Carroll Chapter 16
Baumeister & Tice Chapter 3
Atypical Sexual Variations
What is Normal?

Statistical norm
(mean,var)
– Many behs rare
but not deviant

Social/cultural norm
– Varies lots

Inappropriate people,
objects, or activities
– Non genital sex
Paraphilias
 Atypical
–
–
–
–
–
sexual patterns (APA)
Arousal to unusual S (kids, shoes, rubber)
Uncontrollable, recurrent urges (acted on)
Distressing
Problematic
Mostly men
 Harmless
v. victim-producing
Fetishism
 Arousal
to inanimate objects (high-heeled
shoes, stockings, rubber)
– Masturbation device (almost all men)
– Varies in intensity
• Pleasurable addition
• No arousal w/o object
 Is
this normal?
Class Data 02 (N = 71, Female = 41)
Yes
20%
Masturbate - NonSex
Masturbate - NonSex
Male
Yes
25%
Female
Yes
18%
What is Normal?
 Matter
of degree
– Being aroused by high-heeled shoes is not
necessarily a problem
• Uncontrollable urges
• Distressed & no satisfaction w/o object
• Harmful to self, others (burglary of women’s shoes)
Reaction Paper I: Fetishism
 How
would you react if your lover revealed
that s/he had a fetish? Do you think fetishes
are ‘sick’ or ‘harmless fun’? Why do you
think you feel this way?
 PLEASE
TURN IN AFTER CLASS!
Transvestism
 Aroused
–
–
–
–
by dressing like women
Married heterosexuals
No gender confusion
Likely to be oldest/only children close w/ Mom
Petticoat punishment
Pedophilia
 Sexual
arousal by children
– Most common victimizing paraphilia
– Wide cultural & historical variation in
acceptability
• Illegal in every country in the world
– Begins in adolescence & is obsessive, predatory
– Girls more likely to be victims than boys
Pedophilia
 Most
pedophiles are males
– Some females but they usually play helping
role to male
– Female pedophiles more disturbed
• Abuse younger children for a longer time
 Abuse
can produce long lasting
psychological trauma
Pedophilia
 Pedophiles
–
–
–
–
–
Arrested psychological development
Poor self-esteem
Poor social skills w/ adults
History of being abused (~35%)
Difficult/impossible to treat
• 100s of victims & very high recidivism rate
Causes
 Biology
– No brain abnormalities
– Hormone imbalances (exhibitionists high T)
 Psychoanalytical
– Defend against uncon fears (castration anxiety)
– Symbolically assert penis
 Behavioral/Learning
– Associate object/act w/ arousal or reward
during childhood
Masochism
 Aroused
by pain and/or humiliation
– Spanked, bound, domination, lick boots, urinated
on, by sexual sadist (S&M)
• Elaborate rituals
• Avoid injury (pain, not damage)
–
–
–
–
Mostly men but women also
Most married, successful & prosperous
No relation w/ sexual orientation
Pain arousing only in sexual context
Class Data 02 (N = 71, Female = 41)
Kinsey (1953)
Engaged in Masochistic
Engaged in Masochistic
Try Masochistic
Yes
~25%
31%
Male
Female
29%
32%
Maybe or definitely
46%
23%
Masochism: Causes
 Psychoanalytical
– Guilt over unconscious desire for power
– Punish ourselves
– Guilt over normal sex - domination freeing
 Not
supported
– Masochistic desires far more common (4:1)
– Start masochistic role -> sadistic
– Guilt about S&M, not normal sexual desires
Masochism: Causes
 Biological
Opponent Processes
– Physiological reactions causes equal and
opposite reaction
– Pain -> pleasure
 Not
supported
– Masochism too rare in general population
– Cultural variation large
Masochism: Causes
 Escape
From Self
– Modern Western culture stressful
– Reduce self-awareness releases stress
– Pain, humiliation focuses attention on
immediate experience
• Forget self & worries of normal life
• Break from stress of daily life (reprieve)
– Mistress take me away
Group Activity II: Paraphilias
 Groups
of 4-5 (mixed-gender) discuss the
following questions
– Summarize As
– Present to class
 PLEASE
TURN IN AFTER CLASS!
Group Activity II: Paraphilias
 1.
Why do paraphilias occur primarily
among men? Is there gender bias regarding
behaviors labeled “deviant”? (e.g., are
women who dress like men deviant?)
 2.
Why do you think women have more
masochistic fantasies than men & men
engage in more masochistic behavior?
Conclusions
 What
is (ab)normal is hard to define
– Rooted in current culture
– Harmful to self or others key
 Sexual
interest, behaviors vary widely
 Many theoretical approaches attempt to
explain this variability