Explore Your Understanding of Human Sexuality

Understanding the Sexual Self, Human Sexual Response, and Biology of Human Sexual Behavior

• The sexual self is an important dimension of self-construction that includes positive and negative concepts and feelings.
• The sexual self-concept has three dimensions: sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation.
• Attachment styles shape our sexual self-concept and influence our patterns of behavior in intimate relationships.
• The sexual response cycle consists of four phases: desire, arousal, orgasm, and resolution.
• During the desire phase, muscle tension increases, heart rate quickens, and skin may become flushed.
• The arousal phase intensifies the changes from the desire phase.
• The orgasm phase is the climax of the sexual response cycle and lasts only a few seconds.
• During the resolution phase, the body returns to its normal level of functioning and experiences a general sense of well-being and fatigue.
• Women may experience multiple orgasms, while men have a refractory period during which they cannot reach orgasm again.
• The hypothalamus is the most important part of the brain for sexual functioning and produces important sexual hormones.
• Sex hormones that influence sexual behavior include oxytocin, prolactin, vasopressin, FSH, LH, testosterone in males, and estrogen and progesterone in females.
• The biology of human sexual behavior includes the reproductive system, the sexual response cycle, and the neurological and hormonal factors that affect these processes.

Test your knowledge on human sexuality with our quiz on Understanding the Sexual Self, Human Sexual Response, and Biology of Human Sexual Behavior. From the different dimensions of the sexual self-concept to the four phases of the sexual response cycle, explore the various factors that shape our sexual behavior and functioning. With questions on attachment styles, hormones, and the reproductive system, this quiz will challenge your understanding of the biology and psychology of human sexuality.