Deck 2: Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality

Question 1

_____ is the study of the psychological mechanisms that have been shaped by natural selection.

A)Environmental psychology
B)Structural functionalism
C)Evolutionary psychology
D)Cultural relativism

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Freud's term for sex drive or sex energy is _____.

A)thanatos
B)superego
C)id
D)libido

Answer 2

D

Question 3

_____ is a process in nature resulting in the survival of only those animals and persons that are best adapted to their environment.

A)Existentialism
B)Natural selection
C)Structural functionalism
D)Environmentalism

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is true about a woman's hip-to-waist ratio?

A)The preference for a 0.7 hip-to-waist ratio by men is hardwired into their brains by evolution.
B)The preference for a 0.7 hip-to-waist ratio by men has been proven to exist across all cultures.
C)The 0.7 hip-to-waist ratio is most common in societies where women are economically dependent on men.
D)The 0.7 hip-to-waist ratio is most common in societies where women are financially sustainable.

Question 5

Sociobiologists study the _____ aspect of human sexual behavior.

A)sociocultural
B)normative
C)evolutionary
D)quantum

Question 6

_____ is the biological theory which states that all living things have acquired their present forms through gradual changes in their genetic endowment over successive generations.

A)Existentialism
B)Positivism
C)Evolution
D)Structuralism

Question 7

Sociobiologists suggest that the characteristics used to judge a person's attractiveness, like their physique and complexion, are related to the person's _____.

A)social status
B)superego
C)extrinsic values
D)reproductive potential

Question 8

Which of the following is true of evolutionary psychology?

A)It doesn't recognize that every observable human characteristic has adaptive significance.
B)It allows for the fact that some traits displayed by humans may be simply "design flaws".
C)It believes that human cognitive structures evolved over the years just as human behavior did.
D)It believes that men and women are identical when it comes to their mating preferences.

Question 9

Sociobiology has been criticized because:

A)it doesn't take the evolution of mankind into account.
B)it assumes that reproduction is the central function of sex.
C)it believes that humans are ruled by their unconscious minds.
D)it doesn't study the mating preferences of females.

Question 10

_____ is the mechanism identified by Darwin which explains how males and females chose their mates.

A)Sexual selection
B)Environmentalism
C)Gender relativism
D)Structural functionalism

Question 11

Parental investment:

A)is rarely beneficial to infants raised in primitive societies.
B)damages an infant's chances of survival in contemporary societies.
C)refers to the number of offspring that parents can produce each year.
D)refers to the resources committed to offspring to ensure their survival.

Question 12

Which of the following is true of natural selection?

A)It applies only to plants.
B)It applies only to humans.
C)It applies to all inanimate objects found in nature.
D)It applies to all living organisms found in nature.

Question 13

According to sociobiologists, which of the following is true of the pair-bond?

A)The pair-bond has no significance in contemporary societies.
B)The pair-bond exists only between humans in primitive societies.
C)If strong, the pair-bond between the offspring's parents increases its chances of survival.
D)If weak, the pair-bond between the offspring's parents increases its chances of survival.

Question 14

Which of the following does sociobiology ignore?

A)The role played by the group in survival.
B)The mating preferences of males.
C)The individual's struggle in survival.
D)The mating preferences of females.

Question 15

Evolutionary psychology has been criticized because:

A)it doesn't give weight to the fact that emotional structures have evolved like human behavior.
B)it assumes that every characteristic that we observe must have some adaptive significance.
C)it allows for the fact that some traits displayed by humans may be simply "design flaws".
D)it believes that men and women are identical when it comes to their mating preferences.

Question 16

Which of the following is the most commonly observed process of sexual selection?

A)Females competing amongst themselves to bear the most number of offspring.
B)Males selecting certain females to mate with while refusing to do so with others.
C)Males competing with each other for the right to access and mate with females.
D)Females competing with each other for the right to access and mate with males.

Question 17

Which of the following is a shortcoming of sociobiology?

A)It rests on an outmoded model of evolutionary theory.
B)It includes the survival of the group in its analysis.
C)It fails to value the importance of reproduction in survival.
D)it doesn't study the mating preferences of females.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of sociobiology?

A)It is based on the assumption that human sexuality is the result of culture alone.
B)It tries to explain why certain patterns of behavior have evolved in humans.
C)It assumes that people are entirely free and responsible for developing their own potential.
D)It creates a framework within which the economic stratification of society can be studied.

Question 19

Evolution occurs via _____, the process by which the animals that are best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on their genes to the next generation.

A)existentialism
B)cultural relativism
C)communal integration
D)natural selection

Question 20

Which of the following is true of the attachment between an infant and a parent?

