Psychology 10: Introduction to Psychology

S/R Paper for October 20, 2005

By

Halford H. Fairchild

Masters, William H., & Johnson, Virginia E. (1966). Human sexual response. Boston: Little, Brown and Co.

Stimulus: Describes the classic work that studied human sexuality in the laboratory. Masters and Johnson gave us the “sexual response cycle” (EPOR): excitation, plateau, orgasm and resolution.

Responses: Human sexuality is distinctly psychological, but involves biology, physiology and brain and behavior. Humans are the only species to suffer from a variety of sexual disorders.

Sexual disorders, although psychological, are treated as if they were non-psychological (e.g., with medicines such as Viagra)

M&J studies tainted by the uncertainty principle: things studied in the laboratory – things under observation – change when observed.

M&J studies emphasized the physical nature of sex, isolated from cognitive appraisals.

Phallic fallacies (esp. regarding size of penis) heavily implicated in email spam.

Females’ lack of a refractory period, and multi-orgasmic capacity, may contribute to males’ inferiority complexes and/or insecurities. (And, by implication, their desire to dominate in compensatory ways.)

M&J critiqued because of the inattention to psychological factors (and spiritual factors).

Ekman, Paul, & Friesen, Wallace V. (1971). Constants across cultures in the face and emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 17, 124-129.

Stimulus: These studies show that emotional expression has concomitant facial expressions that appear to be universal across cultures.

Responses: Facial expressions are but one aspect of emotional expressions – body language also matters; tone of voice.

Lie detection: face and body may “leak” information to others whether they are telling the truth or not. So, too, minority groups may be sensitive to the “leaking” of prejudicial attitudes (racism detectors).