Introduction to Psychology

Introduction to Psychology of 97 throughout the last half of the 20th century. Overall, men’s perceptions serve to keep them satisfied with their figures, whereas women’s perceptions place pressure on them to lose weight. Eating Disorders- Anorexia and bulimia occur more often in cultures that value thinness, and are associated with somewhat different psychological profiles. Heredity predisposes some people to developing eating disorders. Victims of anorexia nervosa have an intense fear of being fat and severely restrict their food intake to the point of self-starvation. People who suffer from bulimia nervosa are also afraid of becoming fat, and they binge eat and then purge the food, usually by inducing vomiting or using laxatives. Anorexia and bulimia are more common in industrialized cultures were thinness is equated with beauty. Personality factors associated with people who have anorexia show these people to be perfectionists and high achievers. Those with bulimia tend to be depressed and anxious, exhibit low impulse control, and seem to lack a stable sense of personal identity. Obesity- Is often blamed on a lack of willpower, a dysfunctional way of coping with stress, heightened sensitivity to external food cues and emotional disturbances. Heredity influences one’s basal metabolic rate and the tendency to store energy as either fat or lean tissue. Overall, genetic factors appear to account for about 40-70 percent of the variation in BMI among women and men. More than 200 genes have been identified as possible contributors to human obesity. The environment also affects our susceptibility to obesity including the following factors: an abundance of inexpensive, tasty foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates; a cultural emphasis on getting the best value which contributes to supersizing menu items; and technological advances that decrease the need for daily physical activity. Love and Sex- The motive for sex is often described as biological reproductive, yet people usually do not have sex to conceive children. In reality, people engage in sex to reproduce, obtain and give sensual pleasure, express love, foster intimacy, fulfill a “duty,” conform to peer pressure, and for a host of other reasons. Attachment- The past half century has witnessed changing patterns of sexual activity, such as an increase in premarital sex, which now appears to have leveled off. In general, single adults who cohabit (are not married but live with a sexual partner) are the most sexually active, followed by married adults. Single adults who do not cohabit are the least active. Biological Influences- During sexual intercourse, people often experience a four stage physiological response pattern, consisting of excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. During the excitement phase, arousal builds rapidly and blood flow increases to arteries in and around the genital organs. In the plateau phase, arousal continues to build until there is enough muscle tension to trigger an orgasm. During the orgasm phase in males, rhythmic contractions of internal organs and muscle tissue surrounding the urethra project semen out of the penis. In females, there are rhythmic contractions of the outer third of the vagina and surrounding muscles. In males, orgasm is ordinarily followed by a resolution phase, during which physiological arousal decreases rapidly and the genital organs return to their normal condition. As with hunger, the hypothalamus plays a key role in sexual motivation. It controls the pituitary gland, which regulates the secretion of hormones, called © 2015 Achieve Page 47