A)It has no significance in contemporary societies.
B)It is a biological mechanism that reduces infant vulnerability.
C)It applies only to parents belonging to primitive societies.
D)It has no impact upon the infant's chances of survival.

Question 21

The Oedipal Complex:

A)is resolved at the end of the phallic stage.
B)occurs before the oral stage.
C)is resolved at the end of the oral stage.
D)occurs during the oral stage.

Question 22

According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, the first stage of psychosexual development a child goes through is the _____ stage.

A)phallic
B)anal
C)oral
D)genital

Question 23

Which of the following is true of the superego according to Freud?

A)It operates on the reality principle.
B)It operates on the pleasure principle.
C)It is present only during infancy.
D)It functions as the conscience.

Question 24

Which of the following is true of the ego according to Freud?

A)It operates on the pleasure principle.
B)It keeps the id in check.
C)It prevents people from being rational.
D)It is a reservoir of psychic energy.

Question 25

Which of the following is true of erogenous zones?

A)They are areas of the body that are completely insensate.
B)They are areas of the body that give pleasure when touched.
C)They are present only in males but not in females.
D)They are present only in females but not in males.

Question 26

According to Freud, during the ____ stage of psychosexual development, the child's interest is focused on elimination.

A)latent
B)phallic
C)anal
D)oral

Question 27

Freud's term for the death instinct is _____.

A)thanatos
B)fatalism
C)determinism
D)anima

Question 28

According to Freud, the id, ego, and superego:

A)develop sequentially.
B)develop simultaneously.
C)are functional from birth.
D)are present only in males.

Question 29

According to Freud, which of the following is true of human personality?

A)The id operates on idealism.
B)The ego is the reservoir of psychic energy.
C)The id focuses on rational, realistic interactions.
D)The superego persuades the ego to strive for moral goals.

Question 30

According to Freud, which component of the human personality operates on idealism?

A)Ego
B)Id
C)Superego
D)Thanatos

Question 31

Freud believed that the two major forces of motivating human behavior are the:

A)libido and thanatos.
B)id and ego.
C)ego and superego.
D)Odiepal and Electra complex.

Question 32

According to Freud, which of the following is true of the phallic stage?

A)It is the stage during which a child is focused on elimination.
B)It is the stage during which a boy feels castration anxiety.
C)It is the stage during which a girl displays hostility toward her father.
D)It is the stage during which a boy displays hostility toward his mother.

Question 33

According to Freud, which component of human personality operates on the pleasure principle?

A)Ego
B)Id
C)Superego
D)Libido

Question 34

Which of the following is true of the id according to Freud?

A)It operates on the reality principle.
B)It operates on idealism.
C)It is present only during adulthood.
D)It is a reservoir of psychic energy.

Question 35

Mary is on a business trip and meets an old friend she dated in college.She finds that she is still attracted to him, and something inside her tells her "Go ahead.Invite him up to your room and ravish him." However, Mary is happily married with two young and adorable children.Mary and her old friend end up chatting for a while and then go their separate ways.Which part of Mary's personality prevailed in this situation?

A)Id
B)Thanatos
C)Superego
D)Libido

Question 36

Within the Freudian framework, a married man who has an extramarital affair even though he believes it is immoral has:

A)a strong id.
B)a strong ego.
C)a strong superego.
D)a weak id.

Question 37

Within the Freudian framework, a nun who takes a vow of celibacy and devotes her life to helping the poor has a:

A)weak ego.
B)strong id.
C)weak superego.
D)strong superego.

Question 38

Freud believed that a child passes through a sequence of stages of psychosexual development.The stage where boys and girls have considerably different experiences is the _____ stage.

A)oral
B)anal
C)phallic
D)rectal

Question 39

According to Freud, which component of the human personality operates on the reality principle?

A)Ego
B)Id
C)Superego
D)Thanatos

Question 40

The phallic stage:

A)occurs before the oral stage.
B)is experienced only by girls.
C)is marked by the Odiepal complex.
D)is marked by oral fixation.

Question 41

How are the psychoanalytic and sociobiological theories similar?

A)They are both based on the notion that human sexual behavior is biologically controlled.
B)They both place excessive emphasis on the role that learning plays in shaping behavior.
C)They both focus on the sexuality and survival of the group, instead of the individual.
D)They both ignore the role that sex plays in the propagation of species.

Question 42

A woman with a vaginal infection repeatedly experienced pain during penetration, leading her to eventually stop having sexual intercourse.This is an example of _____.

A)relative conditioning
B)operant conditioning
C)the Oedipus complex
D)the Electra complex

Question 43

Which of the following is a major difference between the psychoanalytic and the learning theories?

