SOME THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
ON HUMAN SEXUALITY
I. Psychoanalytic Theory Sigmund Freud
II. Biological Functionalism
(Sociobiology)
III. Motivational Theories
SOME THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
ON HUMAN SEXUALITY
IV. Learning Theories
A. Operant Conditioning
B. Classical Conditioning
C. Social Learning
V. Cognitive Theories
SOME THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
ON HUMAN SEXUALITY
VI. Sociological Approaches
VII. Anthropological
Approaches
I. Psychoanalytic Theory
The Interpretation
of Dreams (1900)
 Perhaps Freud’s
most influential
idea - the
unconscious mind
 Childhood
sexuality?

Sigmund Freud
I. Psychoanalytic Theory
3 Divisions of the Personalitya. ID
-the reservoir of psychic energy
-pleasure principle
-unconscious
-biological part of personality
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I. Psychoanalytic Theory
3 Divisions of the Personalityb. EGO
-psychological part of personality
-reality principle
-mostly conscious
I. Psychoanalytic Theory
3 Divisions of the Personalityc. SUPEREGO
-social part of personality
-idealism principle (conscience)
-partially conscious
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I. Psychoanalytic Theory
Stages of Psycho-Sexual Development
 oral
(0 - 1)
 anal (2)
 phallic (3 - 5 or 6)
 latency (7 - puberty)
 genital (Adolescence - Adulthood)
I. Psychoanalytic Theory
Stages of Psycho-Sexual Development
Phallic Stage for boys - Oedipus
Complex, castration anxiety
Phallic Stage for girls - Electra
Complex, penis envy
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I. Psychoanalytic Theory
 Freud
on women
 female
sexuality is inherently
passive & masochistic
 distinguished between vaginal
(mature) orgasm and clitoral
(immature) orgasm
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II. Biological Functionalism
• Sexual behavior is
viewed as a product of
evolution and natural
selection.
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• Sexual behaviors
which lead to the
passing on of one’s
genes to healthy
offspring tend to be
selected.
Charles Darwin
"descent with modification"
Evidence of Evolution: The Fossil
Record
A geological cross
section of the Grand
Staircase-Escalante
National Monument
in Utah shows layers
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These layers reveal
deposits laid down
over millions of years.
Older fossils are found
in the lower layers,
revealing the
succession of organisms over time
Evidence of Evolution: Common
Structures imply common ancestors
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Inferences about common descent derived from
paleontology are reinforced by comparative anatomy.
For example, the skeletons of humans, mice, and bats
are strikingly similar, despite the different ways of life of
these animals and the diversity of environments in which
they flourish.
Evidence of Evolution: The
Distribution of Species
Biogeography also has
contributed evidence for
descent from common
ancestors. Evolutionary
theory explains that
biological diversity results
from the descendants of
local or migrant
predecessors becoming
adapted to their diverse
environments.
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Evidence of Evolution: Similarities During
Development Imply Common Ancestors
Evidence from Molecular Biology
The unifying principle of
common descent is
reinforced by the discoveries
of modern biochemistry and
molecular biology.The code
used to translate nucleotide
sequences into amino acid
sequences is essentially the
same in all organisms.
Moreover, proteins in all
organisms are invariably
composed of the same set of
20 amino acids.
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Biological Functionalism
Another important process in
evolution is sexual selection-• Competition among members of one
gender (usually males) for mating
access
• Preferential choice of one gender
(usually females) for certain
members of the other gender
II. Biological Functionalism
Robin Fox “...a great deal that can be said about
human sexuality can be disposed of
as the sexual behavior to be
expected from a large-bodied,
large-brained, slow-breeding
omnivorous mammal.”
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II. Biological Functionalism
Lionel Tiger “There’s something intrinsically
sensible in the idea that what
pleases nearly all people
must have helped most of
their ancestors endure.”
Biological Functionalism in
Contemporary Evolutionary Psychology
• 3 Examples:
1) the nuclear family
2) beauty
3) the double standard
Biological Functionalism
The
Nuclear
Family-
Women have
evolved to
be sexually
receptive as a
way of keeping the men around.
Biological
Functionalism
BEAUTY
Attributes men find
attractive in women
are related to fertility
BEAUTY?
Which of these
women do you
find most
attractive?
BEAUTY?
Which of these
men do you
find most
attractive?
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Dr. Dev Singh of the
University of Texas
manipulated the waist/hip
ratios of these 7 Barbees
Biological
Functionalism
Basic
symmetry is
associated with
general health
Biological Functionalism
The
Double
Standard