffer
61
Sexual Bondage
Sexual Bondage = sexual arousal by using restraining devices that have sexual significance
62
Paraphilia
Paraphilia = described as an unusual, unconventional sexual behavior
Paraphilias = atypical sexual interests
Paraphilic disorder = paraphilia that causes the person distress or impairs their functioning, or causes harm to themselves or others
Ex: an impairment in job performance
63
Historical Context of Sexual Variations
1800s-mid 1900s: medical model was the most used
- anything that was viewed as different (like anal sex) was viewed as a pathology
1970s-present: shift to thinking sexual diversity is normal
1973 - homosexuality removed from DSM
64
"3C Framework"
emphasizes communication, consent, and care
communication: checking in during sexual activity
care: ensuring people feel emotionally and physically safe
consent: it's specific
- someone can consent to certain activities but not all activities
65
Consensual Kink Behavior Correlates with
- higher sexual satisfaction
- better communication skills
- no increased rate of psychological distress
66
Drag
performance art with cultural, political, and entertainment significance
- Not primarily sexual in nature – can be used to make political statements
- Expression of creativity, gender play, or cultural commentary
67
Drag Queens
Drag Queens: gay men dress up as women and some lesbians dress in masculine clothes
68
Female Impersonators
Female Impersonators: men who dress as women
ex: in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire, the dad dresses up as Mrs. Doubtfire
69
Transvestitism
transvestite - outdated term used to describe someone who cross-dresses to experience sexual arousal
- listed in the DSM
- requires arousal, distress/dysfunction
- rare diagnosis
- often used in transphobic remarks
70
BDSM Acronym
bondage-discipline
dominance-submission
sadism-masochism
71
BDSM Practices
bondage and discipline:
- using physical and psychological restraint to enforce servitude
dominance and submission: the power to control the sexual stimulation and behavior of the other person
sadism and masochism: intense sexual arousal from being beaten, bound, humiliated, or made to suffer
72
Research on BDSM
people who do BDSM show normal psych profiles
- they have lower rates of sexist beliefs
- higher relationship satisfaction
- they put an emphasis on negotiation and boundries
ex: 50 Shades of Grey
73
Risk-Aware Consensual Kink (RACK)
being aware of the risk involved in activities
kink - knowing that some of the practices aren't mainstream
extensive negotiation and aftercare practices - physical comfort, stretching, verbal assurance, reflecting
74
Causes of BDSM
could be because of learning theory
ex: being spanked as a kid and getting an erection
- you associate pain with being aroused
- masochistic activity allows the person an escape (especially for males)
75
Voyeurism
Voyeur = a person who experiences intense sexual arousal from watching an unsuspecting person who is naked, undressing, or engaging in sexual activity
ex: watching someone through your window having sex and getting aroused
76
Exhibitionism
Exhibitionism: when someone gets sexual pleasure from flashing someone else
- usually men
- most women are alarmed by this
- the reciever of the flashing didn't consent to it (why it's so shocking)
77
Hypersexuality
Hypersexuality: an excessive, insatiable sex drive in a person
- the person is never satisfied with the sexual activity and they may not be having orgasms
Nymphomania = when it occurs in women
Satyriasis = when it occurs in men
reserachers have developed the Hypersexuality Behavior Inventory (HBI)
78
Cybersex Use and Abuse
- 90% of ppl accessed sexual info online
- it's hypersexuality if u use the internet in ways that impair daily life or functioning
ex: watching so much porn you can't function
79
Asphyxiophilia
The practice of inducing a state of oxygen deficiency in order to create sexual arousal or to enhance seuxal excitement and orgasm
- This causes deaths
80
Zoophilia
Zoophilia: sexual contact with an animal
- also called beastiality
- 8% of Kinsey's sample reported having sex with an animal
- boys on farms do this more
81
Frotterism
Frotterurism: sexual fantasies or behaviors involving touching or rubbing one’s genitals against the body of someone without consent
- usually in a public place
- can have a disorder if the behavior is really intense
82
Troilism or Threesomes
sexual encounter involving three people
83
Saliromania
Saliromania: a desire to damage or soil a woman or her clothes or the image of a woman
84
Coprophilia and Urophilia
Coprophilia and Urophilia: when you pee or poop on the person during a sexual act
85
Necrophilia
Necrophilia: sexual contact with a dead person
86
Sexsomnia
Sexsomnia: Unintentional sexual behaviors during sleep
87
Medical Treatments of Sexual Variations
- used surgical castration
-- remove testes to try to lower testosterone
hormonal treatment:
- using drugs to lower sexual desire
- Cyproterone acetate (CPA) --- drug that blocks testosterone reuptake
- leuprolide acetate (LA) -- reduces testosterone
- they also give antidepressants to people with paraphilic conditions bc they think their mental health is what causes them to be a paraphilic
Cognitive Behavioral Therapies:
- education
- impulse control practice
- problem-solving skills
