...The Sexual Response Cycle PSY/210 November 5, 2011 The Sexual Response Cycle The sexual response cycle is used to describe the different phases both men and women experience when sexually aroused. The cycle refers to the “sequence of physical and emotional changes that occur as a person becomes sexually aroused and participates in sexually stimulating activities, including intercourse and masturbation.” WebMD (2005-2011). The cycle is broken down into four different phases. The excitement phase, the plateau phase, the orgasmic phase, and the resolution phase Nevid and Rathus (2005). Below, I will break each phase down and describe how they affect both men and women and the similarities they have. The Excitement Phase The first phase of the sexual response cycle is the excitement phase. In this first phase an engorgement of blood vessels, also called vasocongestion, begins after 3 to 8 seconds for men and 10 to 30 seconds for women after erotic physical or mental stimulation Nevid and Rathus (2005). This is the phase where the body prepares for sexual intercourse. The male testes rise and the skin on the scrotum thickens and tenses. The vasocongestion results in erection for males. The female also experiences vasocongestion by swelling in the clitoris, vaginal tissues, and areas around the vagina. This phase also makes the skin flush and rosy. It is more noticeable in females. Males and female both experience their nipples becoming erect and harden as well as a blood...
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...Vasocongestion and myotonia breaks down and characterizes the sexual response cycle. By definition, Vasocongestion is a term for the swelling of genital tissues with blood. Myotonia, by definition, is simply muscle tension caused by sexual stimulation/arousal. As you read you will come to find that both men and women share these two main functions of sexual stimulation that, as stated earlier, characterize the Sexual Response Cycle. (Nevid 2005) Four Phases in the Sexual Response Cycle Excitement Phase is the Sexual Response Cycle’s very first phase. For a female, the excitement phase can be seen by the “vaginal lubrication”, seductive movement in body language, enlargement of breasts and the nipples start to erect. In more scientific terms, “Vasocongestion” occurs which is basically the swelling of the genitalia and breast. For a male, their penis becomes erect, the scrotal skin thickens and the testes increase in size and may be elevated. For both the male and female, their skins may start to appear to be a “rosy sex flush”, nipples become erect, heart rates and blood pressures quickly increase, and breaths become deep. Plateau Phase is the Sexual Response Cycle’s second phase which is also known as the “preparation for orgasm” phase. In females “vasocongestion”, as mentioned in phase one, swells the outer part of the vagina, then contracts “vaginal opening in preparation for grasping the penis”. In men, the sexual arousal is either the same or more intense, depending on the...
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...The Sexual Response Cycle When dealing with the sexual response cycle there are four phases we go through. The different sexual responses happen in the body during sexual arousal. Vasocongestion is defined as the engorgement of blood vessels with blood, which swells the genitals and breasts during sexual arousal. Myotonia is defines as muscle tensions, to include facial expressions, hand and feet spasms, and orgasmic spasms. The four phases that happens in the sexual response cycle are excitement, plateau, orgasmic, and the resolution phase. The excitement phases would be the first phase which in male it causes erections within 3 to 8 seconds after stimulation begins. In males the scrotal skin thickens and the testes increase in size and become elevated. In females, excitement is characterized by vaginal lubrication, which may start 10 to 30 seconds after sexual stimulation. The vasocongestion swells the clitoris and flattens, spreads the vaginal lips, and the breasts enlarge. In both male and female the nipples become erect, heart, and blood pressure also increase. The second phase would be the Plateau phase. During this phase the blood pressure and heart rates continue to elevate in both male and females. In male they show an increase in the circumference of the head of the penis and also take on a purplish hue. The testes are elevated into the position of for ejaculation and may reach one and half times their normal size. In females, the outer part of the vaginal is swollen...
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...The Sexual Response Cycle Your name PSY/210 May 23, 2010 Instructor Name The Sexual Response Cycle It has been found that men and women’s sexual response cycles are very similar. Our sexual response cycle is Masters and Johnson’s model of sexual response, which consists of four stages of phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. Nevid and Rathus (2007) reported that “the sexual response cycle is characterized by vasocongestion and myotonia” (pg. 432). Vasocongestion is the swelling of the genital tissues with blood. It causes the man to have an erection and a woman to have swelling of the area surrounding the vaginal opening. Myotonia is simply muscle tension. It causes us to create facial expressions, your hands and feet to spas, and create those “wow” effects when we reach orgasm. Now let us concentrate on the four stages of the sexual response cycle. The excitement phase is the first phase of the sexual response cycle, which is characterized by erection in the male, vaginal lubrication in the female, myotonia (muscle tension), and increases in heart rate in both males and females. Men can reach full erection in as little as three to eight seconds after stimulation begins. The scrotal skin also thickens, and the testes increase in size while elevating. Woman may start vaginal lubrication in 10 to 30 seconds. This is when the clitoris swells and flattens as well as spreads the vaginal lips. The similarities in both men and women in this phase...