A)Unlike learning theorists, psychoanalytic theorists believe that the determinants of human sexual behavior occur in early childhood.
B)Unlike learning theorists, psychoanalytic theorists believe that sexual behavior can be learned and changed at any time in one's lifespan.
C)Unlike psychoanalytic theorists, learning theorists believe that the determinants of human sexual behavior occur in early childhood.
D)Unlike psychoanalytic theorists, learning theorists believe that the determinants of sexual behavior have been hardwired into human brains by evolution.

Question 44

What does contemporary research say about Freud's theory of latency?

A)Modern research shows that girls become father-fixated during this period.
B)Modern research shows that boys become mother-fixated during this period.
C)Modern research shows that children repress their sexual curiosity during this period.
D)Modern research shows that children continue to express sexual curiosity during this period.

Question 45

After the resolution of the Oedipus or Electra complex, children pass into a prolonged stage known as _____.

A)cadency
B)latency
C)potency
D)exigency

Question 46

Since the stimulation of the clitoris and penis are automatically pleasurable, an orgasm that results from such a stimulation is classified as a(n):

A)conditioned response.
B)unconditioned response.
C)unconditioned stimulus.
D)conditioned stimulus.

Question 47

Freud was criticized by feminists because:

A)he believed that girls were fixated on their mothers during the phallic stage.
B)he considered women to be biologically inferior to men.
C)he studied the sexual desires and preferences of women and not men.
D)he believed that boys were hostile toward their mothers during the phallic stage.

Question 48

_____ conditioning is the process of changing the frequency of certain behavior by following it with positive reinforcement (which will make the behavior more frequent in the future) or punishment (which should make the behavior less frequent in the future).

A)Sociobiological
B)Operant
C)Oedipal
D)Climacteric

Question 49

According to Freud, during the phallic stage of development, a girl is likely to experience _____, which is part of the Electra complex.

A)penis envy
B)castration anxiety
C)oral fixation
D)anal envy

Question 50

The concept "_____" was coined by Karen Horney to describe men's wishful feelings about women's reproductive capacity.

A)castration anxiety
B)penis envy
C)labian anxiety
D)womb envy

Question 51

According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, a person who is addicted to smoking cigarettes is fixated at the _____ stage.

A)phallic
B)anal
C)oral
D)latency

Question 52

_____ theorists believe that sexual behavior can be changed at any time in one's lifespan.

A)Psychoanalytic
B)Sociobiologic
C)Learning
D)Deterministic

Question 53

Leah's boyfriend always wears a particular brand of cologne during their dates and sexual encounters.Now, whenever she meets a man wearing the same cologne, she feels sexually aroused.This learning is an example of:

A)classical conditioning.
B)operant conditioning.
C)the Oedipus complex.
D)the Electra complex.

Question 54

Studies on operant conditioning suggest that:

A)punishments are more effective shapers of our behavior than rewards.
B)rewards are more effective shapers of our behavior than punishments.
C)delayed punishments are highly effective if the behavior elicits an immediate reward.
D)delayed punishments are more effective at eliminating behavior than immediate punishments.

Question 55

According to Freud, during the _____, sexual impulses are repressed or are in a quiescent stage.

A)phallic stage
B)genital stage
C)refractory period
D)latency period

Question 56

One of Freud's major contributions to the study of sexuality was:

A)his discovery that boys experienced womb envy during the phallic stage.
B)his recognition that humans pass through stages of psychological development.
C)his discovery that children displayed no sexual curiosity until puberty.
D)his assertion that the environment influenced people more than biological determinants.

Question 57

According to Freud, identification with the same-gender parent occurs at the conclusion of the _____ stage of psychosexual development.

A)anal
B)oral
C)rectal
D)phallic

Question 58

According to Freud, with puberty, sexual urges reawaken and the child moves into the _____ stage of psychosexual development.

A)genital
B)oral
C)anal
D)phallic

Question 59

According to Freud, the _____ complex is the sexual attraction of a little girl for her father.

A)Oedipal
B)Electra
C)Thanatos
D)Superego

Question 60

From a scientific point of view, one of the major problems with the psychoanalytic theory is that:

A)it doesn't take the sexuality of children into account.
B)most of its concepts cannot be evaluated empirically.
C)it assumes that men are inferior to women, since they lack wombs.
D)it is applicable only to women and not to men.

Question 61

_____ is based on the principle of reinforcement and assumes that people will choose actions that maximize rewards and minimize costs.

A)Social exchange theory
B)Social stratification theory
C)Existentialism
D)Positivism

Question 62

Which of the following statements holds true for behavior modification?

A)It is based on the pleasure principle and thanatos.
B)It is ineffective in the treatment of sexual disorders.
C)It necessitates an in-depth analysis of the person.
D)It is based on the principles of operant conditioning.

