GE 1 (1210)
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
CHAPTER 2
UNPACKING THE SELF
WHAT PHILOSOPHERS THINK
ABOUT BEAUTY
Before the 18th century, most Western
philosophical views on beauty treated it as
an objective quality.
St. Augustine
 Asked whether things were beautiful
because it gave delight, or whether it
gave delight because it was beautiful.
He believed it to be the latter.
Plato
 Connected beauty as a response to
love and desire.
 He asserted that beauty exists in the
realm of Forms, and that objects are
found beautiful because they are a
reflection of the idea of beauty that
already exists in the realm of Forms.
Aristotle
 Asserted that the chief forms of beauty
are order, symmetry, and definiteness
that can be demonstrated by
mathematical sciences.
BEAUTY – is associated with
subjectiveness in the 18th century (Hume;
Kant; Hutcheson)
David Hume
 “Beauty is no quality in things
themselves: It exists merely in the mind
which contemplates them; and each
mind perceives a different beauty.”
Immanuel Kant
 “The judgement of taste is therefore not
a judgement of cognition, and is
consequently not logical but
aesthetical, by which we understand
that whose determining ground can be
no other than subjective.”
Francis Hutcheson
 “The perception of beauty does not
depend on the external sense of sight;
however, the internal sense of beauty
operates as an internal or reflex
sense.
 The same is the case with hearing;
hearing music does not necessarily
give the perception of harmony as it is
distinct from the hearing.
WHAT DID PYSCHOLOGY DISCOVER
ABOUT BEAUTY?
o Psychology – found through research
that some people hold a cognitive bias
called a halo effect.
o Cognitive Bias – is an error in
reasoning, evaluating, remembering, or
other mantal process that is often a
result of holding on to one’s
preferences and beliefs regardless of
contrary information.
o Halo effect – also known as the
physical attractiveness stereotype and
the “what is beautiful is good” principle.
Refers to the tendency of people to rate
attractive individuals more favorably for
their personality traits or characteristics
as compared to those who are less
attractive.
Research found that a person who is
perceived as attractive makes more money
than a person of below-average looks. In
politics, voters not actively engaged in
issues choose candidates based on looks
90% of the time.
Evolutionary Psychology – found that
faces hold certain fundamental and
important characteristics that could indicate
a person’s quality as a romantic partner
and as a mate.
What does evolutionary psychology tell
us about hormones and men’s tendency
to be attracted to women and vice versa?
Hormones – sculpt our faces, and we are
programmed to be drawn to strong
indicators of maleness and femaleness
because they reflect an individual’s health.
Effects of Culture on Body Image
 Body image – is generally defined as
how one thinks and feels toward one’s
body.
 Ideal standards of body sizes are
culturally specific.
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The Philippines is influenced by
American culture in its emphasis on dieting
and thinness. A study showed that young
Filipino women are dissatisfied with their
bodies.
A positive body image makes you love
yourself more and boosts your self-esteem.
 Self-esteem (created by William
James) – is about how you value
yourself and how you feel others value
you. Self-esteem is important because
it can affect your mental health as well
as how you behave (view your strength
& weakness, successes & failures.
 Self-image problem happens when
your looks do not match your beauty
standards.
The problem here is with your own
beauty standards and not with your looks.
To have a positive self-image and a higher
self-esteem you must fix your false beliefs
about physical attractiveness first.
THE SEXUAL SELF
The term “sexual self” describes a
person’s unique, subjective knowledge,
experience, and presentation of their
sexuality. It includes everything of a
person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
connected to their identity, sexual
preferences, and orientation.
This facet of the individual comprises:
 Whether a person identifies as
heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual,
asexual, or with another sexual
orientation is known as their SEXUAL
ORIENTATION.
 Gender Identity: The process by
which a person determines their own
gender, which may or may not
correspond with their BIOLOGICAL
SEX. Given that it affects how one
expresses their sexuality, this is a
crucial component of the sexual self.
 Sexual Preferences: These may have
to do with what kind of relationships or
sexual pursuits a person finds
desirable.
 Sexual Expression: This refers to the
various ways in which a person
chooses to display their sexuality,
including attire, conduct, and other
mediums.
 Relationships, personal growth, and
self-awareness can all be significantly
influenced by one’s sexual identity,
which is a very intimate and essential
component of one’s total identity.
Miya Yamanouchi
 “Self-love is about respecting and
appreciating every single part of who
you are and being proud to be you.”
What are Secondary Sex
Characteristics?
 Any of a few manifestations, as
development of breasts or beard,
muscularity, distribution of fat tissue,
and change of pitch in voice, specific to
each sex and incipient at puberty but
not essential to reproduction.
Primary Sex Characteristics
 Any of the body structures directly
concerned in reproduction, as the
testes, ovaries, and external genitalia.
Further Sexual Development Occurs at
Puberty
PUBERTY
- is the stage of development at which
individuals become sexually mature.
The outcome of puberty is different for
boys and girls, but the hormones
process is similar.
- Is a phase of development during which
a child’s body matures into an adult’s
reproductive system. It involves a
series of physical, hormonal, and
emotional changes.
- Typically, it begins around the ages of
8 to 13 in girls and 9 to 14 in boys, but
the timing can vary widely from person
to person.
During puberty, the body undergoes
various changes:
o Physical Changes: these includes
growth spurts, changes in body shape,
development of primary and secondary