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...The Sexual Response Cycle PSY 210 August 6, 2012 The Sexual Response Cycle The sexual response cycle is a term referencing the changes that occur within the body as it is becoming aroused (Nevid & Rathus, 2010). This cycle, the sexual response cycle, consists of four phases. Phase one is excitement. Phase two is plateau. Phase three is orgasm. Phase four is resolution. Even though the changes that occur in men’s and women’s bodies differ in each phase, they do have some things in common. So that we may learn and better understand what makes us different and the same, we must first learn the components that make up the sexual response cycle. There are two components and they are vasocongestion and myotonia (Nevid & Rathus, 2010). Vasocongestion is the swelling of the breasts, the genitals, and even the earlobes (Nevid & Rathus, 2010). This event happens in both men and women. Myotonia is the tensing of the muscles, which causes spasms in many different areas including the hands, feet, face, and finally, the spasms in orgasms (Nevid & Rathus, 2010). In the next section we will go over the four phases of the sexual response cycle. Phase 1, excitement. This is the beginning phase and leads in or serves as a primer to the following three phases. It occurs in both men and women, and it’s when the genitals become ready for intercourse. When the man is aroused, his penis experiences a surge in blood flow and becomes erect, his scrotal skin thickens, and...
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...he sexual response cycle has four different phases that both male and females experience although normally at different times. The term sexual response cycle describes the changes that occur in the body as women and men become sexually aroused. The sexual response cycle includes both myotonia and vasocongestion. Myotonia is muscle tension that causes facial grimaces, spasms in the hands and feet as well as the spasms of orgasm. Vasocongestion is the swelling of the genital tissues. (Nevid and Rathus,2005) The four distinct stages that occur in the sexual response cycle are the excitement phase, orgasmic phase, plateau phase, and the resolution phase. The excitement phase is the first phase of the sexual response cycle. The excitement phase is characterized by stimulation. The female excitement is characterized by vaginal lubrication which can start anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds after sexual stimulation. The excitement phase can last anywhere from a few minutes to many hours some of the characteristics of the excitement phase are; muscle tension, heart rate quickens, accelerated breathing, skin can/may become flushed, nipples become erect/hardened, vaginal lubrication, the blood flow to the genitals increase which result in in swelling of the woman’s clitoris and labia minora which is the inner lips and the erection of the men’s penis, women’s breast become fuller, vaginal walls begin to swell, and the man’s testes swell his scrotum tightens and he begins secreting a lubricating...
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...The sexual response cycle has to do with the progression of physical and emotional changes that take place as a person becomes sexually stimulated and partake in sexual activities. There are four phases of the sexual response cycle: excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution. Both Men and women go through each phase; the only difference is timing. For example, depending on the time spent on each phase varies from person to person which influences the intensity and response time of the body reaching orgasm; it’s unlikely that both partners will orgasm simultaneously. Learning how the body reacts to the phases can help increase the amount of stimulation among partners which can improve situations within relationships; communication through physical expression opens doors to better understanding of one’s likes and dislikes. Many people struggle with sexual dysfunction; the sexual cycle can help pinpoint where the problem exists. The level of stimulation each person experiences are different depending on the circumstances; age and knowledge play a factor in the ease of arousal for young adults. Older individuals might require more mental and physical stimulation and intimacy to reach arousal. Behaviors also act as stimulants; watching, feeling and listening to a partner reach a higher peak of excitement causes emotional and mental pleasure. The first phase of the sexual response cycle is excitement; this phase can last for minutes or for hours. Some of the characteristics included...
