Sex and Senses

INTRODUCTION
Primary senses:
sense of sight (visual)
sense of smell (olfaction)
sense of hearing (audition)
sense of taste (gustation)
sense of touch/feeling
HUMAN AFFECT AND THE SENSES
Interestingly, while human beings are hailed as rational beings who are constantly making
choices and are behaving through a
Affective Primacy Hypothesis (Zajonc 1980) postulates that in many cases, cognitive processing
(i.e., higher order thinking) plays a lesser role compared to our emotional responses in eliciting
behavior.
three primary emotional responses
Fight - fight response is when we face adverse or dangerous stimuli squarely.

Flight - flight response is when we move away from the adverse or dangerous stimuli
Freeze - freeze response, on the other hand, is when you are startled and are unable to make a
choice, thus, are unable to move.
SENSES AND SEXUALITY
Visual Experience
Humans are predominantly visual. Our societies highly rely on visual culture to
co-create meaning and convey information. It is only appropriate to utilize these visual
cues since visual memory is deemed superior to other form (Cohen et. al 2008).
In the context of human sexuality, some studies have explored gender

differences in visual stimuli and sexual arousal. Women and men differ in strategies of
viewing sexual stimuli. Women tend to pay more attention to contextual and non-sexual
cues than men (Lann and Everaerd 1995).
Olfactory Experience
Olfaction in non-human animals, which are believed to be microsmatic

organism, or organisms having greater sense of smell. Humans and apes are generally
believed to be microsmatic (with lesser level of olfaction) compared to their non-ape
counterpart. Though humans have limited olfaction, sense of smell may play an
important part on our sexual response.
Human olfaction influences sexuality by the means of Signature odor which is

associated with the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) and Pheromones ,
which is a substance putatively excreted by our glands which signals mood and affects
social behaviors. Scientists believe that pheromones act as: (1) attractants for opposite
sex, (2) repellants for same sex , (3) stabilizer for mother-infant bond, and (4)
modulators for menstrual cycle. Some chemicals thought to be human hormones are
Androstadienone (AND), Estratetraenol (EST) , and T-pyrroline .
Tactile Experience
Touch is observed to be an element of intimacy. Our body is covered in skin, often referred to as
the largest bodily organ. Hence, in social interactions, particularly intimate ones, touch holds
meaning. There are only people who we allow to touch us. Touching, just like any other
behavior, may also be governed by social norms.
Areas such as the mouth, anus, genitals, and nipples are referred to as primary erogenous
zones as they are very sensitive to touch. The back, cheek, neck, and buttocks are secondary
erogenous zones as they are also sensitive to touch, but only supportive of the primary zones
in eliciting response. Often, these erogenous zones are areas of the body involved in the
reproductive and sexual act.
When we touch, our body produces a hormone called oxytocin-it is referred to as the love
hormone because it is believed to influence tribal behaviors and maternal bonding.
Auditory Experience
Social interactions are not only visual, but are also auditory processes. Our human language
often have a verbal counterpart to the written language.
Sexual activities are also a verbal communication process. Sounds give additional context to
sexual situations. For instance, in sexual interactions, couples may give verbal erotic encourage
words that triggers sexual response or verbal expression of affection- words that manifests
feelings.
Behavior
What is behavior? In simpler terms, it refers to actions. Some psychologists believe that we
behave as a response to stimuli. Others believe that we do things because we want to achieve
pleasure or avoid pain. Some think it is because we want to achieve a goal towards the
fulfillment of our own potentials and aspirations as a human in
Sexual Behavior
Sexual behaviors are actions that humans agree to interpret as an expression of their sexual
motivations or intentions. It is important to remember that behaviors are given meaning by
people.
Sexual behaviors are generally erotic behaviors such that they involve any, of the primary or
secondary erotic zones. Earlier we mentioned that body parts such as face, neck,genitalia, and
chest, among others, are erogenous zones.
Sexual Response Cycle
What is a response?
- a response is the reaction of an organism to a specific stimulus, in our context, the specific
stimulus would be sexual activity.
Masters and Johnson("Human Sexual Response", 1966) proposed that the cycle has four
phases.
Excitement: known as arousal. Occurs as a result of physical and/or mental stimuli. Preparing
the body for intercourse.
Plateau: prolonging the excitement until orgasm.
Orgasm: one of the ways for the plateau phase to end. Sexual fluids are exchanged with other
involuntary actions.
Resolution: the state at which the body starts to calm down
Kaplan(1979) argued that the former did not acknowledge the psychological and emotional
factors in sex. Proposed a different cycle with three independent phases.
Desire: the psychological component of the sexual response. Involves having sexual thoughts
and feelings.
Arousal: combination of the Excitement and Plateau phases. The physiological component of
the sexual response, bodily changes occur in preparation.
Orgasm: combination of the Orgasm and Resolution phases. Completion of the sexual
response.
Other Models
Incentive-Motivation Model: Sexual cues in one’s external environment and internal thoughts
trigger the nervous system, affecting one’s motivation. Experiences can affect the motivation
stirred.
Basson’s Cycle: Specific to women as she believes that men and women are so different as to
warrant a separate model. Begins with a woman’s need for intimacy.
SEXUAL RESPONSE DYSFUNCTION
Some people experience difficulty or problem in some of the sexual phases. The following are
the common sexual response dysfunction.
● SEXUAL DESIRE DISORDER - When an individual has low levels of desire or

has an aversion to sexual activities.
● SEXUAL AROUSAL DISORDER - When an individual has problem in achieving
necessary physiological state for copulation.
● ORGASMIC DISORDER - When an individual has problems in achieving
orgasm.
● SEXUAL PAIN DISORDER - When there is an experience of pain during the
sexual response cycle.
Atypical Sexual Behavior

Atypical due to any of the ff reasons:
a. They are not prevalent.
b. They are dangerous to self and to others.
c. They are bizarre and are not socially acceptable.
d. They are distressing either to the doer or to other people involved in the act.
Paraphilia
- when an individual gets sexually aroused by an object, a person, or a circumstances that
are unusual.
Paraphilic Disorder
- when the urge or act lasts for at least six months and is a manifestation of clinically
significant distress.
Some of the common Paraphilic Disorders:

● Fetishism
● Exhibitionism
● Frotteurism
● Pedophilia
● Sexual Masochism
● Sexual Sadism
● Transvestic Fetishism
● Voyeurism

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INTRODUCTION

HUMAN AFFECT AND THE SENSES

three primary emotional responses

Fight - fight response is when we face adverse or dangerous stimuli squarely.

In the context of human sexuality, some studies have explored gender

Olfaction in non-human animals, which are believed to be microsmatic

Human olfaction influences sexuality by the means of Signature odor which is

Sexual Response Cycle

SEXUAL RESPONSE DYSFUNCTION

● SEXUAL DESIRE DISORDER - When an individual has low levels of desire or

Atypical Sexual Behavior

Some of the common Paraphilic Disorders:

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