sexual characteristics (such as breast
development in girls and growth of
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UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
facial hair in boys), and changes in
voice (for boys, the voice deepens).
o Hormonal Changes: Hormones, such
as estrogen and testosterone, increase
in production, causing physical
changes and affecting emotions and
behavior.
o Emotional Changes: Puberty is often
accompanied by emotional changes as
individuals navigate new feelings and
social interactions. It can bring mood
swings, increased interest in romantic
relationships, and a sense of self-
identity.
o Puberty marks the transition from
childhood to adulthood and is a natural
and necessary part of human
development. It’s a complex and
transformative period that varies from
individual to individual.
5 Stages of Puberty
NAA SA LIBRO PAGE 71 – 73
Erogenous Zones
 The term erogenous zones describe
areas of the body that are highly
sensitive to stimuli and are often (but
not always) sexually exciting.
 In this context, “highly sensitive” means
these areas of the body have a high
number of sensory receptors or nerve
endings that react to stimuli.
 The skin serves as primary erotic
stimulus. Two types of erogenous
zones exist in the skin.
1. Nonspecific type
 it is similar to any other portion
of the usual haired skin.
 The pleasurable sensation felt
from these regions is simply an
exaggerated form of tickle.
 Ex. of this type of skin are the
sides and back of the neck, the
axilla (armpit, underarm) and
the sides of the thorax (chest).
2. Specific type
 It is found in the
mucocutaneous regions of the
body, or those regions made
both of mucous membrane and
of cutaneous skin.
 These regions favor acute
perception.
 These specific sites of acute
sensation are the genital
regions including the prepuce,
penis. The female external
genitalia (vulva), the perianal
skin, lips, and nipples.
MALE
 The prepuce is the retractable fold of
skin covering the tip of the penis.
 Penis, the male erectile organ of
copulation by which the semen and
urine are discharged.
FEMALE
 The mons pubis.
 The clitoris is small, sensitive, and
located in front of the opening of the
vagina.
 The labia majora are larger outer lips
or folds around the vagina.
 The Labia minora, the inner lips or
folds.
 Vaginal introitus is the opening that
leads to vaginal canal.
 The hymen is a membrane that
surrounds or partially covers the
external vaginal openings.
Both MALE and FEMALE
 Perianal skin refers the area of the
body surrounding the anus, and in
particular, the skin. It is also susceptible
to injury and damage.
 Lips are soft, movable, and serve as
the opening for food intake and in the
articulation of sound and speech. Also
used in kissing and other acts of
intimacy.
 Nipples are the raised regions of tissue
on the surface of the breast. A recent
study found that the sensation from the
nipples travels to the same part of the
brain as sensations from the vagina,
clitoris, and cervix.
What is the sexual response cycle?
- The sexual response cycle refers to the
sequence of physical and emotional
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occurrences when the person is
participating in sexually stimulating
activity such as intercourse or
masturbation.
Phase 1. Excitement
 Muscle tension increases.
 Heart rate quickens and breathing is
accelerated.
 Nipples become hardened or erect.
 Swelling of the woman’s clitoris and
labia minora (inner lips), erection of
the man’s penis.
 Vaginal lubrication begins.
 The man’s testicles swell, his scrotum
tightens, and he begins secreting a
lubricating liquid.
Phase 2. Plateau
 The woman’s clitoris becomes highly
sensitive (may be even painful to
touch) and retracts under the clitoral
hood to avoid direct stimulation from
the penis.
 The man’s testicles are withdrawn up
into the scrotum.
 Breathing, heart rate and blood
pressure continue to increase.
 Muscle spasms and may begin in the
feet, face, and hands.
 Tension in the muscle’s increases.
Phase 3. Climax / Orgasm
 Shortest of the phases and generally
lasts only a few seconds.
 Involuntary muscle contractions
begin.
 Blood pressure, heart rate and
breathing are at the highest rates, with
a rapid intake of oxygen.
 There is a sudden, forceful release of
sexual tension.
 In women, the muscle of the vagina
contract. The uterus also undergoes
rhythmic contractions.
 In men, rhythmic contractions of the
muscles at the base of the penis result
in the ejaculation of semen.
 A rash or “sex flush” may appear over
the entire body.
Phase 4. Resolution
 The swelled and erect body parts
return to its previous size and color.
This phase is marked by a general
sense of well-being; intimacy is
enhanced; and often, fatigues set in.
 With further sexual stimulation, some
women can return to the orgasm
phase. This allows them to
experience multiple orgasm.
 Men, on the other hand, need
recovery time after orgasm. This is
called the refractory period. How long
a man needs refractory period varies
among men and his age.
ROLES OF THE BRAIN IN SEXUAL
ACTIVITY
1. The brain is responsible for
translating the nerve impulses
sensed by the skin into pleasurable
sensations.
2. Controls the nerves and muscles
used in sexual activities.
3. Sexual thoughts and fantasies is
theorized to lie in the cerebral cortex,
the same area used for thinking and
reasoning.
4. Emotions and feelings (which are
important for sexual behavior) is
believed to originate in the limbic
system.
5. The brain releases the hormones
considered as the physiological origin
of sexual desire.
 Hypothalamus is the most
important part of the brain for
sexual functioning. The pituitary
gland secretes the hormone
produced in the hypothalamus for
sexual activity.
 Oxytocin – also known as the
“love hormone” and believed to
be involved in our desire to
maintain close relationships. It is
released during sexual
intercourse when orgasm is
achieved.
 Follicle-stimulating hormone
(FSH) – responsible for ovulation
in females. The National Institute
of Environmental Health
Sciences in Durham, N.C
discovered that sexual activity
was more frequent during a
woman’s fertile time.
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 Luteinizing hormone (LH) – the
