Deck 8: Attraction, Arousal, and Response

Question 1

Jaw width, mouth and nose width, chin size, lip fullness, and eye size are features related to the principle of _______ in judging facial attractiveness.

A) masculinity-femininity
B) body mass index
C) asymmetry
D) averageness
E) symmetry

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Because women's _______ are usually larger than men's, many individuals use cosmetics or fashion to make these features seem even larger and therefore more feminine.

A) pectoral muscles
B) ears
C) shoulders
D) lips
E) eyebrows

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Adult women with a high degree of "babyfacedness" may be considered attractive because

A) these features elicit the protective feelings that adults usually feel toward young children.
B) they are more likely to be sexually immature.
C) they are more feminine.
D) most men fantasize about relationships with young girls.
E) they are more likely to have submissive personalities.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

If a particular trait is deemed attractive by many different cultures and groups, it is generally believed to be influenced largely by

A) society.
B) individual preferences.
C) culture.
D) gender roles.
E) evolution.

Question 5

Humans with a high degree of physical asymmetry are more likely to have _______ than people with less asymmetry.

A) gender dysphoria
B) outgoing personalities
C) accidents
D) psychological and physiological distress
E) cancer

Question 6

Women's ratings of the attractiveness of male bodies are most influenced by _______ and _______.

A) width of shoulders; size of pectoral muscles
B) waist ratio; hip ratio
C) height; weight
D) amount of hair on head; amount of hair on chest
E) hand size; foot size

Question 7

In some cultures, fatness is considered attractive because it suggests that the individual

A) will be a nurturing parent.
B) has good genes.
C) is healthy.
D) is wealthy and does not have to work hard.
E) has access to plenty of resources.

Question 8

When newborn infants are presented with pairs of images of faces, they will spend more time looking at the face that has been rated by adults as more attractive. These results suggest that

A) preferences for faces are culturally determined.
B) preferences for faces change with age.
C) there are universal features that determine attractiveness.
D) infant vision is poorly developed.
E) newborns are too young to express preferences.

Question 9

Evolutionary psychologists believe that men find younger women more attractive because younger women

A) are more easily aroused.
B) are more fertile and have more years ahead to nurture children.
C) need men to protect them.
D) are more willing to laugh at their jokes.
E) are less discriminating than older women.

Question 10

Olfactory cues may provide information about potential reproductive fitness, as shown in one experiment in which the men with the most attractive smells, as rated by fertile women, also had

A) a sense of humor.
B) generous natures.
C) physically symmetrical bodies.
D) the most youthful appearance.
E) the greatest wealth.

Question 11

Male subjects say that they value a sense of humor in their partners because they find their partner sexually attractive when

A) they make the subject laugh.
B) they respond to the subjects' jokes.
C) they tickle the subject.
D) their partner does not take himself or herself too seriously.
E) their partner is a stand-up comedian.

Question 12

According to some studies, as women acquire power and money, they increasingly seek men who are

A) relatively less wealthy.
B) relatively more attractive.
C) relatively less intelligent.
D) better at nurturing children.
E) younger than they are.

Question 13

In general, _______ traits intensify sexual attraction.

A) humble
B) scholarly
C) motivated
D) determined
E) likability

Question 14

Even when choosing casual sex partners, men and women value traits like _______ very highly.

A) athleticism
B) trustworthiness, warmth, and a sense of humor
C) self-confidence
D) dominance
E) submissiveness

Question 15

The fact of having seen a face before leads people to judge it as _______ attractive when seeing it again. This suggests that familiarity _______ attraction.

A) less; decreases
B) less; increases
C) less; habituates
D) more; increases
E) more; decreases

Question 16

Women may be primed to look for "good genes" when good genes are the most useful; therefore, a woman is most likely to engage in sex outside of her relationship when she is

A) elderly.
B) young.
C) in the fertile period of her menstrual cycle.
D) in the infertile period of her menstrual cycle.
E) working as a lap dancer.

Question 17

According to one study, the tips earned by lap dancers across the menstrual cycle varied in a pattern that closely resembled the pattern of _______ secretion, with the most money earned around the time of _______.

