Models of sexual response

1
Models of sexual response

• Stimuli for arousal
• Kaplan
• Masters and Johnson
• Other models

2
What is sexual response?

• Sexual arousal has both subjective and
  physiological components.
• Subjectively, sexual arousal is how aroused
  people believe or say they are.
• Physiological arousal is measured as extent of
  physiological response, especially vasocongestion.

3
Animal models

• These are not the best models for human sexual
  response
• Order differences birds, bees, and mammals
• Mammal differences estrous vs. menstruating
• Human distinctives tools, language, war,
  opposable thumbs

4
Gender differences in arousal

• For men, there is a very high correlation
  between erectile response and how aroused they
  say they are. (Cindy Meston, 2003)
• For women, such correlations are low to
  non-existent.
• One reason for the difference may be that men are
  more attentive to physiological sensations than
  women.

5
Triggers of sexual responseActivating effect

• External
• Stimulated sensations
• Pheromones
• Drugs
• Internal
• Brain centers
• Learning and socialization
• Personal goals
• Cognitive interpretations and attributions

6
Sensation triggers Releasing cues?

• Men are turned on by sight, women by touch. Is
  that true?
• Primary triggers Touchor is it meaning?
• Are visual stimuli conditioned?
• Physiological arousal to gender of stimuli
  distinguishes heterosexual from homosexual men.
• But women respond genitally the same way to
  stimuli of all gender combinations, regardless of
  the womens sexual orientation (Bailey, 2003).

7
More on sensation triggers

• Sounds A lovers voice, poetry, music, seductive
  speech, sex sounds
• Tastes and odors food and drink, perfumes, body
  cues

8
Pheromones and reproduction

• Lee-Boot effect Slow and stop estrous
• Whitten effect Synchronize estrous
• Vandenbergh effect Early puberty
• Bruce effect Spontaneous abortion
• Synchronized menstrual cycles in college women
  (McClintock, 1971 Preti et al., 1986)
• Underarm sweat and menstrual synchrony (Stern
  McClintock, 1998 Cutler, 1999)

9
Pheromones and attraction

• Doty et al. (1975) Odors of vaginal secretions
  rated as unpleasant by both men and womenbut
  less so around ovulation
• Androstenol necklaces increased womens social
  interactions with men, but had no effect on men
  (Cowley Brooksbank, 1991)
• Human vomeronasal organs can respond to
  pheromones (Liman, 1999 vs. Morris, 2000)

10
Hormonal control of arousal

• Correlational research
• Testosterone is the key circulating hormone
• Estrogen is the key cellular hormone
• Threshold levels of testosterone are necessary
  for sexual interest in both genders
• But testosterone is not a sufficient cause for
  sexual activity.
• Social factors are far more important.

11
Ovarian hormones and arousal

• In primates, ovarian hormones do not control the
  ability to mate.
• Most studies find little or no effect of
  circulating ovarian hormones on sexual behavior.
• However, female monkeys who can control their
  sexual activity engage in sexual activity at peak
  estradiol times.

12
More on ovarian hormones

• Human women studied are almost all married. In
  marriage, other factors than estradiol influence
  sexual behavior.
• Women on the pill show less variation in sexual
  interest with the menstrual cycle (Alexander et
  al., 1990)

13
Sex hormones

• Organizing effects Species-typical mating
  postures and actions
• Activating effects motivating sexual behavior,
  and affecting its frequency and intensity
• Loss of hormone production is followed by a slow
  lessening of sexual interest
• Previous sexual experience mitigates the change,
  however.

14
Drugs and sexual arousal
0

• Folk aphrodisiacs
• Chocolate, The ultimate aphrodisiac
• Ginseng, bull or tiger testicles, rhinoceros horn
• Oysters and zinc damiana and other herbs fruit
• Possibly effective aphrodisiacs
• Yohimbine in animal studies, clinical trials
• Beware compound products containing tadalafil
• Arginine, found in yohimbe tree extract, is a
  precursor of nitric oxide
• Cantharides WARNING!
• Testosterone WARNING!
• Dopamine agonists like bupropion and L-DOPA
• Date Rape drugs Rohypnol and GHB

15
Drugs and sexual arousal
0

• Anaphrodisiacs
• Alcohol and Shakespeare
• Many medications, especially antidepressants
• Sildenafil may reverse the antidepressants
  anaphrodisiac effect for women (Nurnberg,
  Laurellio, Hensley, 1999)
• Anabolic steroids
• Blood vessel constrictors like nicotine
• Antiandrogens like Depo-Provera, tobacco smoke

16
Kaplans therapy-based model

• Desire phase
• Psychological components
• Physical sensations
• Vasocongestive phase
• Increased blood in genital region
• Erectile responses and lubrication
• Increased muscle tension

17
Kaplan

• Orgasmic-release phase
• Orgasm triggers changes
• Reverse of vasocongestive phase

18
Masters and Johnsons physiological EPOR model

• Excitement phase
• Increasing genital response
• Erection and transudation
• Sex flush
• Increasing subjective excitement
• Plateau phase
• Orgasm or climax
• Resolution

19
Discussion

• Are there differences between men and women in
  the experiencing of any of the phases of the
  sexual response cycle?

20
Criticisms of models

• Desire phase may be extremely short, or it may be
  chronic
• Plateau experiences are not always found
• Continual increase in tension is more often found
• The models are biased to the experiences of one
  gender
• Models impose a paradigm on sexual expression

21
Variations from the pattern

• Multiple or absent orgasms
• Variation in physical correlates of phases
• Orgasm focus
• Deception
• Refractory period
• Coolidge effect
• Sexual frustration Prolonged vasocongestion

22
Other models of sexual response

• Erotic Stimulus Pathway Theory (Reed, 2002)
• Seduction Actions to enhance attractiveness
• Sensations Feelings and thoughts increase
  arousal
• Surrender Submit to climax
• Reflection What does the experience mean?
• FSD-Alert.org

23
The FSD Manifesto (Tiefer, Tavris, Hall, 2002)

• Challenges the medicalization of womens sexual
  problems
• 1. Sexual equivalency is denied.
• Women do not separate desire from arousal
• Women care less about physical than subjective
  arousal
• Womens sexual complaints are absent from DSM.
• Emphasis on equivalency ignores many inequities,
  such as sexual violence, access to sexual health
  care, and social environment.
• 2. Sexuality is relational, not physiological.
• 3. Women are not all the same.
• Relational or cultural conflicts, sexual
  ignorance or fear cause more sexual problems than
  physical problems, but they go unstudied, in
  favor of medicalization of problems.

24
A new classification for problems

• I. Sexual problems due to socio-cultural,
  political, or economic factors
• II. Sexual problems relating to partner and
  relationship
• III. Sexual problems due to psychological factors
• IV. Sexual problems due to medical factors
• Does this classification suggest a different
  model of sexual response?
• Does this analysis fit men better, too?

25
Aging and sexual response

• Reduced and delayed lubrication
• Less vasocongestion
• Changes dependent on inactivity
• Increased likelihood of erectile failure
• Delayed orgasm and erection

26
But the good news is

• Sexual frequency remains unchanged
• In the 20s Tri-weekly
• In the 40s Try weekly
• In the 60s Try weakly

27
0
Sandro Botticelli, The birth of Venus, 1485-86
28
0
Edouard Manet, Le dejeuner sur lherbe, 1863