LH is crucial regulating the testes
in men and ovaries in women. In
men, the LH stimulates the testes
to produce testosterone. In
males, testosterone appears to
be a major contributing factor to
sexual motivation.
 Vasopressin – is involved in the
male arousal phase. The
increase of vasopressin during
erectile response is believed to
be directly associated with
increased motivation to
engage in sexual behavior.
 Estrogen and Progesterone –
typically regulate motivation to
engage in sexual behavior for
females, with estrogen increasing
motivation and progesterone
decreasing it.
Three stages of falling in love which are
driven by hormone:
- According to anthropologist Helen
Fisher
1. Lust (erotic passion)
 Is marked by physical
attraction. You want to seduce
and be seduced by your object
of affection.
 Is driven by testosterone in
men and estrogen in women.
 Lust, however, will not
guarantee that the couple will
fall in love in any lasting way.
2. Attraction (romantic passion)
 You begin to crave for your
partner’s presence. You feel
excitement and energetic as
you fantasize about the things
you could do together as a
couple. Three chemicals
trigger these feelings:
norepinephrine (responsible
for the extra surge of energy
and triggers increased heart
rate, loss of appetite, as well
as the desire to sleep. Your
body is in a more alert state
and is ready for action),
dopamine (associated with
motivation and goal-directed
behavior. It makes you pursue
your object of affection.) and
serotonin (thought to cause
obsessive thinking.
3. Attachment (commitment)
 Involves the desire to have
lasting commitment with
your significant other. At this
point, you may want to get
married and/or have children.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF
SEXUAL DESIRE
 Sexual desire is typically viewed as an
interest in sexual objects or activities.
More precisely, it is the subjective
feeling of wanting to engage in sex.
 Sexual desire is sometimes, but not
always, accompanied by genital
arousal (penile erection in men and
vaginal lubrication in women).
 Sexual desire can be triggered by
private thoughts, feelings, and
fantasies, erotic materials (such as
books, movies, photographs), and a
variety of erotic environment,
situations, or social interactions.
What is the difference between Sexual
Desire and Sex Drive?
 Sex drive represents a basic,
biologically mediated motivation to
seek sexual activity or sexual
gratification.
 Sexual desire represents a more
complex psychological experience that
is not dependent on hormonal factors.
Factors that influence the notable gender
difference on sexual desire include:
1. Culture (religious taboo)
2. Social environment (all girls / all
men)
3. Political situations (distribution of
power in society)
 One of the most notable gender
differences on sexual desire is that
women place great emphasis on
interpersonal relationships as part of
the experience.
 Males, on the other hand, enjoy a more
casual (lack of seriousness) sexual
behavior.
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Physiological Mechanisms of Sexual
Behavior Motivation
 Amygdala is the integrative center for
emotions, emotional behavior, and
motivation.
 Nucleus accumbens (also referred to
as the pleasure center) plays a role in
motivation and in the cognitive
processing of aversion.
The Diversity of Sexual Behavior
 Sexual orientation is defined as an
individual’s general sexual disposition
toward partners of the same sex, the
opposite sex, or both sexes.
 Sexual orientation is a person’s
emotional and erotic attraction toward
another individual.
 Researchers now generally believe that
lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientations
are characterized by persistent and
intense experiences of same-sex
desire that are stable overtime.
 Gender identity refers to one’s sense
of being male or female. Generally, our
gender identities correspond to our
chromosomal and phenotypic sex, but
this is not always the case. This is how
you consider yourself.
LGBTQ+
 L > LESBIANS are exclusively
attracted to women.
 G > GAYS are males who are
exclusively attracted to other males.
 B >BISEXUALS are
sexually/romantically attracted to both
men and women.
 T >TRANS/TRANSGENDER is an
umbrella term for people who do not
identify with the gender assigned to
them at birth.
 Q > QUEER, it is a useful term for those
who are questioning their identities and
are unsure about using more specific
terms, or those who simply do not wish
to label themselves and prefer to use a
broader umbrella term.
 + > The plus is there to signify that
many identities are not explicitly
represented by the letters. This
includes intersex or people who are
born with a mix of male and female
biological traits that can make it hard for
doctors to assign them a male or
female sex; and asexual or a person
who is not interested or does not desire
sexual activity.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Issues
 Sex is a label – male or female – that
you’re assigned by a doctor at birth
based on the genitals you’re born with
and the chromosomes you have. It
goes on your birth certificate.
 Gender is not determined biologically,
as a result of sexual characteristics of
either women or men but is constructed
socially.
Sociocultural Factors
 Sociocultural factors influence the
various issues related to sexual
orientation and gender identity.
 In the Philippines and most of
Southeast Asia, heterosexuality is the
norm.
 In Thailand they recognize more than
two categories – male, female,
kathoey.
 A kathoey is an individual who would
be described as transgender in
Western cultures.
 In New Guinea, young boys are
expected to engage in sexual
behavior with any other boys for a
given period of time because it is
believed that doing so is necessary for
these boys to become men.
Family Influence
 Children’s interests, preferences,
behaviors and overall self-concept are
strongly influenced by parental and
authority figure teachings regarding
sexual stereotypes.
Urban Setting
 A study showed that large cities seem
to provide a friendlier environment for
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same-gender interest to develop and 6. Ectoparasitic infections these are