A) testosterone; menstruation
B) oxytocin; ovulation
C) progesterone; menstruation
D) estrogen; menstruation
E) estrogen; ovulation

Question 18

Women's perceived physical attractiveness increases

A) during the holidays.
B) around the time of ovulation.
C) during their menstrual period.
D) during pregnancy.
E) around menarche.

Question 19

People who do not experience sexual arousal are termed

A) asexual.
B) anti-sexual.
C) autophilic.
D) antiphilic.
E) homophilic.

Question 20

Individuals who experience little or no sexual attraction to others generally consider asexuality to be

A) their sexual orientation.
B) an illness.
C) a conscious decision not to engage in sexual relationships.
D) repressed homosexuality.
E) associated with erectile dysfunction.

Question 21

Imagined sexual experiences (fantasies) that promote sexual arousal during waking hours do so via

A) activation of internal mental processes linked to arousal.
B) stimulation of genital end bulbs.
C) hormone release.
D) habituation.
E) aphrodisiacs.

Question 22

Women fantasize more than men about

A) sex with more than one partner.
B) being discovered during sex.
C) sex with a famous person.
D) getting married.
E) anal sex.

Question 23

Sexual fantasies of men and women tend to differ in ways that are consistent with stereotypes about male and female sexuality: men often fantasize about _______ roles and women fantasize about _______ roles.

A) permissive; unconventional
B) unconventional; permissive
C) committed; unconventional
D) dominant; passive
E) passive; dominant

Question 24

Men find looking at their partner's _______ arousing.

A) face.
B) genitals.
C) face and breasts.
D) breasts.
E) face and genitals.

Question 25

The _______, a brain region associated with "happy" states, becomes active when people who are in love view a photo of their beloved.

A) medulla
B) hypothalamus
C) hippocampus
D) amygdala
E) anterior cingulate cortex

Question 26

A study of salivary testosterone levels found that early-evening testosterone levels did not differ on nights when men subsequently had sex compared to nights when they did not; late-evening testosterone levels, however, were higher on "sex" nights (after sex had occurred) compared to "no sex" nights. The authors of this study concluded that

A) all men are interested in sex regardless of testosterone levels.
B) testosterone causes sexual desire.
C) sexual desire is highest in late evening compared to early evening.
D) testosterone plays a role in sperm production but not in sexual activity.
E) sexual activity stimulates testosterone release.

Question 27

Testosterone levels are 10 to 20 times lower in women than in men and vary across the menstrual cycle; this suggests that

A) testosterone does not play a significant physiological role in women.
B) progesterone is more important than testosterone for arousability in women.
C) changes in testosterone may contribute to changes in women's sex drive at different times in the menstrual cycle.
D) higher testosterone levels are responsible for increased sexual fantasy in men.
E) women are 10 to 20 times less interested in sex than men are.

Question 28

The clearest connection between testosterone levels and sexual arousability was demonstrated in a study in which

A) an increase in sexual thoughts and activities was correlated with signs of physical maturation but not testosterone levels.
B) sexual thoughts and activities increased in postmenopausal women given testosterone.
C) sexual thoughts and activities increased in boys with delayed puberty who were given testosterone compared to those given placebo.
D) sexual thoughts and activities increased in girls with delayed puberty who were given testosterone compared to those given placebo.
E) social pressures led to an increase in sexual activity in adolescent boys independent of sexual maturation.

Question 29

Men who have a profound reduction in _______ levels experience a decline in sexual arousal.

A) estrogen
B) testosterone
C) sperm
D) AMH
E) seminal fluid

Question 30

The ability of a neutral or slightly arousing stimulus to become highly arousing on its own after previously being paired with a highly arousing stimulus is an example of

A) classical conditioning
B) imprinting
C) declarative memory
D) habituation.
E) the Coolidge effect.

