copyright ©2008 by the mcgraw-hill companies, inc. chapter 9 sexual expression

Copyright ©2008 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Chapter 9

Sexual Expression


Sexual Expression

• A complex process through which we reveal our sexual selves

• Involves behaviors and feelings

• Research relies upon self reports which may be problematic


Sexual Attractiveness

• Characteristics of what is “attractive” vary across cultures, but two universals emerge– Youthfulness– Health

• Theories proposed by evolutionary psychologists can be difficult to test


A Cross-cultural Analysis

• Various cultures emphasize:– The eyes– Height and weight– Size and shape of genitals

• American ideals of beauty not universal– Breasts not erotic in several cultures– Plump women preferred over thin women in

majority of cultures– Gender– Ethnicity


Sexual Strategies Theory: Buss

• Males and females differ in preferred traits in partners

• Males and females have different strategies of commitment

• Differences exist due to differences in reproductive investment and reproductive physiology


The Halo Effect

• Attractive people assumed to be more sexual and permissive

• Can create a self-fulfilling prophecy

• Expectation creates the desired outcome


Sexual Desire

• Can exist separately from physical sexual expression

• Very little scientific research in this area• Desire is influenced by two factors:

– Erotophilia: a more positive emotional response toward sexuality-related situations

– Erotophobia: a more negative emotional response toward sexuality-related situation


Sexual Scripts

• Organize our sexual expressions

• Scripts have 3 main components:– Cultural– Intrapersonal– Interpersonal


Cultural Scripting

• Provides the general pattern of expected sexual behaviors

• Tells us which behaviors are acceptable (moral or normal) and which are unacceptable (immoral or abnormal)

• Individual views may not match cultural views of erotic


Scripting

• Intrapersonal: Focus on the internal and physiological states that are associated with sexual arousal

• Interpersonal: Involves the shared conventions and signals that enable two people to engage in sexual behaviors


Autoeroticism

• Sexual activities that do not involve a partner

• Sexual fantasies and dreams

• Masturbation


Functions of Fantasies

• Define and direct erotic goals

• Anticipate and prepare for erotic situations

• Provide pleasurable escape

• Safe way to introduce novelty

• Clues to the unconscious mind


Gender and Sexual FantasiesLeitenberg and Henning (1995)

• Notable differences in sexual fantasies of men and women consistent across orientation– Men’s: more active, focusing on fantasy

partner’s body, explicit sexual acts, physical gratification

– Women’s: more passive, focusing on partner’s interest in own body, emotional content, romance


Erotic Dreams

• Dreams can accompany nocturnal orgasm for men and women

• Dream content may not be overtly sexual

• Content of dreams cannot be controlled and often runs the gamut of sexual possibilities


Masturbation

• Most men and women masturbate for several reasons

• Relaxation• Relief of sexual tension• Partner not available• Physical pleasure• Aid to falling asleep• A way to avoid STIs and HIV


Masturbation

• Attitudes towards masturbation vary along ethnic, cultural, and religious lines

• Latino and Black cultures are generally less accepting than White culture

• Prevalence of masturbation is correlated with education, ethnicity, and religion


Masturbation

• An important means of learning about our bodies

• Not necessarily a substitute for interpersonal sexual activity

• A legitimate form of activity in its own right


Masturbation Across the Lifespan

• Children and adolescents masturbate and non-judgmental parental reaction can be important

• Women and masturbation

• Men and masturbation

• Masturbation and marriage


Sexual Behavior with Others

• Touching– pleasuring– tribidism– interfemoral

intercourse

• Kissing

• Oral-genital sex– cunnilingus– fellatio

• Vaginal intercourse• Anal eroticism

– analingus– anal intercourse


Touching

• A sign of caring and signal for arousal

• The entire body is responsive to touch and caresses

• Genital touch is one of many forms of this type of pleasuring– Pleasuring (Masters and Johnson)


Kissing

• Usually our earliest interpersonal sexual experience– First kiss is often a milestone– The most widely accepted of all premarital

sexual activities

• Lips are highly sensitive to touch and highly erotic


Oral-Genital Sex

• Became part of more Americans’ sexual scripts in the 20th century

• Cunnilingus: the erotic stimulation of a woman’s vulva and/or clitoris by her partner’s mouth and tongue

• Fellatio: the oral stimulation of a man’s penis by his partner’s sucking and licking


Oral-Genital Sex

• Incidence: 70-90% report engaging in oral sex over the course of their lifetime

• Attitude towards genitals and sex can affect their comfort with oral sex

• Reduce risk of STI and HIV with latex barriers• Ejaculation and semen

– Preference– Risk


Sexual Intercourse

• A source of pleasure, communication, and love

• Positions

• STIs

• Tantric


Anal Eroticism

• Analingus: Oral–anal contact

• Anal manual activities

• Anal intercourse: insertion of a penis into anus

• Individuals of all sexual orientations engage in anal eroticism

copyright ©2008 by the mcgraw-hill companies, inc. chapter 9 sexual expression

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