SEX

AND
SENSES
Sex and Gender
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Discuss the human senses in the context

of sexual response

Show appreciation of how the sensorium

contributes to our experiences of human
sexuality
 INTRODUCTION
These five senses comprise our
sensorium – the totality of our sensory
experiences and perception . While we
receive information from our
environment through the senses, our brain
has the ability to organize and interpret
these numerous stimuli into meaningful
ideas that are useful for our choices
(behavior)
 1 Sense of sight (Visual)

5 senses 2 Sense of smell (Olfaction)

Sensorium 3 Sense of hearing (Audition)

4 Sense of taste (gustation)

5 Sense of touch/ feeling

HUMAN AFFECT AND THE
SENSES

The Human Limbic System

Affective
Primary
Hypothesis
 Zajonc 1980

postulates that in many cases, by virtue of this hypothesis, by

cognitive processing (i.e.,higher default, our emotions take
order thinking) plays a lesser precedent primarily because
role compared to our emotional these are only processed and
responses in eliciting behavior. modulated by the limbic system.
Three Primary FIGHT
Emotional Response is when we face adverse or dangerous stimuli
squarely.

Responses:
FLIGHT
Response is when we more away from the adverse or
dangerous stimuli.

FREEZE
Response is when you are startled and are unable to make
choice, thus, are unable to move.
SENSES
AND
SEXUALIT
Y
 Humans are predominantly visual.

VISUAL Visual Culture – is an essential element of our

society.

EXPERIENCE Visual memory is deemed superior to other

forms (Cohen et.al 2008)

Senses and sexuality Context of Human Sexuality:

 Women were found to be more influenced
by context, although they too are
responsive to the sexual content of visual
stimuli.
 Women and men differ in strategies of
viewing sexual stimuli.
 Women tend to pay more attention to
contextual and nonsexual cues than men.
(Lann and Everaerd 1995)
 olfaction in non-human animals, which

OLFACTORY are believed to be microsmatic

organism.

EXPERIENCE human olfaction influence sexuality:

 signature odor, which is associated with the
Major Histocompatibility Complex.
 human pheromones (menstrual synchrony)
Senses and sexuality
a. androstadienone, a testosterone like
substance found in male sweat, saliva, and
urine.
b. estratetraenol, an estrogen like found in
female urine.
c. i-pyrroline, a substance found in human
semen, pubic sweat, and smegma.
 touch is observe to be an element of

TACTILE
intimacy.

as a sensation, touch has some elements:

EXPERIENCE (a) tactile

(b) thermal
(b) (c) vibrational

Senses and sexuality primary erogenous zones

secondary erogenous zones

oxytocin, referred to as the love hormone.

touch is suggested to be one of the love

languages.
AUDITORY
EXPERIENCE social interaction are not only visual,
but are also auditory processes.

Senses and sexuality

sounds give additional context to
sexual situations.