Psychology 2035A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Sex Organ, Sexual Differentiation, Oral Sex
17 Dec 2016
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Psychology Chapter 12
• Given the nature of sex research
o All results are dependent on interviews and questionnaires
▪ Making it very susceptible to participant bias
▪ People who are willing to volunteer information
Key Aspects of Sexual Identity
• Sexual identity is defined as the complex set of personal qualities, self
peeptios, attitudes, alues ad pefeees that guide oe’s seual ehaiou
• Include three key aspects
o Sexual Orientation
▪ A peso’s pefeee fo eotioal ad seual elationships with
individuals of one gender or the other
• Heterosexuality
o Seek emotional sexual relationships with members
of the opposite sex
• Homosexuality
o Seek emotional and sexual relationships with
members of the same sex
▪ Terms used to describe such people
• Gay
o Men and women
• Lesbian
o Just women
• Bisexuality
o Either and both sex
▪ LGBT
• L: Lesbian
• G: Gay
• B: Bisexual
• T: Transgendered
o A tasgede peso is oe ho’s sese of gede
does not line up with the sex they were labelled
with at birth
o Do not adhere to traditional gender roles
o Sexual Values and ethics
▪ Can take the form of absolutism
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• No sexual activity outside of marriage
▪ Can take the form of relativism
• The relationship determines whether sexual activity is
appropriate or not
▪ Can take the form of hedonism
• Anything goes
▪ It is always culture specific
• Varies depending on gender, rate, ethnicity and
socioeconomic status
o Erotic preferences
▪ Within the limits imposed by sexual orientation and values,
people still differ in what they find enjoyable
• This goes for
o Oral
o Anal
o Self- stimulation
o Intercourse
o And any other sexual activities
▪ One study found that
• Women and men were equally interested in erotic photos
o But women had a preference for softer more
romantic ones, while men had a preference for
harsher ones
Physiological Influences
• Hormones and Sexual differentiation
o Around the third month of prenatal development, different hormone
secretions begin to be produced by male and female gonads
▪ Gonads: sex glands
• In males: testes produce androgens
o Which is the principle class of male sex hormones
o Testosterone is the most important male sex
hormone and it stimulates the growth of the penis
• In females: ovaries produce estrogens
o Which is the principle class of female sex hormones
• Note that both hormones are
present in both sexes but in
different quantities
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o If sexual differentiation is incomplete people are born as intersex
▪ Or hermaphrodites
• They have both testicular and ovarian tissue
• Gender is difficult to determine at birth, and is, for the
most part, identified at puberty
o PUBERTY
▪ Hormonal changes that trigger the maturation of primary sex
characteristics
• These are the ones necessary for reproduction
▪ Hormonal changes that trigger the development of secondary sex
characteristics
• Physical features that distinguish males from females
o Females
▪ Increase in estrogen leads to breast
development, widened hips, and rounded
body contours
▪ Menarche occurs
• First period
o Average age is 12-13
o Males
▪ Increase in androgens leads to deeper
voice, developing facial hair and angular
body contours
▪ Spermarche occurs
• First ejaculation
o Average age is 13-14
• Hormones and Sexual behaviour
o Androgen levels are related to sexual motivation in both males and
females
▪ Effect is less strong in women
o High levels of testosterone correlate with higher rates of sexual activity
o Estrogen levels have no correlation
• This is true for both men and women
Psychosocial Influences
• Families
o Significant impact in early years
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