W9 HUMAN SEXUALITY Flashcards
What are common consensus on casual sex?
Sex among unmarried is mostly acceptable when in an affectionate & committed r/s.
Men are more permissive than women/ more accepting of casual, uncommitted sex - possibly as sexual double standards that judges permissive women more harshly still exist.
What is sexual fluidity?
Sexual fluidity refers to the idea that sexual orientation is not necessarily fixed. It goes against the traditional idea of sexual orientation that is fixed and categorical (hetero, homo, bi).
What are the changes researchers see in sexual fluidity?
Changes could either be transient or long-lasting.
- Variation in Attraction: Shifts in the gender to which they are attracted.
- Change Over Time: Sexual orientation may not remain constant through
- Behaviour-Orientation Discrepancy
What are sexual patterns of people in committed relationships?
Spouses and cohabiting partners have sex more often than singles do.
Research study on sexual behaviour: Getting it on vs Getting it over with.
What do you think about the research design utilised in this study? There are four research tools.
- Hypothetical scenarios are good for testing, follow up with studies that collect data from real-life scenarios to support results (e.g. study 2)
- Factorial design 2 (approach vs avoidance sexual goals) x 2 (man vs woman’s goals) x 2 (dating vs married) design is very comprehensive and accounts for diff factors
- Daily diary design allows study of e.g. whether effects of sex carry over to next few days
- Dyadic Approaches: Look at both partners rather than just one to be able to observe partner effects
Research study on sexual behaviour: Getting it on vs Getting it over with. What is the difference between approach and avoidance motivations?
- Approach motivation: Having sex to obtain positive outcomes e.g. intimacy with partner
- Avoidance motivation: Having sex to avoid negative outcomes e.g. guilt, conflict, disappointing partner (having sex for the wrong reasons) –> Decreases sexual desire and therefore decreases sexual and relationship satisfaction for both self and partner
Research study on sexual behaviour: Getting it on vs Getting it over with. Do you think avoidance-
motivated sex is better than no sex?
Short term: Study says yes → avoidance-motivated sex contributes more daily benefits.
Long term: Lower satisfaction over time
If your partner knows that you want to ‘get it over and done with’, partner will feel bad → sexual incompatibility
What is the difference between monogamy and consensual non-monogamy?
Monogamy - Individual has only one partner at a time
CNM - A relational arrangement in which partners agree that it’s acceptable to have more than one sexual and/or romantic partnership at the same time
What are the 3 different types of consensual non-monogamy?
- Open relationship: Pursue independent sexual r/s outside primary dyad
- Swinging: Partners engage in extradyadic sex, usually at social events where both of them are in attendance
- Polyamory: Partners have consensual loving and romantic relationships with more than one partner
Research study on sexual coercion: Sexual Objectification leads to feeling ostracised
What is the research question, and why is this empirically and theoretically novel?
Is sexual objectification akin to partial ostracism?
Empirically novel: Past research mainly focuses on areas like effects of sexual objectification and valuing of physical features
Theoretically novel: Sexual objectification and partial ostracism seem to be 2 different concepts because one involves attention while the other involves ignoring
But in reality, both involve sporadic attention
Research study on sexual coercion: Sexual Objectification leads to feeling ostracised
What is the difference between complete and partial ostracism?
Complete ostracism: Completely ignoring someone
Partial ostracism: Combines typical interaction behaviours with ostracising behaviours (only partially ignored; sporadic attention)
E.g. talking less to someone, leaving someone out of the loop, tossing the ball fewer times to someone
Research study on sexual coercion: Sexual Objectification leads to feeling ostracised
Do you think the attractiveness of the perpetrator matters?
YES
- When looking to hookup, people judge others by physical attractiveness.
- Consenting to a hookup = agreeing to be sexually objectified, and we are more likely to hookup with attractive people → so we don’t mind being sexually objectified as much when it’s someone attractive
- Being sexually objectified by an attractive person may lead to less NA because we feel flattered/ are also attracted to the person
What culture leads to the entanglement of power and violence with issues of sexual communication/responsibilities?
- Regards male sexual activity as a form of conquest,
- Encourages women to “play” hard-to-get, and
- Trains us to be embarrassed by honest talk with a sexual partner
How do people communicate sexual desire?
Usually signal their desire and consent through indirect, nonverbal means.
More often, they just don’t resist and don’t say “No.”
What is the relationship between sex and relationship satisfaction?
Good sex makes a partnership more gratifying but a happy, loving relationship makes the sex better, too.