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...Emotional Confusion in “Sex Without Love” In the poem “Sex Without Love” by Sharon Olds, two contradicting ideals are discussed. This poem is a comparison between the traditional belief of sex only within the parameters of love and marriage versus the belief that love is purely an act of pleasure and can be taken up independently, without emotional strings attached, except Sharon Olds, she cannot understand how others do not become attached with the acts of pleasure. Olds portrays via her imagery, analogies, and philosophical explorations. You find out which is the side she truly understands. The opening line begins with the question at hand, “How do they do it, the ones who make love without love?”(1) Olds’ is asking, ‘How do people manage to be physically intimate, without emotional intimacy?’ Our bodies are our temples. People have been taught that their bodies should not be disrespected in an act like sex without love. Sex is an act that has been deemed only appropriate within the confines of marriage. Religions like Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, etc. have taught their believers that sex before marriage, a partnership based on love, fidelity, and monogamy, is sinful. The Bible seems to portray the man and the woman as two puzzle pieces that are meant to fit together as one unit. This is essentially what marriage is. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall Ugalde 2 become one flesh” Obviously, sex is between...
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...The Sexual Response Cycle September 18th, 2011 PSY210 The sexual response cycle is important to understand, as both male and female should learn more about the opposite sex’s cycle. Men and women are very different in several ways; however, their sexual response cycles are very similar. There are four phases to the sexual response cycle, beginning with the excitement phase, then the plateau phase, on to the orgasm phase, and finally ending in the resolution phase. One may experience a sexual dysfunction in his or her life, but no fear there are several common methods of treatment to help resolve the issue. One may find it interesting after reading and understanding the sexual response cycle and how each phase works for both males and females. The first phase in the sexual response cycle is the excitement stage. The excitement stage is characterized by erection in the male, vaginal lubrication in the female, myotonia, which cause facial grimaces, spasms in the hands and feet, and then the spasms of orgasm, and increase in heart rate in both male and female. The excitement phase can cause erection in young men as soon as 3 to 8 seconds after sexual stimulation begins. The scrotal skin also thickens, becoming less baggy. The testes increase in size and become elevated. In the female, excitement is characterized by vaginal lubrication, which may start 10 to 30 seconds after sexual stimulation begins. Vasocongestion, which cause erection in the penis and swelling of...
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...DIRECTIONS: Select an answer A, B, C, D or True/False using the drop-down menu below each multiple-choice or true/false question. Q1 through Q40 are worth ½ point each (20 points total). Then, respond to the short-answer questions in at least 75-100 words. Q41 is worth 2 points and Q42 is worth 3 points. A perfect score on this quiz will earn 25 points. 1: The physiological responses of men and women to sexual stimulation are very different. A1: 2: The correct order in which the phases of the Masters and Johnson model of sexual response occur is A) plateau, orgasm, excitement, resolution. B) excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution. C) excitement, orgasm, plateau, resolution. D) desire, excitement, orgasm, resolution. A2: 3: A man and a woman are making love and notice their nipples becoming erect, along with their chests and abdomens turning red. The phase of Masters and Johnson’s sexual response cycle they are most likely in is A) excitement. B) resolution. C) orgasm. D) resolution. A3: 4: According to a study of female nurses in 1991, what percent of women reported ever experiencing multiple orgasms? A) 3% B) 23% C) 43% D) 83% A4: 5: When a man experiences the sensation of ejaculatory inevitability, A) semen has collected in the urethral bulb and ejaculation is imminent. B) his erection is totally under his control and he can stop without ejaculating. ...
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...families of origin. Both are employed, however Sara recently lost a good paying corporate position and now maintains two lower paying jobs with longer hours. This couple is seeking counseling for Sara’s persistent lack of interest in sexual relations with her partner Amy. The purpose of this paper is to assess the sexual issues of this couple, analyze the dynamics of their relationship, develop a Multi-axial diagnostic impression and develop a counseling plan. In Section I, the paper will assess sexual issues involved in the selected case study. The integration of the sexual disorder with the sexual response cycle will be discussed. The paper will analyze and compare the sexual response cycle and the concept of sexual normality as applied to the case study. In Section II, the paper will assess the couple’s sexuality and discuss how sexual orientation issues can influence the sexual dysfunction and the overall dynamics of relationship. In Section III, a Multi-axial diagnostic impression will be developed to classify the sexual dysfunction and specify sexual problems associated with the sexual response cycle. A treatment plan will be created with measurable goals. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Section I: Assessment of Sexual Issues 4 Section II: The Dynamics of the Relationship 6 Section III: Diagnostic Impressions 9 DSM-IV Applied 10 Counseling Plan 11 Conclusion 13 References 14 Assessment of...