be expressed. These cities have
venues where people with specific
sexual orientation socialize and
become support group (ex. Beauty
salons, gay bars)
Rural Setting
 Existing literature showed challenges
for LGBTQ+ in rural living:
1. High levels of intolerance
2. Limited social and institutional
supports
3. Higher incidence of social isolation
infectious disease caused by
parasites such as lice or mites
transmitted through sexual
contacts. Two of these common
STD’s are pubic lice and scabies.
Pubic lice is a parasite called
v=crab louse that live on the pubic
hair. Scabies are caused by mites
that live on the skin.

History of Sexual Abuse

 Studies claimed that abused
adolescents, particularly those
victimized by males, are more likely to
become homosexual or bisexual in
adulthood.
 These studies were criticized as
nonclinical (did not involve experience
of treatment of patients) and unreliable.

Common Sex Diseases

 STD are diseases transmitted from one
person to another through sexual
intercourse such as vaginal, anal, and
oral sex as well as genital touching and
the use of “sex toys”.
 The most common STDs that may
affect women of all age and
background are:

1. Chlamydia is parasitic bacterium

that can cause pregnancy problems
for women when left untreated.
2. Gonorrhea is caused by a
bacterium passed from one person
to another through unprotected
oral, anal, or vaginal sex.
3. Genital herpes is caused by a virus
that infects the skin, mouth, mucous
membranes of the genitals, and the
rectum.
4. Genital warts are caused by a
virus characterized by rough, wart-
like growths.
5. Syphilis is a dangerous and life-
threatening bacterial disease as it
could affect other vital organs such
as heart, spine, and brain.