PSYC 2306: Human Sexuality

Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)

1. Define and identify key concepts in multiple areas of human sexuality psychology including concepts, facts and theoretical perspectives.

2. Define and identify the basic research and evaluation methods used in human sexuality psychology, including the strengths and weaknesses of each method.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of and explain concepts related to human sexuality.

4. Apply human sexuality psychological concepts to the solutions of current issues and problems, such as, ethics, intimate relationships, sexual development, paraphilic disorders, sexual aggression and rape, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections.

Learning Objectives

1. Define and identify key concepts in multiple areas of human sexuality psychology including concepts, facts, and theoretical perspectives.

1. 1. HISTORICAL AND CULUTRAL PERSEPCTIVES

Define

1.1.1. Human Sexuality

1.1.2. Personal sexual philosophy

1.1.3. Morals

1.1.4. Gender identity

1.1.5. Sexual orientation

1.1.6. Sexual health

2. Define and identify the research and evaluation methods used in human sexuality psychology, including the strengths and weaknesses of each method.

2. 1. CORE DOMAIN 1: THE SCIENCE OF HUMAN SEXUALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Define and identify

2.1.1. Survey

2.1.2. Respondents, target population, sample, random sample

2.1.3. Self-selection bias

2.1.4. Observational research and understanding Master’s and Johnson’s research

2.1.5. Correlational research

2.1.6. The basic steps and components of the experimental method, treatment, participant groups, variables and discuss the main advantage of this method

2.1.7. Reliability and validity

2.1.8. Some of the ethical issues involved in conducting research with humans; debriefing

3. Demonstrate knowledge of and explain concepts related to human sexuality psychology.

3.1. CORE DOMAIN 1: SEXUAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Explain and define

3.1.1.Functions, characteristics, and health issues relating to male external and internal anatomy.

3.1.2. Functions, characteristics, and health issues relating to female external and internal anatomy (include onset of and problems associated with the menstrual cycle)

3.1.3. Masters and Johnson’s four stage theory of human sexual response or EPOR model.

3.1.4. Model’s proposed by Kaplan, Reed, Janssen and Bancroft, and “The New View” and how they vary from EPOR model.

3.2. CORE DOMAIN 2:  CONTRACEPTION, CONCEPTION, PREGNANCY AND BIRTH

Describe

3.2.1. Contraceptive methods that help prevent both pregnancy and STIs (include advantages and disadvantages)

3.2.2. Function, effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages of various types of contraception (withdrawal, hormonal, barrier, fertility awareness, intrauterine devices, and surgical).

3.2.3. Process of conception, fertilization, and zygote development

3.2.4. Embryo and fetal development from implantation in the uterine wall through the three trimesters of pregnancy

3.2.5. Abortion issues, various methods, and socio-political controversies

3.2.6. Stages of labor, birthing processes, and choices and decisions that accompany child birth (c-section; pain management; birthing settings; midwife; physician selections)

3.2.7. Issues following child birth (postpartum depression; breast feeding; sexual activity)

3.2.8. Infertility, the scope of infertility, causes, testing, and solutions

3.3. CORE DOMAIN 3: GENDER AND SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE LIFESPAN

Explain

3.3.1. Distinction between sex and gender

3.3.2. Development of biological sex, variations, and disorders of physical sexual development

3.3.3. Biological and environmental perspectives of gender identity development

3.3.4. Transgender identity, variations in gender expression, sex reassignment surgery, and challenges

3.3.5. Distinction between gender identity and sexual orientation

3.3.6. Development and definition of gender stereotypes (include societal issues)

3.3.7. Nature and nurture influences on the origins of gender

3.3.8. Androgyny (define, how is it measured, positive versus negative androgyny, and two dimensional model)

3.3.9. How humans are sexual beings from birth through childhood (include behaviors and potential difficulties that accompany childhood sexual development)

3.3.10. Complex issues related to adolescence sexual development (include sex education; puberty; sexual behavior; teen pregnancy; and STIs)

3.3.11. Sexuality in college (include sexual activity; STIs; connection between alcohol and sexual problems)

3.3.12. Difference between intimate relationships in adolescence and adulthood

3.3.13. Developmental milestones in adult sexuality (include cohabitation; marriage; sexual behavior and problems; menopause)

3.3.14. Sexual development in later life/older adulthood (include sexual behavior; changes in sexual responding; intimate relationships)

3.4 CORE DOMAIN 4: INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Explain

3.4.1. Intimacy of couples of all types of sexual orientations

3.4.2. Various types of intimate relationships using Triangular Theory of Love and the concept of love styles 3

.4.3. Importance of effective communication, patterns of effective and ineffective communication and ways to improve communication

3.4.4. Relationship abuse, cycle of violence, characteristics of an abusive relationship and impact on survivors

3.4.5. American Psychological Association’s position on sexual orientation and how is has been defined for research purposes.

