Human Sexuality Unit 2

Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality Evolutionary Theories - Sociobiology o The application of evolutionary biology to understanding the social behaviours of animals o Attractiveness is an important criterion in choosing a mate o Attractiveness = health and reproductive potentialI o mportant concepts in sociobiology  Family structure  Pair-bond  Attachment  Parent-child relationship  Parental investment  Sexual selection o Criticisms of sociobiology  Focuses on an outdated version of evolutionary theory  Views reproduction as the main function of sex - Evolutionary Psychology o Study of psychological mechanisms that have been shaped by evolution o Assumes that behvaiours, thought processes, and emotions all have an evolutionary basis o Criticisms of Evolutionary Psychology  Assumes that all behaviours must have some adaptive significance  Based on human’s ancestral environment - Gender-Neutral Evolutionary Theory o Humans have evolved to be flexible and adaptive to their environments o Engage in flexible mating strategies (not gender-fixed) o They adapt to the situation and engage in male-typical or female-typical behaviours depending on the situation Psychological Theories - Psychoanalytic theory o Developed by Sigmund Freud o Humans are motivated by unconscious desires o 2 major forces motivate human behaviour: sex drive and death instinct o 3 Components of personality  Id (instincts)  Pleasure principle  Selfish, does not care about other people  Ego (reality)  Reality principle  Considers what is realistic and reasonable behaviour