Module 39 REVIEW

• 39-1 How do hormones influence human sexual motivation?

• For all but the tiny fraction of us considered asexual, dating and mating become a priority from puberty on. The female estrogens and male testosterone hormones influence human sexual behavior less directly than they influence sexual behavior in other species.
• These hormones direct sexual development in the prenatal period; trigger development of sexual characteristics in adolescence; and help activate sexual behavior from puberty to late adulthood.
• Women’s sexuality, as well as men’s, is responsive to testosterone levels. Short-term shifts in testosterone level are normal in men, partly in response to stimulation.

• 39-2 What is the human sexual response cycle?

• William Masters and Virginia Johnson described four stages in the human sexual response cycle: excitement, plateau, orgasm (which involves similar feelings and brain activity in males and females), and resolution. Males then enter a refractory period, during which renewed arousal and orgasm are impossible.

• 39-3 How do external and imagined stimuli contribute to sexual arousal?

• External stimuli can trigger sexual arousal in both men and women.
• Viewing sexually coercive material can lead to increased acceptance of violence toward women. Viewing sexually explicit materials can cause people to perceive their partners as comparatively less appealing and to devalue their relationships.
• Imagined stimuli (dreams and fantasies) help trigger sexual arousal.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. _______ is/are the main female sex hormone(s).
   1. Habituation.
   2. Menopause.
   3. The subcortica.
   4. The estrogens.
   5. Testosterone.
2. The research of Masters and Johnson found that in the sexual response cycle
   1. resolution is the final phase of the cycle.
   2. orgasm is the final phase of the cycle.
   3. plateau is the final phase of the cycle.
   4. excitement follows the plateau phase.
   5. plateau follows the resolution phase.
3. Which of the following is true concerning the effect of sex hormones?
   1. Hormone injections can be used to easily manipulate sexual behavior in men but not in women.
   2. Hormone injections can be used to easily manipulate sexual behavior in both men and women.
   3. Sex hormones have a more direct effect on nonhuman animals than on humans.
   4. The levels of sex hormones are more constant in women than in men.
   5. Women’s estrogen levels do not rise during ovulation.

Practice FRQs

1. Describe one influence on sexual motivation from each of the following categories:
   • Biological
   • Psychological
   • Social-cultural

Answer

1 point: Biological influences on sexual motivation could include hormones or sexual orientation. Page 420

1 point: Psychological influences on sexual motivation could include exposure to sexually stimulating material or fantasizing. Page 420

1 point: Social-cultural influences on sexual motivation could include religious and personal values or the media. Page 420

2. As a teenager, Vincent viewed a large amount of violent pornographic material online. Describe two ways that this behavior as a teen may impact his sexual behaviors as an adult.

(2 points)