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Summary of the book The Psychology of Human Sexuality
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A summary of the book Psychology of Human Sexuality by J.Lehmiller for the course Psychology of Sexuality of the Radboud University
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Psychology of Sexuality - BookChantal
June 2021
Chapter 1 - Theoretical Perspectives on Human Sexual-
ity
What drives us to have sex?
• Psychological influences
– mood states
– level of cognitive alertness
– our attitudes towards sex and relationships
– others expectations for our behaviour
– association learned through reinforcement
Can be transitory: can change from moment to moment
• Cultural and Societal Influences
– Cultural and social context in which we live plays a large role in deter-
mining sexual behaviour
– Huge variability in standard in different societies
– Forces acting on sexuality:
* religion (main force)
* science
* popular media
• Biological and Evolutionary Influences
– Biological factors: how things such as a person’s genes and hormone lev-
els might influence how their brain develops or functions
1
,Major Theoretical Perspectives on Human Sexuality
Theory Main point(s)
Personality structure consisting of the id,
ego and superego drives behaviour.
Psychoanalytic theory
Sexual "abnormalities" arise when individuals become
fixated during one of the psychosexual stages of development.
Repeated pairing of a neutral stimulus with one that produces
Classical conditioning a specific behaviour will eventually lead the neural stimulus
to elicit the behaviour.
Reinforced behaviours increase in frequency, punished behaviours decrease.
Operant conditioning
Reinforcement is more effective than punishment.
Behaviour can be learned through observation of others
Social / Observational learning (e.g. peers, parents) or through media exposure,
including pornography.
Exchange of resources is fundamental to social relationships.
Behaviour is driven by perceived costs and benefits
Exchange perspectives
derived from trades occuring between partners.
(Cost/benefits - comparison level)
Relatively stable individual traits generate consistent
patterns of behaviour across situations.
Personality theories Big Five, erotophobia-erotophilia (positive/negative emotions towards sex),
sensation seeking and sociosexuality are major
personality traits associated with sexual behaviour.
Human beings are motivated to produce as many of their
own offspring as possible.
Evolutionary theory
We have evolved preferences for physical and psychological traits and
characteristics in sexual partners that promote reproductive success.
Biological, psychological and social factors interact to produce variations
in sexual orientations and behaviours.
Biopsychosocial model The mind and body are fundamentally intertwined.
Sexual health is not just the absence of biological dysfunction;
it runs on a continuum with varying degrees of sexual illness and wellness.
Table 1: Major Theoretical Perspectives on Human Sexuality
2
,Big Five personality factors
1. openness to experience
2. conscientiousness
3. extraversion
4. agreeableness
5. neuroticism
Personality trait Definition Noted relations to sexual behaviour
Openness to Desire for new and varied experiences
High openness → lower sexual anxiety
experience Inventive and curious
Dependable and responsible
Low conscientiousness →
Self-discipline
Conscientiousness unprotected sex
Plan behaviour rather
Combining alcohol and drugs with sex
than act spontaneously
Low agreeableness → casual sex with
Caring and compassionate someone other than partner
Agreeableness about others Combining alcohol and drugs with sex
Friendly and helpful High/low levels of interpersonal
warmth → more sexual partners
High extraversion → more sexual
Desire to interact with other people partners and sexual risk taking
Extraversion
Self-confident and sociable Interpersonal assertiveness and
dominance → more sexual partners
Characterized by feelings High neuroticism → risky
Neuroticism of anxiety and insecurity and unprotected sex
Emotional instability No relation to sexual behaviour
Table 2: Big Five and their association with sexual behaviour
3
, Terms
• Incest
Sexual activity among blood relatives.
• Pederasty
An arrangement in ancient Greece in which an older man would educate and
mentor a male adolescent, who would have sex with him in return.
• Libido
Sexual and life instincts (Freud).
• Id
Most basic part of the personality. Contains the libido.
• Ego
Exists to keep a check on the id. Operates under the reality principle: it tries
to satisfy the id’s desires in a way that is rational and avoids self-destruction.
• Superego
Conscience. Tries to persuade the ego to do not what is realistic, but what is
moral.
• Classical conditioning
Learning theory emerged from behaviorism (dog, bell, salivation).
1. Identify a specific stimulus that produces a specific behaviour
2. Original stimulus must be paired with new stimulus that does not cause
the behaviour
3. If these two stimuli are paired together frequently enough, each one will
eventually be capable of eliciting the same behaviour independently
• Operant conditioning
When behaviours are reinforced (rewarded or lead to pleasure consequences)
they tend to be repeated.
When behaviours are punished (when consequences are unpleasant or unde-
sirable) they tend to occur with less frequency.
→ reinforcement/punishment must follow the behaviour immediately and
consistently, otherwise the association will not be learned
• Reparative therapy (Conversion therapy)
The use of operant conditioning principles to change the sexuality of client
from homosexual to heterosexual: physical punishment upon the exposure to
homoerotic stimuli.
4
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