SOC 123 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Clitoris, Vasocongestion, Sigmund Freud
Sexual arousal and sexual behavior
●Brain and sexual arousal
○Brain is the control center for sexual arousal
○A particular stimulus could be perceived as sexual by some and not by others
●The senses and sexual arousal
○All sensory systems can contribute to arousal
○Touch tends to predominate
■Distinction between primary and secondary erogenous zones
●Primary
○Concentration of nerve endings
○Genitals, butt, navel, breasts, mouth
●Secondary
○Symbolically have a meaning that is sexual
○Example
■Lover strokes upper back
○Vision is the second most important sense
■Wide belief that men are more strongly aroused by visual stimuli than are
women
○Smell can contribute consciously or unconsciously
■Unconscious
●Pheromones
○Chemicals created by the body
○Hearing
■Whether people make and prefer sounds during sexual activity is highly
variable
■Preferences established through learning
○Taste
■Minor role
■Intertwined with smell
●Hormones
○Testosterone
■Produced primarily by testes and ovaries
■Affects sexual arousal in both men and women
●Men produce more, but women’s bodies may be more sensitive to
it
●Higher testosterone has been found to be associated with greater
incidence of sex and masturbation among teen boys
●Testosterone replacement therapy exists, although long-term health
outcomes are unknown
○Oxytocin
■Hormone produced in the brain
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Document Summary
Brain is the control center for sexual arousal. A particular stimulus could be perceived as sexual by some and not by others. All sensory systems can contribute to arousal. Distinction between primary and secondary erogenous zones. Symbolically have a meaning that is sexual. Vision is the second most important sense. Wide belief that men are more strongly aroused by visual stimuli than are women. Whether people make and prefer sounds during sexual activity is highly variable. Affects sexual arousal in both men and women. Men produce more, but women"s bodies may be more sensitive to it. Higher testosterone has been found to be associated with greater incidence of sex and masturbation among teen boys. Testosterone replacement therapy exists, although long-term health outcomes are unknown. Best known for assisting in the release of milk during breastfeeding. Plays a role in developing bonds between partners; the love hormone . May also play a role in sexual arousal.
