Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Personality > Sexuality > Flashcards

Sexuality Flashcards

Major dimensions of sexuality

1
Q

Sexuality

A
  1. Dimensions of Sexuality
  2. Sexuality and Personality
  3. Origins of Variations in Sexuality
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q
  1. Dimensions of Sexuality
A

Individual differences in sexual behaviours, preferences, and attitudes

Schmitt and Buss (2000): Lexical method

67 familiar adjectives describing a person’s sexuality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

The “sexy seven”

A

e.g., Emotional investment, Sexual restraint, Sexual attractiveness, Relationship exclusivity, Gender Orientation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Two broad factors

A

Sexual Arousal

Sexual Commitment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Sexual Arousal

A

Tendency to feel sexually aroused, sexually attractive, and generally interested in sex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Sexual Commitment

A

Inclination to be strongly committed or attached to one sex partner vs. preference for multiple partners or to be weakly devoted to any one partner

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

High Sexual Arousal

A

Seductive, Sensual, Sexual arousing, Sexy, Erotic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Low Sexual Arousal

A

Celibate, Abstinent, Prudish

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

High Commitment

A

Devoted, Loving, Faithful, Monogamous

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Low Commitment

A

Polygamous, Promiscuous

Loose, Unfaithful

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

High Sexual Arousal & Low Commitment

A

Obscene, Vulgar, Indecent

淫穢，粗俗，不雅

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

High Sexual Arousal & High Commitment

A

Passionate, Romantic, Affectionate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Differences between men and women?

A

Sexual Arousal: No difference

Sexual Commitment: moderately large difference between sexes
- Higher scores for women than for men: about 60% of women but less than 40% of men have above average levels of sexual commitment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Sexual Orientation

Heterosexual vs. homosexual and bisexual

A

Not substantially related to the two dimensions

-> additional dimension

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q
  1. Sexuality and Personality
A

Sexual arousal and personality

Sexual commitment and personality

Sexual orientation and personality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

2.1 Sexual Arousal and Personality

A

Positively related to E

Outgoing and lively people = stronger sex drive and stronger sense of being sexually attractive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

2.2 Sexual Commitment and Personality

A

Positively related to A, C

Agreeable and conscientious people = stronger inclination to be faithful and devoted to a single partner, rather than to be promiscuous

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Sociosexual Orientation

Simpson & Gangestad, 1991

A

Restricted vs. unrestricted

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Sociosexually restricted (SSR)

A

Comfortable in a sexual relationship only if he/she feels a strong emotional bond

“Sex without love (impersonal sex) is highly unsatisfactory”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Sociosexually unrestricted (SSU)

A

Perfectly willing to engage in sexual relationships even in the absence of any emotional commitment

“Sex without love is ok”

21
Q

Sexual commitment factor

Bourdage et al (2007): the HEXACO model

A

H-factor; also Emotionality, A, C

Reise and Wright (1996): Narcissism (.25) and psychopathy (.34)

22
Q

2.3 Sexual Orientation and Personality

Distribution of sexual orientation
Bailey, Dunne, & Dunne, 2000

A

Entirely heterosexual: 92%

Mainly or entirely homosexual: M-4%, F-1%

23
Q

What does a “feminine” or “masculine” personality means?

Bem (1974; Spence et al., 1974)

A

Masculine
- agentic traits such as dominance, independence, assertiveness

Feminine
- expressive, communal traits such as nurturance, compassion, interpersonal sensitivity

24
Q

Gender-related interests
- occupational and hobby preferences

Lippa (2005)

A

Also important and perhaps more important than instrumentality and expressiveness

-> Gender diagnosticity (GD)

