Psychology Chapter 7: Understanding the Self and Relationships

Understanding the Self: Sexual Self

• Development of secondary sex characteristics and the human reproductive system:
  • Begins in the womb and continues after birth
  • Primary sex characteristics are seen after birth due to sex organs
  • Hermaphrodites have both male and female sex organs
  • Secondary sex characteristics are visible changes seen in puberty
• Erogenous zones:
  • Play a role in human sexual response
• Understanding the human sexual response:
  • Libido is sex drive or desire for sexual activity
  • Sexologists identify desire as a combination of visual, biochemical, emotional, and biomechanical cues

The Role of the Brain

• Cerebral cortex:
  • Controls higher order functions like language and judgment
• Ventral tegmental area:
  • Part of the brain's reward system, involved in falling in love
• Basal ganglia:
  • Promotes attachment
• Angular gyrus:
  • Mirror neuron system, helps anticipate loved one's actions
• Limbic system:
  • Known as the "seat of emotions"
• Hypothalamus:
  • Key structure in sexual arousal, regulates hormone balance, temperature, and blood vessel constriction and dilation

Love and the Brain

• Cortisol:
  • Increases during initial romantic love phase, leading to decreased serotonin levels and intrusive thoughts
• Dopamine:
  • Activates reward circuit, enhances testosterone release, and influences mood and emotions
• Oxytocin:
  • "Love hormone", deepens feelings of attachment, and promotes feelings of contentment, calmness, and security
• Vasopressin:
  • Linked to long-term relationships, plays a role in defensive behaviors like mate guarding
• Norepinephrine:
  • A stimulant, causes alertness, and enhances memory and attention to details about partners

Three Components of Love

• Intimacy:
  • Being open and vulnerable with someone, trusting and feeling connected
  • Communication is key, including self-disclosure and meaningful conversations
• Commitment:
  • Deciding to consistently fulfill agreements and live by values of respect and integrity
  • Caring and loving actions for the beloved
• Passion:
  • Intense state of being that drives and consumes a person, including sexual attraction

The Sexual Response Cycle

• Excitement phase:
  • Sexual stimuli lead to changes in the body, including increased heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension
  • Women's breasts become fuller, vaginal walls swell, and men's testicles swell and secrete lubricating liquid
• Plateau phase:
  • Excitement enhances, and the body prepares for orgasm
• Orgasm phase:
  • Sudden, forceful release of sexual tension, with muscle contractions in women and ejaculation in men
• Resolution phase:
  • Return to an unaroused state

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

• Chlamydia:
  • Caused by bacteria, can infect both men and women, and can be transmitted from mother to baby during childbirth
• Genital herpes:
  • Caused by Herpes Simplex Virus, can cause sores on genital or rectal areas, buttocks, and thighs
• Gonorrhea:
  • Most common in young adults
• HIV:
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus, harms the immune system, and can lead to AIDS
• Human Papillomaviruses (HPV):
  • Can cause warts on different parts of the body, and increase the risk of cancer

Ways of Preventing STIs

• Practice monogamy
• Refrain from using alcohol and other drugs
• Discuss STI concerns with potential partners
• Avoid high-risk behaviors
• Use condoms and other barriers
• Use other protective measures

Diversity of Sexuality

• Heterosexual:
  • Romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between persons of opposite sex or gender
• Homosexual:
  • Romantic and sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between persons of the same sex or gender
• Bisexual:
  • Attracted to both sexes
• Transgender:
  • People who identify differently from their biological sex
• Transsexual:
  • A person who physically transitions from male to female or vice versa
• Sexually fluid:
  • Sexual preferences can change over a lifetime