Week 5 Flashcards
What does sex include at a physiological level?
Erection
Lubrication
Breathing
Heart rate
Muscle tension
What does sex include at an emotional level?
Excitement
Desire
Passion
Ecstasy
Satisfaction
What is used to measure sexual physiological responses in a lab setting in men?
Barlow strain gauge
What is used to measure sexual physiological responses in a lab setting in women?
Photoplethysmograph
What is a possible explanation for increases in genital blood flow while there is no psychological sexual arousal?
Emotional stimulus –> sensory thalamus (evolutionary old; fast) –> sensory cortex + hippocampus (evolutionary new; slow) –> amygdala –> emotional response
What neurotransmitter is important for activating the emotion-motivation system while perceiving sexual stimuli (even unconsciously)?
Dopamine
What is, unlike genital response, a good predictor of sexual arousal in women?
Stimuli context
What are (the) three DSM sexual disorders?
Sexual interest/arousal disorder
Orgasmic disorder
Sexual pain/penetration disorder
What facts about sex and men are true? (4)
Men masturbate more, experience more sexual desire, fantasize about sex more and experience less sexual problems / lack of sexual desire
What physical state can cause sexual desire to decrease?
Very low testosterone levels
What medications can cause sexual problems? What kind of sexual problems?
SSRI’s, antipsychotics, anti-androgens; desire and orgasmic problems
How can the somatic disease hyperprolactine decrease sexual desire?
Hyperprolactine decreases levels of dopamine, which can lead to decreased levels of sexual desire
What are psychological causes of sexual problems? (8)
Lack of rewarding experience
Relationship dissatisfaction
Fear of failure
Negative body image
Negative sexual experiences
Negative mood
Negative opinions and attitudes regarding sex
Restrictive upbringing (opvoeding)
What is a big difference in predicting sexual feelings in men and women?
Most important for women: meaning and context of the stimulus
Most important for men: genital response
What explains women lubricating without subjectively experiencing sexual arousal?
Motivation process (sensory thalamus; quick pathway; evolutionary old) is activated before individual is conscious of it
