Intellectual Diversity
• All opinions are welcomed, but it does
not mean that they are facts
• We don’t take other peoples’ opinions
personally
• BUT free speech does not mean
disrespecting other people
• Fundamental orthodoxy: Be like us OR
be excluded
• Putting an end to the patriarchal and
toxic way of thinking
• Intellectual terrorism
• Intellectual humility
Biological Perspective
▪ Complicated
▪ Sex & Procreation
▪ Non-Reproductive Function of Sex
▪ Homosexuality
▪ Sexual Fluidity
▪ Gender Fluidity
Sexuality &
Interpersonal Relationships
David HalperinDistinguished Professor of the History and Theory of Sexuality
University of Michigan
Degree: Ph.D., Stanford
Sex
▪ has no history
▪ hardwired into most species
▪ grounded in the functioning of the body
Sexuality
▪ naming, assigning meaning, categorizing
▪ sexual acts and
▪ those who practice those acts
▪ historical phenomenon
▪ should be studied as such
Ph.D. in psychology
Focus on the prehistoric roots of
human sexuality
The book was praised but also criticized for
"biased reporting of data and problematic
assumptions" by anthropologist Ryan
Ellsworth
Christopher Ryan
In opposition to the “standard narrative”
on “sex for procreation”
Non-Reproductive Function of Sex
Dr. Lisa M. Diamond
Professor of developmental & health psychology at the University of Utah
More Sex doesn't Lead to Increased Happiness
Carnegie Mellon University
Journal of Economic Behavior
& Organization
▪ Some studies indicate: people who have more sex are also happier
▪ Being happy in the first place, might lead someone to have more sex
▪ Experiment:
▪ 2 goups: some couples to have more sex than others
▪ Observed happiness over a 3 month period
▪ Conclusion: simply having more sex did not make couples happier
Evolutionary Psychologists:
Sex is Everything
Wisdom of the Ancient World: India
Sex is Bondage
Tantra
Sanskrit: Tan = "expansion“
Tra = "liberation"
Goal of human life:
▪ Strive for absolute peace
▪ Control sexual instincts
Sex is the energy of creation
Lust & Creativity
Vladas Griskevicius University of Minnesota
Asexuality
▪ Asexuality is distinct from celibacy
▪ Some asexuals do have sex, despite lacking a desire for it
In Humans – Rate of asexuality: 1%?
– Lack of sexual attraction or of interest & desire for sex
Hypersexual “Disorder”
“Excessive/Maladaptive Sexual Appetite”
APA did not approve hypersexual disorder for the DSM-5
Biological Perspective
▪ Complicated
▪ Sex & Procreation
▪ Non-Reproductive Function of Sex
▪ Homosexuality
▪ Sexual Fluidity
▪ Gender Fluidity
Sexuality &
Interpersonal Relationships
1) Ultimate causation:
A reason why it is there on
the first place
2) Proximate Causation:
A reason why do you do it NOW
▪ Constantly replenished
▪ 1,500-per-second production rate (average)
▪ 85 million sperm per day per testicle,
▪ Decreases with age
▪ Average ejaculation: 100-500 million sperm
Males: Short-Lived Sperm
The Ancient Egyptian
Pharaoh Ramesses II:
▪ 96 sons and 60 daughters
▪ He married 3 of his own daughters
Most prolific father of all time:
Emperor of Morocco,
Mulai Ismail (1646-1727)
In 1703 he had
▪ 342 daughters
▪ 525 sons
In 1721:
▪ 700 sons
Males’ Brain & SexFrontal cortex – guides sexual behaviors along socially
acceptable norms (both males & females)
Males: Amygdala & Frontal Cortex
Males: Role of Testosterone in Mating
▪ 400,000 follicles/potential eggs (in ovaries)
▪ The same amount of sperm produced in 2.5 min in 2 testicles
▪ Formed before birth
▪ About 480 of these “eggs” will ever be released
Females: How Many Eggs?
Females: How Many Children?
The most prolific mother in history: a Russian peasant (18 century)
▪ 69 children, 67 of which survived infancy
▪ Between 1725 and 1765: 27 multiple births
▪ 16 pairs of twins
▪ 7 sets of triplets
▪ 4 sets of quadruplets
Females: How Many Children?
The most prolific mother in history: a Russian peasant (18 century)
▪ 69 children, 67 of which survived infancy
▪ Between 1725 and 1765: 27 multiple births
▪ 16 pairs of twins
▪ 7 sets of triplets
▪ 4 sets of quadruplets
The modern record
▪ Leontina Albina from San Antonio, Chile
▪ Now in her mid-sixties, claims 64 children
▪ 55 are documented
Most prolific father of all time:
Emperor of Morocco,
Mulai Ismail (1646-1727)
In 1703 he had
▪ 342 daughters
▪ 525 sons
In 1721:
▪ 700 sons
1. Resist sexual encounters until the
male has “proven his commitment”
Go Out Go to Apt. Go to Bed
Men were even more likely to say “yes” to the sexual invitation.
0
20
40
60
80
100
Not a single woman said “yes” to the sexual invitation.
About half of both sexes said “yes” to the date.
Perc
ent
Sayin
g “
Yes”
Clark & Hatfield
Traditional View: Women
are monogamous
esearch
Intelligence & Desirability
• What is the minimum percentile of intelligence you would accept in considering someone for:
– A date
– A sexual partner
– A one night stand
– A steady dating partner
– A marriage partner?
DATE SEX STEADY MARRIAGE
Men’s criteria are considerably lower for sexual partners
DATE SEX STEADY MARRIAGE
And the differences are even more pronounced for one-night stands.
1. Resist sexual encounters until the male has
“proven his commitment”
2. Select strongest, sexiest, most dominant
male
Dominance: Is it Attractive?
Dominance
▪ Although women are initially
attracted to sex-typed
dominant males, over time
less sex-typed men are
easier to get along with
▪ To be attractive to a woman:
dominance must be
accompanied by
agreeableness
9
5
3
1
7
• When the man was disagreeable, women found him undesirable as a date, regardless of whether he was dominant or non-dominant.
Disagreeable Agreeable
Desirability as a date
Non-dominant Dominant
9
5
3
1
7
When men were agreeable, women found them desirable as a date
Desirability was enhanced if men were also dominant
Disagreeable Agreeable
Non-dominant Dominant
Desirability as a date
▪ Waitresses that were ovulating during their work shift – received more tips
▪ Lap dancers in stip clubs get more tips
Social Monogamy Vs Sexual Monogamy
Living arrangement proximity (social monogamy) without inferring any sexual interactions or
reproductive patterns (sexual monogamy)