Question 31

A wide variety of substances, such as rhinoceros horn, are believed to be aphrodisiacs. A good way to determine whether rhinoceros horn does indeed increase sexual performance would be to

A) give experimental subjects powdered rhinoceros horn and then measure sexual function.
B) give subjects a placebo but tell them they are getting rhinoceros horn, and then measure sexual function.
C) give subjects either rhinoceros horn or a placebo and then measure sexual function.
D) give experimental subjects powdered rhinoceros horn and then measure testosterone levels.
E) study the sexual behavior of rhinoceroses in the wild.

Question 32

_______ has been shown to facilitate sexual behavior in rats and in some menopausal women, suggesting that it may be effective as an aphrodisiac.

A) Rhinoceros horn
B) Deer velvet
C) Oysters
D) Tiger paw extract
E) Ginseng root

Question 33

The best-known description of physiological aspects of the sexual response cycle was developed by

A) Whipple and Komisaruk
B) Kinsey.
C) Freud
D) Masters and Johnson.
E) LeVay and Baldwin

Question 34

Viagra and related drugs facilitate _______, which is initiated in the _______ phase of the sexual response cycle.

A) cremaster muscle contraction; orgasm
B) penile erection; excitement
C) penile erection; plateau
D) orgasmic platform contraction; excitement
E)orgasmic platform tension; orgasm

Question 35

In men and women, orgasm is accompanied by release of _______, which may facilitate emotional bonding, muscle contractions, and subjective feelings of pleasure.

A) testosterone
B) estrogen
C) AMH
D) oxytocin
E) vasopressin

Question 36

A sexual experience that does not include orgasm

A) is highly unusual.
B) is abnormal.
C) indicates psychological distress.
D) is characteristic of erectile dysfunction.
E) is one of many normal variants of the sexual response cycle.

Question 37

During the _______, men cannot be physiologically aroused by any means.

A) absolute refractory period
B) rebound phase
C) relative refractory period
D) plateau
E) habituation phase

Question 38

In women, the _______ phase of the sexual response cycle is marked by a thickening of the walls of the outer vagina.

A) excitement
B) plateau
C) orgasm
D) resolution
E) refractory

Question 39

During the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, the outer portion of the vagina _______, while the inner part of the vagina _______.

A) opens up and lengthens; becomes thicker and tighter
B) becomes thicker and tighter; opens up and lengthens
C) relaxes; contracts
D) lifts toward the uterus; becomes lubricated
E) undergoes rhythmic muscle contractions; opens up and lengthens

Question 40

The _______ phase of the sexual response cycle is marked by peak levels of respiration and heart rate.

A) excitement
B) plateau
C) orgasm
D) resolution
E) refractory

Question 41

Activity in the nucleus accumbens is likely to be associated with the _______ experienced during orgasm.

A) rhythmic muscular contractions
B) increased muscle tension
C) increased heart rate
D) subjective sense of pleasure
E) ejaculation

Question 42

Komisaruk and Whipple claim that stimulation of the clitoris, the anterior wall of the vagina, and the cervix give rise to different orgasmic sensations because

A) vasocongestion occurs to a different extent in each region.
B) each region is connected to the brain via different neural pathways.
C) stimulation of each region activates a different hormonal system.
D) the clitoris is smooth muscle, the vagina is nervous tissue, and the cervix is erectile tissue.
E) all three structures are not developed to the same extent in all women.

Question 43

Some women say they experience a discharge of fluid during orgasm. In order to determine whether this fluid was urine, researchers inserted a catheter into the _______ of a number of women and measured the fluids released after they masturbated to orgasm.

A) vagina
B) cervix
C) uterus
D) rectum
E) bladder

Question 44

The low-volume opalescent discharge that may occur during orgasm in women is believed to be secreted by the

A) prostate gland.
B) bladder.
C) vagina.
D) paraurethral glands.
E) G-spot.

Question 45

During orgasm, brain activity _______ in brain regions associated with higher cognitive processing and _______ in brain regions associated with pleasure and reward.

A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; decreases
D) decreases; increases
E) does not change; decreases

Question 46

During the _______ phase of the sexual response cycle, physiological signs of arousal reverse themselves.