Question 63

Which of the following is true of the social exchange theory?

A)It uses the concept of reinforcement to explain the change in relationships between people.
B)It assumes that we have no freedom of choice and that all events in life are predetermined.
C)It states that humans are essentially altruistic, putting their own needs after those of others.
D)It refutes the theory that humans are hedonistic in nature.

Question 64

Social exchange theory has been criticized because:

A)it applies only to men and not to women.
B)it doesn't take the equitableness of relationships into account.
C)it applies the concept of rewards and costs to romantic relationships.
D)it gives weight to concepts like altruism and martyrdom.

Question 65

The operation of matching reflects the fact that:

A)people at all levels of attractiveness find partners.
B)people look for the most attractive mate.
C)unattractive people do not have partners.
D)attractiveness equals health and fertility.

Question 66

According to the social learning theory, the two processes which are useful in explaining the development of gender identity or one's sense of maleness or femaleness are:

A)idealism and realism.
B)imitation and identification.
C)existentialism and determinism.
D)positivism and negativism.

Question 67

Which of the following is true of olfactory aversion therapy?

A)The patient perceives the problematic behavior to be under his or her control.
B)The aversive stimulus is ineffective if administered by the patient.
C)The method cannot be used to treat deviant sexual behavior in adults.
D)The method mimics aromatherapy and releases fragrances that soothe the mind.

Question 68

Which of the following is true of gender schema?

A)Gender schema allows us to process information without the influence of gender stereotypes.
B)Gender schema predisposes us to process information based on gender.
C)Gender schema helps us analyze information that contradicts gender stereotypes.
D)Gender schema makes storing information contrary to gender stereotypes easy.

Question 69

A(n) _____ is defined as a general knowledge framework that a person has about a particular topic.

A)anime
B)schema
C)anima
D)thanatos

Question 70

Which of the following is a behavior modification method based on the principles of classical and operant conditioning that appears to be relatively effective in changing a person's problematic sexual behavior?

A)Electroconvulsive therapy
B)Olfactory aversion therapy
C)Homotherapy
D)Aromatherapy

Question 71

Which of the following is true of the social learning theory?

A)It recognizes the processes of imitation and identification.
B)It states that sexual behavior is innate and cannot be cultivated.
C)It proves conclusively that media has little or no influence upon young children.
D)It proves conclusively that the environment plays no role in shaping a person's behavior.

Question 72

_____ is the process of repeatedly pairing a behavior with an aversive stimulus, leading to a decline in the frequency of the behavior.

A)Extinction
B)Refraction
C)Relativism
D)Positivism

Question 73

In _____, behavior is punished using an unpleasant odor.

A)aromatherapy
B)olfactory aversion therapy
C)homotherapy
D)electroconvulsive therapy

Question 74

Steve regularly surprises his wife, Marcie, with flowers and gifts and always tries to make her feel special by taking her out to fancy restaurants and on holidays.However, Marcie often takes him for granted and does not truly appreciate what he does for her.According to the social exchange theory:

A)Steve's rewards are greater than his costs.
B)Steve's costs are greater than his rewards.
C)Steve's rewards are greater than Marcie's rewards.
D)Steve's costs are less than Marcie's costs.

Question 75

According to social exchange theory, a state of _____ exists when participants in a relationship believe that the rewards they receive from it are proportional to the costs they bear.

A)disequilibrium
B)existentialism
C)equity
D)fatalism

Question 76

The _____ theory was proposed by psychologist Sandra Bem to explain gender-role development and the impact of gender on people's daily lives and thinking.

A)Oedipal
B)equilibrium
C)schema
D)geopolitical

Question 77

Which of the following is a shortcoming of the social exchange theory?

A)It applies only to people from primitive, tribal societies.
B)It doesn't take concepts like altruism into account.
C)It applies only to women and not to men.
D)It doesn't take the equity of relationships into account.

Question 78

The social exchange theory:

A)can predict conditions under which people try to change their relationships.
B)does not take the needs and obligations of people into account.
C)applies only to primitive, tribal societies and not contemporary, urban societies.
D)assumes that we have no freedom of choice and that all events in life are predetermined.

Question 79

Behavior modification:

A)focuses on what motivates undesirable behavior.
B)cannot be used to treat children and adolescents.
C)does not necessitate an in-depth analysis of a person.
D)is ineffective in the treatment of sexual disorders.

Question 80

Which of the following is true of cognitive psychology?

A)It insists that psychologists should study only behaviors that can be directly observed.
B)It believes that people's thoughts are insignificant because their actions are predetermined.
C)It believes that it is very important to study people's thought processes.
D)It insists that people's perception and evaluation of events is unimportant.