Chapter 9 Notes Abnormal Psychology 9 1 What is Normal Sexuality Surveys fail us on two counts of sensation information of sexual practices 1 they claim to reveal sexual norms but they are reporting mostly distorted half truths 2 The facts they represent typically are not based on any scientific methodology that would make them reliable Current views tend to be quite tolerant of a variety of sexual expressions even if they are unusual Unless the behavior is associated with a substantial impairment of functioning or involves non consenting individuals such as children then it is considered a disorder Gender Identity Disorder psychological dissatisfaction with one s biological sex Not specifically sexual but rather a disturbance in the person s sense of identity as a male or a female Sexual Dysfunction find it difficult to function adequately while having sex For example they may not become aroused or achieve orgasm Paraphilia the relatively new term for sexual deviation includes disorders in which sexual arousal occurs primarily in the context of inappropriate objects or individuals para indicates the attraction is abnormal Determining the prevalence of sexual practices accurately requires careful surveys that randomly sample the population Participants are interviewed rather than having them fill out the questionnaire heterosexual behavior sexual activity with members of the opposite gender homosexual behavior sexual activity with members of the same gender 9 1a Gender Differences Men masturbate more than women One possible reason for this discrepancy is women have been taught to associate sex with romance and emotional intimacy whereas men are more interested in physical gratification Anatomical reasons may be easier for men to masturbate then women Gender difference in the incidence of attitude towards casual sex and pornography use with men espressing more permissive attitudes and behaviors than women The most current term for casual sex hooking up physically intimate behavior outside of a committed relationship Friends with benefits college students casual sex in the context of an ongoing relationship Results from a large number of studies suggest that no gender differences are currently apparent in attitudes about homosexuality generally acceptable the experience of sexual satisfaction important for both or attitudes towards masturbation generally accepting Small to moderate gender differences were evident in attitudes towards premarital intercourse when the couple was engaged or in a committed relationship with men more approving then women and in attitudes towards extramarital sex sex outside of the marital relationship which men also approved of more than women Men have more sexual partners then women based on studies Men are more specific and narrow in their patterns of arousal That is heterosexual men are aroused by female sexual stimuli but not male sexual stimuli Gay men it s the opposite Men with gender identity disorder who had surgery to become female retained this specificity attracted to males but not females Females however whether heterosexual or lesbian experience arousal to both male and female sexual stimuli demonstrating broader more general pattern of arousal Sexual Self Schemas women tend to report the experience of passionate and romantic feelings as an integral part of their sexuality and an openness to sexual experience A substantial number of women also hold an embarrassed conservative or self conscious schema that sometimes conflicts with more positive aspects of their sexual attitudes Men however show a strong component of feeling powerful independent and aggressive as part of their sexuality Also men do not generally possess negative core beliefs reflecting self consciousness embarrassment or feeling of behaviorally inhibited Peplau 4 themes of gender differences in human sexuality 1 Men show more sexual desire and arousal than women 2 Women emphasize committed relationships as a context for sex more than men 3 Men s sexual self concept unlike women s is characterized partly by power independence and aggression and 4 Women s sexual beliefs are more plastic in that they are more easily shaped by cultural social and situational factors Women are more likely to change sexual orientation over time and may be more variable in frequency of sex alternating periods of high frequency with low frequency if a sexual partner leaves Overwhelming majority of individuals engage in heterosexual vaginal intercourse in the context of a relationship with one partner Men with attractive to women faces have higher sperm quality Women with attractive to men bodies are more fertile and both men and women with attractive voices lose their virginity sooner Sexual attraction and behavior is closely tied to evolutionary mandates reflecting the importance of this behavior for the species 9 1b Cultural Differences What is normal in Western countries isn t necessarily normal in other parts of the world Premarital sex is unacceptable in half of 100 societies recognized in the world 9 1c The Development of Sexual Orientation Homosexual orientation was shared in 50 percent of twin studies Homosexuality and also gender atypical behavior during childhood is associated with differential exposure to hormones particularly atypical androgen levels in utero Individuals with homosexual orientations have 39 percent greater chance of being non right handed left handed or mixed handed than those with heterosexual orientations The principal conclusion drawn in the media is that sexual orientation has a biological cause There has been no evidence that there is a specific gene for homosexuality 9 2 Gender Identity Disorder Gender Identity Disorder A psychological dissatisfaction with biological gender or a disturbance in the sense of identity as a male or female The primary goal is not sexual arousal but rather to live the life of the opposite gender 9 2a Defining Gender Identity Disorder Gender Identity Disorder is different from transvestic fetishism a paraphillic disorder in which individuals usually males are sexually aroused by wearing articles of clothing associated with the opposite sex The primary purpose of cross dressing is sexual gratification The primary purpose of GID is not sexual gratification but rather the desire to live life openly in a manner consistent with that of the other gender GID must also be distinguished from intersex individuals hermaphrodites who are born with