SMF205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Helen Singer Kaplan, Sexual Arousal, Sexual Dysfunction

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies
• Course: SMF205
• Professor: Chris Burris

Document Summary

Response of the nervous system to sensory stimuli. Foundation for an alert system triggers awareness to changes in the environment (to something being different than you expected) Activating the nervous system in response to changes in the environment. You often get sexual activity linked to emotional responses. Sexual arousal can commonly be attributed or misattributed to other emotional experiences (sexual arousal must mean i love this person). Example: shaky high bridge vs. sturdy low bridge & attractive woman. We could also add interest as a step before desire. Individual differences in terms of sexual arousal (based on m&j"s cycle) Likelihood of interest (in sexual arousal/activity: could be situational (headache, could be chronic (hormonal imbalance, physiological difference) Speed and level of desire (if you wait a long time, the intensity is often greater) Ease of sexual arousability (how quickly do you get excited?) Likelihood or speed or level of sexual activity. Likelihood or speed or level of orgasm (too fast/slow)