Psychology 2035A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Spermarche, Sexual Identity, Sexual Differentiation

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2035A/B
• Professor: maxwell

Document Summary

Chapter 12- development and expression of human sexuality. Sexual identity refers to the complex personal qualities, self-perceptions, attitudes, values and preferences that guide one"s sexual behavior. " Sexual orientation: heterosexuals seek emotional-sexual relationships with members of the other gender. , homosexuals seek emotional-sexual relationships with members of same gender. , bisexuals seek emotional-sexual relationships with members of both genders. " Body image involves how one sees themselves physically and affects how one feels about themselves in the sexual domain. Sexual values and ethics: absolutism no sexual activity outside of marriage, relativism the relationship determines whether sexual activity is appropriate, hedonism anything goes. Hormones and sexual differentiation: during prenatal development, the gonads produce androgens (the male hormone, testosterone) causing masculinization of the genitals in the male fetus. At puberty, estrogens and androgens exert trigger maturation of sexual traits and organs in girls and boys, respectively: menarche is the occurrence of menstruation in females, spermarche is the first ejaculation in males.