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...Discussions Regarding Sexual Health in Premarital Counseling Jamie Argosy University Twin Cities PSY 304: Human Sexuality May 25, 2013 Instructor: Christina Gonzalez Discussions Regarding Sexual Health in Premarital Counseling Understanding human sexual anatomy is an important aspect in any relationship. “Human sexuality is the way in which we express ourselves as sexual beings” (Molina, 1999). The vital aspect of human sexuality has to do mostly with the clear and knowledgeable communication between the partners so things are clear and each individual can make an informed decision regarding their own personal sexuality. Another important aspect has to do with the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and self-examinations in regards to parts of the body that may change due to a cancer or some other type of infection or disease. Topics Discussed in a Premarital Counseling Session The other topic of sexuality in a relationship that needs to be communicated between partners is the understanding of each other’s sexual response; understanding each other’s sexual responses will help lead to a more satisfactory sexual relationship between the couple. Other important aspects in knowing about the human sexual response cycle is to determine where a sexual dysfunction may come in, allowing a professional to ask the right questions in order to properly diagnose or offer the best practical advice. “Understanding...
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...actually observed individuals engaging in sexual behavior. Their work resulted in the establishment of the Sexual Response Cycle which continues to shape the way in which we view sexual functioning, even today. The sequence of phases in Masters and Johnson's model of sexual response is: Excitement phase: Physiological arousal increases quickly. Muscle tension, heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate increase. In men, the penis gets erect and the testes swell. In women, the clitoris hardens and swells, the vaginal lips open, and the vagina lubricates. Plateau phase: Physiological arousal continues. In women, the clitoris retracts under the clitoral hood. Men may secrete a small amount of fluid from the penis. Orgasm phase: Physiological arousal peaks. Men ejaculate seminal fluid. Both men and women experience muscular contractions in the pelvic area, along with a sensation of pleasure. Resolution phase: Physiological responses return to normal levels. Men then go through a refractory period that can vary in length, during which they are not responsive to stimulation. The refractory period tends to get longer as men age. Some sex scholars have suggested that an important flaw in the Masters and Johnson research on human sexual response is their inclusion of only orgasmic subjects in their sample. Masters and Johnson studied a biased sample of people. The sample included only people who were both willing and able to perform sexual acts in a laboratory setting. Masters and...
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...female sexual dysfunction by women is arousal and orgasm. Many women have encountered orgasmic disorder their whole life. It is known as Female Orgasmic Disorder (Ohl, 2007). Female Orgasmic Disorder is one of the female sexual disorders, affecting 22-28 percent of female women (Zakhari, 2009). It is defined as a persistent or recurrent delay or an absence of orgasm during normal sexual activity marked by distress over the lifespan (Ohl, 2007). This paper will demonstrate Counseling Plan a woman who was referred by her gynecologist for counseling because she has never experienced an orgasm. It will include assessment of the dynamics of the couple’s relationship as well as issues regarding their sexual functioning, possible sexual dysfunction within the framework of the sexual response cycle, sexual normality as well as a evidence-based counseling interventions grounded through research and treatment plan with ethical considerations. . Table of Contents Abstract 2 Case Study: Michelle and Tom 5 Assessment of Sexual Issues 6 Biological Assessment of Sexuality 6 Cultural Assessment of Sexuality 6 Religious Assessment of Sexuality 7 Psychological Assessment of Sexuality 8 Assessment of Dynamics of the Relationship 8 Family and Couples 8 Diagnostic and Multi-Axial Impressions 9 Diagnostic 9 Multi-Axial 10 Integration of Disorder 11 Sexual Response Cycle Framework...
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...The Sexual Response Cycle What is sexual response? It is described as the physical and emotional changes that occur in the body as men and women get sexually aroused during sexual activities such as intercourse and masturbation. The sexual response is characterized by vasocongestion and myotonia. Vasocongestion is the swelling of the genitals with blood. It causes the penis to erect and the area surrounding the vagina to swell. Myotonia is muscle tension. It causes facial grimaces, spasms in the hands and feet, and spasms of orgasms. The sexual response cycle has four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution. Both men and women experience these phases, although the timing usually is different. Men and women do not usually have an orgasm at the same time. The intensity of the sexual response and the time spent in each phase varies from person to person. Understanding these differences may help partners better understand one another’s bodies and responses, and enhance the sexual experience. The excitement phase is the first phase of the sexual response. It causes males to become erect in three to eight seconds after sexual stimulation begins. The scrotal skin thickens and becomes less baggy, and the testes increase in size and become elevated. For the female in the excitement phase, the vagina lubricates ten to thirty seconds after sexual stimulation begins. The clitoris swells and the vaginal lips become flattened and spread open. The inner part of the vagina...
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