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Women Psych
Chapter 9
52
Psychology
Undergraduate 3
03/26/2010

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Researchers pay a relatively significant amount of attention to female sexuality
Definition
False
Term
Men’s sexual experiences are frequently considered to be the normative standard
Definition
True
Term
Biological processes apply universally to all women
Definition
False
Term
Essentialism
Definition
Argues that individuals construct or invent their own versions of reality based on experience
Argues that biology is an essential part of each individual
Argues that gender is a basic, stable characteristic that resides within an individual
According to the essentialist perspective, all women share the same psychological characteristics. It ignores the widespread individual differences in women’s sexual responses. It also often neglects the social and cultural framework, which is especially important because sexuality is so prominent in our popular culture.
Term
Social Constructionism
Definition
Argues that society shapes the majority of individuals norms
Argues that individuals and cultures construct or invent their own versions of reality based on prior experiences, interactions, and beliefs
Argues that individuals choose to construct their thoughts based on societies norms
Term
Mons pubis
Definition
The Fatty tissue in front of the pubic bone
Term
Labia Majora
Definition
Folds of skin located just inside the thighs
Term
Labia Minora
Definition
Located between the labia majora
Term
Clitoris
Definition
Its only purpose is to provide sexual excitement
Term
Vagina
Definition
Flexible canal between the urethral opening and anus
Term
4 Phases of Sexual Activity
Definition
Excitement Phase: sexual arousal takes place; vasocongestion causes swelling and moisture in the vagina
Plateau Phase: the clitoral region is extremely sensitive
Orgasmic Phase: the uterus and vagina contract generally 3-10 times
Resolution Phase: sex organs return to earlier size; may last 30 minutes or more; females may have additional orgasms w/out going into resolution
Term
During the excitement stage, _______ rushes to the genital region, causing vasocongestion, or swelling resulting from the accumulation of blood; it also produces droplets of moisture in the vagina.
Definition
Blood
Term
Research allows us to conclude that women and men are ________ in the nature of their sexual responses. Men and women experience _______ phases in their sexual responses. Both men and women experience vasocongestion, and their orgasms are physiologically similar.
Definition
Similar, Similar
Term
Sexual Desire
Definition
A need or drive to seek out sexual objects or to engage in sexual activities
Associated with a variety of sex hormones, but social and cultural factors are similarly important
Gender differences are larger than most other psychological gender differences
Term
Compaired to women; men...
Definition
think about sex more frequently
want sexual activities more frequently
initiate sexual activities more frequently
are more interested in sexual activities without romantic commitment
prefer a greater number of sexual partners
Term
___% of U.S. participants said that sex before marriage is always wrong.
Definition
29%
Term
Sexual Double Standard
Definition
Before the 1960’s most held the belief that premarital sex was inappropriate for women, but it was excusable or even appropriate for men.
In real life, the double standard is less common
Marks and Fraley (2005) found no evidence of a sexual double standard
Many cultures outside the U.S. still have a double standard
Term
Sexual Scripts
Definition
Describes the social norms for sexual behavior
Learned by growing up in a culture
Term
Young women are much _____ likely to hear about sexuality from their mothers than from their fathers
Definition
More
Term
Parents are ____ likely to talk about pleasurable aspects of sexuality
Definition
Less
Term
Fewer than __% of students in a college human sexuality course had heard a parent mention the word clitoris
Definition
1%
Term
One large-scale US survey reported that ___ of parents wanted the classes to include information about how to deal with pressure to have sex, ___ wanted information on birth control, and ___ wanted information on abortion.
Definition
94%, 90%, 79%
Term
Adolescent Sexuality
Definition
Adolescent females are more likely to have early heterosexual experience if they reached puberty before most of their peers
Other important predictors of females’ early experiences include:
Low self-esteem
Poor academic performance
Poor parent-child relationship/communication
Poverty
Use of alcohol and drugs
Ethnicity
Peer pressure
Term
A U.S. survey showed that ___ men claimed to have had more than 20 sexual partners during their lifetime, in contrast to ___ of women.
Definition
17%, 3%
Term
In these surveys men probably overreport their number, whereas women probably underreport
___ of men and ___ of women reported that they masturbated at least once a week.
Definition
27%, 8%
Term
Most people try to communicate their sexual desire by ________________.

Married couples are more satisfied with their relationships if they have good communication skills.
Definition
Nonverbal Communication
Term
As women grow older estrogen production drops rapidly at menopause
Definition
True
Term
The decrease in hormone levels cause a decrease in sexual interest
Definition
False
Term
A women’s age has a strong influence on her enjoyment of sex
Definition
False
Term
The U.S. seems to think that older women should be sexual
Definition
False
Term
Sexual disorder
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Female orgasmic disorder
Definition
A disturbance in sexual arousal or responding
Low or little interest in sexual activity
Sexual excitement without reaching orgasm
Term
Gender Roles Contribution to Sexual Disorders
Definition
Many people believe that men should be sexual and aggressive, whereas women should be asexual and passive.
Our culture emphasizes the length, strength, and endurance of a man’s penis.
Researchers know how physical illness and drugs affect men’s sexual responses. However, they know much less about their effects on female sexuality.
Women are hesitant to appear selfish by requesting the kind of sexual activity they enjoy; stereotypes suggest that women should give rather than request.
Physical attractiveness is emphasized more for females than for males, and so women may focus on this instead of their own sexual pleasure.
Term
“Centerfold Syndrome”
Many men prefer to think about women’s bodies as they appear in a magazine, rather than the bodies that belong to the women they know.
Women may experience _____________, by adopting an observer’s view of their body- as if their body was an object.
Definition
Self Objectifivation
Term
Sensate Focus
Definition
Focus on sensual experiences
Term
Cognitive Restructuring
Definition
Changing negative and interfering thoughts with sexual activity and pleasure
Term
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Definition
Combines behavioral exercises with therapy techniques that emphasize thoughts and feelings about sexuality
Term
U.S. adolescents are more likely to give birth than adolescents in any other industrialized country in the world
Definition
True
Term
An estimated 500,000 teen pregnancies occur in the U.S. each year
Definition
False, 800,000 teen pregnancies
Term
If a sexually active woman uses no form of birth control whatsoever, she has an 85% chance of becoming pregnant within 1 year
Definition
True
Term
There are several methods that are 100% effective in preventing pregnancy
Definition
False, abstinence only
Term
Some relevant factors related to women’s birth control use:
Definition
Social Class
Ethnicity
Education
Personality Characteristics
Term
In Canadian and U.S. surveys of sexually active young adults, only about ____ to ___ reported using a contraceptive when they last had intercourse.
If we consider women of all ages in the U.S., about ____ of all pregnancies were unintended at the time of conception.
Definition
25%-40%,1/2
Term
Obstacles to using birth control
Definition
Parents and educators often avoid discussing birth control to avoid “giving them any ideas”
Some women can’t obtain contraceptive services or products
Some women have sexual intercourse without much planning
People may not think rationally about the consequences of sexual activity
Traditional women believe if they obtain contraceptives they would be admitting they plan to have intercourse
Belief that birth control devices interrupt the mood
Many young women are forced to have sexual intercourse
Term
In the U.S., ___ of couples who are of childbearing age use some kind of contraceptive.
Definition
74%
Term
One of the best predictors of contraceptive use in developing countries is _________.
Definition
Female Literacy Rate
Term
Between ___ and ___ couples practice contraception throughout the world.
Definition
50%-60%
Term
About ____ of all pregnancies in the U.S. and Canada are terminated by means of a legal abortion.
Definition
1/4
Term
Worldwide about 50 million abortions are preformed each year; about ___ of these abortions are illegal.
Definition
40%, no one recommends abortion as a constant form of birth control
Term
Most women report that their primary reaction following an abortion is _______.
In general, women who cope most easily are those who have the abortion ______ in their pregnancy.
Definition
Relief, Early
Term
Self Efficacy
Definition
Feelings of competence and effectiveness
Term
Research shows that women who are denied an abortion go on to have children who compared to wanted children…
Definition
Have fewer friends
Respond poorly to stress
Marital difficulties
Drug problems
Conflicts at work
Legal trouble
Term
Family Planning
Definition
None of the alternatives- abortion, adoption or motherhood- is free of problem. Instead, family planning seems to create less psychological pain than the other alternatives.
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