Hsci 120 - Lecture 8

HSCI 120 November 3, 2010 Lecture 7 Sexual Response Chapter 9 Sexual Response  Vasocongestion: When a great amount of blood flows to a certain region (usually genitals) Cycle (252)  Myotonia: Muscle contraction  Vasocongestion and Myotonia continue to build until orgasm  Excitement: The first stage of erotic arousal; Erection in males, lubrication in female  Orgasm: Second stage of sexual response, the peak of sexual arousal and is followed by the release of sexual tensions  Apparently, the orgasmic sensations are quite similar in both male and females  Sharp increases in pulse rate, blood pressure and breathing rate  Resolution: Third stage of sexual response, the body returns to the unaroused state  Detumescence: The loss of erection in penis  Women’s clitoris, breasts all shrink to normal size  Refractory Period: The period following orgasm during which the male cannot be aroused  Women do not have a refractory period Women’s Orgasms  Clitoral Orgasm: Freud’s term for orgasm resulting from the stimulation of the clitoris  Less experienced than vaginal orgasm, because young girls first start to masturbate by clitoris  Vaginal Orgasm: Freud’s term for orgasm from penile-vagina intercourse, more mature than clitoral orgasm  Though however a women orgasms, the feeling is the same  Multiple Orgasm: A series of orgasms occurring within a short period of time Cognitive- Physiological  Triphasic Model: Kaplan’s model of sexual responses, in which there are 3 phases: sexual desire, vasocongestion and muscular contractions Models  Walen and Roth, Cognitive Model: 2 step model, shows that the greatest erogenous zone is brain  You must perceive the stimulus as sexual  Then you evaluate that it is a positive feeling and get more aroused  move to next stage Hormonal and Neural Bases of  Spinal Reflexes Sexual Behaviour  Receptors: Sensory neurons which detect stimuli and transmit it to the brain  Transmitters: Receive the message and interpret it, then send a message for the appropriate response  Effectors: Neurons or muscles which respond to the stimulation  Erection Centre: Located in the lowest part of the spine  Ejaculation Centre: Located in the lumbar portion o