HUMAN SEXUALITY
Psychology 364
Summer Pre-Session 2009
Instructor:
Victor A. Shamas, Ph.D.
520-621-7447 (message phone only)
Email: vas@email.arizona.edu
Homepage: http://vas.web.arizona.edu
Required Materials:
Human Sexuality Course Reader (available only after May 1 at
http://www.ActOnWisdom.com; click on “Books and CDs” link)
Course Overview
From the moment of our conception, sexuality is a central aspect of our human experience. Sex and gender
shape our identity, our behavior, and our social interactions. Human sexuality is not only one of the most
important topics in psychology but also an area of study that connects various sub-disciplines, including
biopsychology, human development, abnormal psychology, and cross-cultural psychology.
Unit 1: Sex and Gender
This unit begins with an overview of the issues being addressed in this course. Then, we will look at sexual
anatomy, physiology and response in females and in males. We conclude with a discussion of gender and gender
roles.
Unit 2: Sexuality across the Lifespan
In this unit, we will explore the development of sexuality across the life cycle, beginning with childhood and
adolescence, and then going through the different stages of adulthood. We will also look at role of sex in intimate
relationships, as well as the effects of illness on sexuality.
Unit 3: Sexual Expression, Contraception, and Pregnancy
We begin this unit by considering the different forms of sexual expression and of sexual variation. Then we will
cover contraception and birth control, followed by conception, pregnancy, and childbirth.
Course Structure
Although this is a Web-based course, it resembles a traditional lecture course in virtually every regard. Here are
the features of the course:
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Classroom. This course has a virtual classroom that you can access through D2L
(http://d2l.arizona.edu). By clicking on the Discussions link from the course home page, you will be
able to access two forums: Classroom and Announcements. In the Classroom forum, you will be able
to post questions and discuss issues related to the course material with the instructor and with other
class members. The instructor will use the Announcements to update you on the day-to-day business of
the class. The difference between the two is that content questions related to the subject of human
sexuality will be addressed in the Classroom forum and logistical questions about the class (e.g.,
deadlines, exams, grading) in the Announcements forum.
Handouts. You will be able to download the syllabus from the instructor’s homepage, supplementary
materials from the course D2L site, and the course reader from the publisher’s Web site
(http://www.ActOnWisdom.com).
Assignments. The main requirement in this course is that you keep up with the course readings. These
assigned readings are shown in the section entitled “Course Schedule” below.
Exams. You will be taking three multiple-choice exams in this course, which are described in greater
detail in the section entitled “Grading Policy.”
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Grade Posting. You will be able to look at your exam scores and course grade by clicking on the
Grades link from the course home page.
Office Hours. You can send private questions to the instructor by e-mail. The instructor will answer
virtually all questions in less than 24 hours. In most cases, he will post his answers to one of the two
forums so that other members of the class can benefit from the information.
The course will proceed as follows: There will be assigned readings for day of the session. You will be expected
to visit the course D2L site daily. When you enter the Discussions, you will find course announcements,
questions about the material, and discussion of issues related to the course content. Although you are not
required to post to either forum, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the learning opportunities it
affords you. You will be taking three exams in the course (see “Grading Policy” for more information).
Grading Policy
Your grade will be based on the three multiple-choice exams. You will be required to attend the exams
at 6pm in MODERN LANGUAGES 310 on the following dates:
MIDTERM 1MIDTERM 2FINAL EXAM-
Tuesday, May 26
Monday, June 1
Friday, June 5
There are a total of 120 points for this course, which are distributed as follows:
Midterm 1:
Midterm 2:
Final exam:
TOTAL
30 points
30 points
60 points
120 points
The exams are multiple-choice and each question has four choices. Because the tests are computer-graded, you
will need to bring a Number 2 pencil to the exams and to make sure that you fill in the accompanying bubble
sheet according to the instructions that will be provided. Each question is worth one point, and you can earn a
possible 120 points on the exams. On the final, 40 questions will cover new material (Unit 3) and the other 20
will be review of the material in Units 1 and 2.
Your grade will be based on the grade cutoffs shown below:
Grade
Score___
A
100-120
B
80-99
C
60-79
D
40-59
F
below 40
All of the exams are closed-book and closed-notes tests. You will have up to one hour to complete each midterm
and two hours for the final. There are no make-up exams in this course. If you fail to show up for an exam
or are more than 15 minutes late, you will be awarded zero points. Please note: There is no extra credit in this
course and no grade of "incomplete."
Course Schedule
You will need to work through a lesson in your course reader each day. Please keep up with the readings so that
you can post questions to the Classroom discussion related to the material we are covering every class day. Even
if you are not keeping up, however, you can post any question about course material at any time. Your
questions and comments are always welcome.
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WEEK 1
5/185/195/205/215/22-
Perspectives on Human Sexuality (Lesson I-1)
Female Sexual Anatomy, Physiology, and Response (Lesson I-2)
Male Sexual Anatomy, Physiology, and Response (Lesson I-3)
Gender and Gender Roles (Lesson I-4)
END OF UNIT 1
Sexuality in Childhood and Adolescence (Lesson II-1)
WEEK 2
5/255/265/275/285/29-
HOLIDAY
MIDTERM 1 (ML 310, 6pm)
Sexuality in Adulthood (Lesson II-2)
Love and Communication in Intimate Relationships (Lesson II-3)
The Sexual Body in Health and Illness (Lesson II-4)
END OF UNIT 2
Sexual Expression (Lesson III-1)
WEEK 3
6/16/26/36/46/5-
MIDTERM 2 (ML 310, 6pm)
CH.10: Variations in Sexual Behavior (Lesson III-2)
CH.11: Contraception and Birth Control (Lesson III-3)
CH.12: Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth (Lesson III-4)
FINAL EXAM (ML 310, 6pm)
Required Materials
All readings for this course are taken from the Human Sexuality Reader, which can be purchased from the
publisher’s website, http://www.ActOnWisdom.com (follow the “Books and CDs” link) after May 1.
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