25
Lippa (2005) Personality differences between heterosexual and non-heterosexual people?
Gay men vs heterosexual men Lesbians vs heterosexual women Bisexual men Bisexual women
26
Gay men vs heterosexual men
Lower on Self-M-F, GD Higher on expressiveness BIG 5: higher O, A, C, N
27
Lesbians vs heterosexual women
Higher on Self-M-F, GD and instrumentality BIG 5: Higher O, Lower N
28
Bisexual men
more similar to gay men on Self-M-F and GD
29
Bisexual women
more intermediate between heterosexual and lesbian women on Self-M-F and GD
30
Differences between heterosexual and non-heterosexual people in artistic vocational interests? Leisure and recreational activities?
Openness to experience Creativity and unconventionality
31
Lewis and Seaman (2004): General social survey 104 LGB and 2014 heterosexuals LGB vs. heterosexuals
Higher % for museum visits, attendance of ballet/dance and classical music or opera performance More likely to have taken part in live performance and to have played a musical instrument Three times as likely to be professional artists (3.6% vs. 1.2%)
32
3. Origins of variation in sexuality Nature versus nurture?
1. Sexual Arousal 2. Sexual Commitment 3. Sexual Orientation
33
3.1 Sexual Arousal Dawood, Kirk, Bailey, Andrews, and Martin (2005) Australian twin study: big samples of MZ and DZ twins (3080 women)
Heritability estimates between .30 and .40 for orgasm frequency during sexual intercourse or contact - about .50 for orgasm during masturbation -> Genetic basis
34
Biological basis and sexual behaviour
Hormones - Link between testosterone and sexual behaviour not strong Genes related to dopamine levels, also related to sexuality; - higher sexual arousal - novelty-seeking-related traits? (Cloninger)
35
3.2 Sexual Commitment Bailey et al (2000): 4900 Australian twins Sociosexuality and sexual history
Heritability almost 50% Environmental influences: - no shared environmental, almost all due to unique environment within each family (within-family)
36
Hormones? Studies among young men
Links between testosterone and number of sexual partners Weaker links among women.
37
Neurotransmitters? Garcia, MackKillop, Aller, Merriwehter, Wilson, & Lum (2010) Nearly 200 young adults
Survey on personal history of sexual behaviour and intimate relationships - promiscuity / one-night stands / sexual infidelity Differences in the Dopamine D4 receptor Gene
38
3.3 Sexual Orientation
Genetic and environmental influences?
39
Twin studies?
Subsamples of participants who have homosexual orientations are very small And there are, both homosexual twins are likely to participate together -> Biased estimates, overestimation of heritability
40
Recent studies in large samples | (e.g. Bailey et al., 2000; Kendler et al., 2000; Langstrom et al. 2010)
Evidence for the genetic basis of sexual orientation For women, some evidence for common environment effects For both men and women: mostly unique environment effects
41
Development of sexual orientation Bailey, Dunne, and Martin (2000): measured behaviour during childhood -> Childhood gender nonconformity: boy-typical toys/activities vs. girl-typical toys/activities
Strongly correlated with sexual orientation in later life Boys who prefer girl-typical activities are more likely to become gay men Girls who prefer boy-typical activities are more likely to become lesbian women
42
Bailey et al. (2000)
Comparing each group with exclusively heterosexual participants (scoring 0 on Kinsey scale) Heritability: 50% for men; slightly lower for women No shared environment influences
43
Heritability of childhood gender nonconformity?
Easier to study than orientation: more variation in the scores
44
Bem (1996) “exotic becomes erotic” theory of sexual orientation
Most children: engage in gender typical activities When reaching puberty: sexual attraction toward the strange and unfamiliar “other” children Members of the opposite sex appear to be mysterious and exotic but this becomes sexually attractive (“erotic”)
45
But what with children engaging in activities that are typical of the opposite sex?
Boys with preferences for “girlish” activities Girls with preferences for “boyish” activities Gender-nonconforming persons will tend to see members of the same sex as “exotic" - attracted to the same-sex
46
Development of sexual orientation - Number of older brothers Bogaert (2000; 2003)
The more older brothers a man has, the more likely he is to be gay Chances are 38% higher for every older brother that a man has
47
Why? The more older brothers a man has, the more likely he is to be gay
Consequence of any kind of sexual play Birth order effect: higher openness? Childhood gender nonconformity effect on sexual orientation might be stronger for boys with older brothers? -> None of these explanations have been supported by research
48
Environment of the mother’s womb | Blanchard & Bogaert, 1996; Bogaert, 2003
Substances involved in the development of a male fetus may be recognized as foreign by the mother’s body This might be stronger in later pregnancies and might have an impact on further male fetal development, counteracting the development of some male-typical features
49
Sexual orientation Not with a female fetus
Likelihood of being lesbian is unrelated to the number of older sisters

Personality (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions