Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Maja E. Francisco
Professor of Psychology
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Hormonal Regulation
Hormones secreted by the gonads—the ovaries in
females and the testes in males—can influence sexual
motivation. Estrogen is the principal hormone in
females and Testosterone (Androgen) is the
principal hormone in males.
In the animal kingdom, hormones can regulate sexual
desire among lower species. Female animals have a
high sex drive during the estrous cycle, period of
ovulation, where both estrogen and progesterone are
secreted.
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Sex Differences
Men appear to be motivated more by the
desire for physical gratification. In contrast,
women are more likely to be motivated by
their desire to express love and emotional
commitment.
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Sex Differences
Women engage in sex
with only one or two
partners with whom they
are emotionally involved.
Men, in contrast, are
more likely to seek sex
with multiple partners.
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Sex Differences
In seeking a potential mate, females place more
emphasis on potential partners’ financial
prospects, including education, status, ambition
and sometimes industriousness. On the other
hand, males place more emphasis on potential
partners’ attractiveness.
Women react more strongly to the prospect of
emotional infidelity By contrast, men react
more strongly to the prospect of sexual
infidelity
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Sexual Orientation
thedegree to which one is
sexually attracted to a
person of the opposite sex
(heterosexual), the same
sex (homosexual) or both
sexes (bisexual).
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Sexual Orientation
Evidence from twin studies have shown a link
between genetic factors and homosexual
orientation. The study showed that 52% of the
subjects’ identical twins were gay while 22% of
their fraternal twins were gay.
Hormone secretions during critical periods in
prenatal development may shape sexual
development.
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Sexual Orientation
Another line of research by
Levay(1991,1993) have
reported anatomical differences
between gay and straight men
in the hypothalamus.
Research on early life
experiences have shown that
gender nonconformity during
childhood predicts a
homosexual orientation in adult
life.
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Sexual Orientation
The fraternal birth order effect is the name
given to the observation that the more older
brothers a man has, the greater the probability
is that he will have a homosexual
sexual orientation.
The fraternal birth order effect is the strongest
known predictor of sexual orientation, each
older brother increases a man's chances of
being gay by about 33% (Blanchard, 2001,
Puts, et al., 2006)
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
Is Homosexuality a Mental Illness or
Emotional Problem?
NO. Psychologists, psychiatrists and other
mental health professionals agree that
homosexuality is not an illness, mental
disorder or an emotional problem.
Is Sexual Orientation a Choice?
NO, human beings can not choose to be either
gay or straight. Sexual orientation emerges for
most people in early adolescence without any
prior sexual experience.
Achievement Motivation
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow’s theory proposed that
human motives are organized hierarchically.
His hierarchy of needs is a systematic
arrangement of needs according to priority,
which assumes that basic needs must be
met before social and psychological needs.
Achievement Motivation
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
The need for self-actualization is the need to
fulfill one’s potential. It is the highest form
needs, wherein the individual’s talents,
knowledge and skills are maximized to its
fullest.
Self-actualized people are characterized by 1)
being problem-focused; 2) incorporating an
ongoing freshness of appreciation of life; 3) a
concern about personal growth; and 4) the
ability to have peak experiences.
Achievement Motivation
An achievement motive is an impulse to master
challenges and reach a high standard of excellence
Personality Factors
High-achievement motivation tends to lead to particular
personality features.
Persistence: High achievers tend to be very