A) excitement
B) plateau
C) orgasm
D) resolution
E) refractory

Question 47

Men are more likely than women to _______ with sexual experiences that do not include orgasm.

A) be sexually dissatisfied
B) be extremely satisfied
C) suffer permanent physiological damage
D) ejaculate
E) have a prolonged refractory period

Question 48

According to Masters and Johnson, the refractory period of the sexual response cycle typically last from

A) 10 to 20 minutes.
B) 30 to 90 minutes.
C) 1 to 2 hours.
D) 1 to 2 days.
E) 1 to 2 weeks.

Question 49

Which of the following statements about multiple orgasms is true?

A) They are more likely to be experienced by women.
B) they are more likely to be experienced by men.
C) They are equally likely to be experienced by men and women.
D) They do not exist.
E) They are facilitated by Viagra.

Question 50

The Masters and Johnson sexual response model addresses _______ processes.

A) only psychological
B) only hormonal
C) only physiological
D) both psychological and physiological
E) hormonal, physiological, and psychological

Question 51

Facial features that serve as cues to masculinity/femininity tend to emerge _______ due to sex hormones and generally _______ important for attractiveness.

A) at puberty; are
B) in utero; are
C) at puberty; are not
D) in utero; are not
E) at birth; are not

Question 52

Hyperfeminine female faces

A) are only attractive to men.
B) are viewed as attractive across a number of cultures.
C) are only attractive to other women.
D) are attractive to both men and women.
E) correlate with "babyfacedness."

Question 53

Babyfacedness is considered to be more attractive because these types of faces

A) show a high degree of symmetry.
B) are closest to the "average" face.
C) inspire protective feelings in others.
D) remind others of household pets.
E) All of the above

Question 54

A person who is rated as "unattractive" probably has a

A) low degree of fluctuating asymmetry.
B) high degree of fluctuating asymmetry.
C) low degree of planned asymmetry.
D) high degree of planned asymmetry.
E) high degree of fluctuating symmetry.

Question 55

A determinant of physical attractiveness is the _______ ratio.

A) chest-to-hip
B) waist-to-hip
C) chest-to-waist
D) wrist-to-ankle
E) waist-to-height

Question 56

Jennifer is a big woman with large curvaceous breasts. Based on attraction research, which statement is most true?

A) Her large breasts are a guy magnet.
B) Not all guys will be attracted to her, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
C) Young men will be more attracted to her than older men.
D) Her attractiveness ratings would be higher if she had a smaller waist.
E) She would be rated as most attractive by hypermasculine men.

Question 57

Research has confirmed that _______ is an especially important feature in women's judgments of the attractiveness of male bodies.

A) penis size
B) hand/foot proportions
C) shoulder width
D) asymmetry
E) extremely masculinized facial features

Question 58

Women prefer the odors of symmetrical men

A) near the time of ovulation.
B) at puberty.
C) only during their reproductive years.
D) at any phase of the menstrual cycle.
E) when they are not in monogamous relationships.

Question 59

Sandra is going to a "speed dating" event. She knows exactly the sort of guy she would like to end up with and mentally checks off the qualities before she gets there. Based on sexual attraction research, which statement is the most accurate?

A) Sandra will date a man from the event who fully meets her established priorities.
B) Sandra will probably end up dating a man who does not meet her prior qualities.
C) Sandra will find the event unsatisfying, because women need greater intimacy than speed dating events permit.
D) Sandra will have a favorite date and a back-up date. The back-up date will be the more masculine of the two.
E) Sandra will date a man she meets at the event for a while, but she is much more likely to have sex outside this relationship because she has had to invest very little in its establishment.

Question 60

Which of the following about the Coolidge effect is false?

A) Its name derives from President Calvin Coolidge.
B) It refers to some forms of male sexual behavior.
C) It has never been fully tested in humans.
D) It describes how sexually exhausted males will mate again with vigor if presented with a novel female.
E) The effect is seen in both roosters and hens.

Question 61

Compared to men, women are much more likely to fantasize about

A) having more than one partner simultaneously.
B) fondling their partners genitals.
C) having sex with a virgin.
D) having sex with a famous person.
E) getting married.