3.4.6. Central issues relating to non-heterosexual orientations (include notion of choice of sexual orientation; marriage; having children; and characteristics of same-sex intimate relationships)

3.4.7. Various approaches to the origins of a person’s sexual orientation (biological; environmental)

3.4.8. Coming out

3.4.9. Myths, stigmas, and how the HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected the gay community

3.4.10. Social prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation (include legal aspects; hate crimes; and violence targeted at gay and lesbian individuals)

3.5 CORE DOMAIN 5: SEXUAL BEHAVIORS

List and Summarize

3.5.1. Mainstream sexual behaviors (discuss risk of sexually transmitted infections)

3.5.2. Positive and negative effects of sexual fantasy (include male versus female fantasies)

3.5.3. Masturbation (historical and present attitudes; impact on couples in intimate relationships; health benefits)

3.5.4. Role of erotic touch in intimate relationships

3.5.5. Oral and anal sexual activities (risk of STIs; potential health concerns; attitudes)

3.5.6. Sexual positions, advantages, and cultural and country statistics

4. Apply human sexuality psychological concepts to the solutions of current issues and problems including disorders and paraphilias, sexually transmitted infections, sexual aggression and violence, and human sexuality in the marketplace.

4.1. CORE DOMAIN 1: DISORDERS AND PARAPHILIAS

Summarize

4.1.1. The purpose of the DSM-5

4.1.2. Definitions sexual disorders (include how they are diagnosed and evaluated)

4.1.3. Possible sources and causes of sexual problems

4.1.4. General approaches to solving individual and couple-based sexual disorders

4.1.5. Description, causes, and suggested solutions for each sexual disorder

4.1.6. Basic and clinical (APA) criteria for defining and diagnosing paraphilias and paraphilic disorders

4.1.7. Well known paraphilias (include issues related to sexual addiction; how society judges the severity of a paraphilia)

4.1.8. Why paraphilias are seen more commonly in men.

4.1.9. Theories proposed to explain the development of paraphilias and how these theories can be combined and reconciled

4.1.10. Differences between victimizing and non-victimizing paraphilic disorders (include each of the disorders that fall into each category)

4.1.11. Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church

4.1.12. Treatment of paraphilic disorders (include reasons for seeking treatment; types of treatment; and effectiveness of each treatment)

4.2. CORE DOMAIN 2: SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

Discuss

4.2.1. The STI pandemic and risk groups

4.2.2. Factors that contribute to risk of STIs.

4.2.3. Symptoms, mode of transmission, treatment, and complications of each STI

4.2.4. Viral STIs and their symptoms, mode of transmission, diagnosis, and treatment

4.2.5. Differences between bacterial and viral STIs and the similarities among various bacterial STIs

4.2.6. Prevention and reducing risk of contracting and spreading STIs

4.3.  CORE DOMAIN 3: SEXUAL AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE

Review

4.3.1. Issues relating to rape (include statistics; definition of rape; perpetrators; male rape; myths; rape on college campuses; and ways to reduce rape incidences)

4.3.2. Childhood sexual abuse (include characteristics of perpetrators; prevalence and incidence nationally and internationally; effects on victims; and ways to reduce and/or prevent it)

4.3.3. Sexual harassment (include settings of occurrence; behaviors involved; what victims should do; effects on victims)

4.4. CORE DOMAIN 4: HUMAN SEXUALITY IN THE MARKETPLACE

Review and Analyze

4.4.1. Complex cultural, social, and individual aspects of sex trade workers and their clients

4.4.2. Various aspects of pornography (include definitions; distinction between pornography and erotica; research on the effects of pornography)

4.4.3. Global problem of child pornography