PSY BEH 118D Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Human Sexual Response Cycle, Vaginal Lubrication, Vasocongestion
3 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Week 3 Discussion
• the sexual response cycle
o stage 1: excitement
▪ phase where the body becomes aroused
• male: erection
• female: vaginal lubrication, inner lips open
o stage 2: orgasm
▪ consists of a series of rhythmic muscle contractions (0.8 second intervals)
▪ triggers massive release of muscular tension
▪ interesting facts
• women often don’t reach orgasm as quickly as men
• some women fake orgasm to meet expectations
o stage 3: resolution
▪ body returns physiologically to unaroused state
▪ females
• phase takes 15-30 minutes and as much as 1 hour
• no refractory period, can have multiple orgasm within short period
▪ men = loss of erection
• enter refractory period in which male cannot be sexually aroused
• several minutes or up to 24 hours
o time increases with age
• other models of sexual response
o Kaplan’s triphasic model
▪ 3 independent phases
• sexual desire
• vasocongestion
o blood flow into genital areas
• muscular contractions
▪ components
• psychological: sexual desire
o cognitive component
• physiological: vasocongestion and muscular contractions
o dual control model
▪ 2 basic processes underlie human sexual response
• excitation: responding with arousal to sexual stimuli
• inhibition: inhibiting sexual arousal
o can be adaptive when environment is not conductive to
reproduction
▪ sexual excitation and sexual inhibition vary widely from one person to the
next
▪ recognizes that learning and culture are critical factors
• determine which stimuli the individual will find sexually exciting
• pheromones
o biochemical secreted outside the body that are important in communication
▪ may serve as sex attractants
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
