Psychology of Gender and Sexuality

1
Psychology of Gender and Sexuality

• Studying Human Sexuality
• The Physiology of Human Sexual Responding

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Why Should We Study Sex?

• Human Sexuality
• Area of research and study focusing on all
  aspects of humans as sexual beings
• Personal sexual philosophy
• Persons unique foundation of knowledge,
  attitudes, and actions relating to what the
  person wants and who he or she is as a sexual
  being

3
Experiencing Sexuality

• Sex is Emotional
• Enriching Self-Knowledge
• Morals and Values
• Making Responsible Choices
• Sex is More than Intercourse
• Enhancing Sexual Fulfillment

4
How Much Do You Know?

• Sexual Knowledge Self-Test

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Understanding Human Sexuality

• Its not as simple as it seems
• Do we know what we think we know?
• Tolerance/Respect
• Am I sexually normal?
• Sexual Health
• Parenting
• Evaluating sexual research

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Methods of Studying Sexuality

• Surveys
• Reliability/Validity
• Wording of Questions
• Participant Sample
• Self-Selection/Self-Report
• Case Studies
• Observational Studies
• Masters and Johnson
• Correlational Research
• Experimental Research

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Ethics and Sexuality Research

• Protection from Harm
• Informed Consent
• Freedom to Withdraw
• Debriefing
• Confidentiality

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Its Not Just In Your Pants

• Psychology also plays an important role in sexual
  responding in humans.

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Masters and Johnsons Four-Phase Model (The EPOR
Model)

• Three Important Points
• NOT Four Separate and Distinct Events
• Responses Occur In Reaction to ALL Forms of
  Sexual Stimulation
• Responses Occur In Men and Women

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The E in the EPOR Model

• Excitement
• Whats Happening?
• Sex Flush
• Myotonia

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The P in the EPOR Model

• Plateau
• Whats Happening?
• Tenting
• Self-Discovery Clitoral Erection and the Myth of
  Female Orgasms During Heterosexual Intercourse

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The O in the EPOR Model

• Orgasm
• Whats Happening?
• Emission
• Ejaculatory Inevitability
• Expulsion
• Afterglow
• Womens and Mens Descriptions of Orgasm

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The R in the EPOR Model

• Resolution
• Whats Happening?
• Refractory Period
• Multiple Orgasms

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More on Human Sexual Responding

• The G-Spot
• Location
• Ejaculation
• Skenes Glands

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Alternatives to Masters and Johnson

• Kaplans Three-Stage Model of Sexual Response
• Desire
• Excitement
• Orgasm
• Addresses both the Physiological as well as the
  Psychological

16
Alternatives to Masters and Johnson

• Seduction
• Sensation
• Surrender
• Reflection
• Addresses the Cognitive and the Psychological

• Reeds Erotic Stimulus Pathway Theory

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Small Group Activity

• By combining any of the components of the various
  models and adding any features of your own that
  you feel are missing, design a new model of human
  sexual response. Be prepared to explain why your
  model is better.

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A New View of Womens Sexual Response

• Reverse the Current Trend to Medicalize Sexual
  Problems
• Three Major Flaws when Applying the Masters and
  Johnson model to women
• Assuming Male and Female Sexuality are
  Fundamentally the Same
• Exaggerated Focus on Physiology While Excluding
  the Relationship Context
• Minimization of Individual Differences in the
  Sexual Response of Women