Question 62

Which of the following statements is the most accurate?

A) About 20% of heterosexual men have had fantasies about same-sex sexual encounters.
B) Women who fantasize about being raped are secretly hoping this will happen to them.
C) Heterosexual women have the most adventurous sexual fantasies.
D) Men who self identify as asexual usually do not masturbate.
E) Heterosexual men generally do not have fantasies about being forced to submit to sex.

Question 63

Which of the following findings, as discussed in the textbook, is true?

A) Women become aroused when they look at their sex partners genitals.
B) Men find their partners genitals less arousing than women do.
C) In general, women look at people's crotches.
D) In general, men look at people's crotches.
E) Lesbian women become more aroused than men by watching their partners undress.

Question 64

PET scanning suggests that the brain region called the _______ cortex is particularly activated during sexual arousal.

A) occipital
B) prefrontal
C) anterior cingulate
D) bilateral anterior cingulate
E) hippocampus

Question 65

Research using salivary assays from couples over many days revealed that the couples are most likely to show elevated levels of testosterone

A) in the evening, prior to sex occurring.
B) in the evening, after sex has occurred.
C) on evenings when there is no sex.
D) in the morning after sex had occurred the night before.
E) None of the above

Question 66

Boys with delayed puberty who receive testosterone treatments experience _______ sexual thoughts and behaviors.

A) very significantly increased
B) no significant increase in
C) moderately increased
D) moderately decreased
E) very significantly decreased

Question 67

Hypogonadal men have very

A) large testicles.
B) low levels of testosterone.
C) small penises.
D) small internal male ducts.
E) high levels of testosterone.

Question 68

Aphrodisiacs have tended to follow the law of similarity-this means they are

A) usually the same for men and women.
B) usually derived from things that look like human genitalia.
C) from sex organs of other species.
D) Both a and b
E) Both b and c

Question 69

Myotonic changes are generally seen during the _______ phase of the sexual response cycle.

A) excitement
B) intimacy
C) orgasm
D) resolution
E) plateau

Question 70

Opalescent fluid ejaculated when a woman achieves an orgasm is probably very similar to

A) urine.
B) semen.
C) cervical secretions.
D) vaginal fluids.
E) prostatic secretions.

Question 71

_______ is the neurotransmitter believed to be involved in the subjective experience of orgasm.

A) Serotonin
B) Epinephrine
C) Dopamine
D) Cortisol
E) Adrenaline

Question 72

In the _______ phase, the physiological signs of arousal reverse.

A) plateau
B) orgasm
C) excitement
D) resolution
E) refractory

Question 73

"Blue balls" is

A) a slang term for the testicular pain experienced by men who have been sexually aroused but not had an orgasm.
B) a string of balls used by women as a vaginal sex toy.
C) the pain a man experiences from ongoing deep vaginal penetration of a woman.
D) a slang term for the depression caused by a man's failure to find a sex partner.
E) None of the above

Question 74

Status orgasmus is

A) involuntary contraction of the vaginal muscles such that penetration is impossible.
B) involuntary contractions associated with orgasm in women.
C) voluntary contraction of vaginal muscles to heighten sexual pleasure.
D) an uninterrupted sequence of orgasms that last more than 20 seconds.
E) the inability to experience orgasm under any circumstances.

Question 75

According to Rosemary Basson,

A) women often have sex for reasons other than sexual arousal.
B) rushing through the excitement phase results in reduced orgasmic capacity.
C) with training men can shorten the refractory period.
D) status orgasmus does not fit well with the Sexual Response Cycle theory of arousal.
E) women who do not achieve an orgasm experience something similar to "blue balls."

Question 76

Females rate _______ faces as most attractive.

Question 77

_______ increases the perceived attractiveness of the body.

Question 78

Some researchers believe that _______ influence sexual arousal through unconscious olfactory mechanisms.

Question 79

_______ both increases and decreases attractiveness.

Question 80

The observation that males mate more frequently when provided with new partners is called the _______.