Dr. Ross Avilla No laptop, tablet or phone use allowed in class Research shows accessing internet during class leads to lowered retention and test scores Even after controlling for Student motivation General intelligence Interest in the material It s also distracting to those around you After every class Lecture handouts will be posted on the course website Each slide has a number that you can use to link your in-class notes with the lecture handouts So, don t worry about writing down what s on the slides 1
For this class you will need Understanding Human Sexuality by Hyde & Delamater (13 th ed.) Textbook study guides made for this edition specifically Digital or loose-leaf copies are available 25% of test questions will come directly from the textbook Can complete up to 3 hours of experiments for extra credit 1 hour = 1 SONA credit = 1% of extra credit added to final grade Must be 18 or older to participate Website: ucmerced.sona-systems.com SONA Alternative: Can write research summaries to attain extra credit (see syllabus for more details) Website: sona.ravilla.org Course website: psy145.ravilla.org Included on website Course schedule Lecture handouts Posted after each class Textbook study guide Link to anonymous Q&A Instructions for SONA alternative 2
What will your grade depend on? 4 non-cumulative exams If you miss an exam, you can take a make-up final, which is cumulative Class presentation On the topic of your choosing More details to come Extra points Completing online survey Link found on CatCourses Past Poll Results: Are you interested in covering survey results in class? This class is all about S. E. X. Many people are uncomfortable talking about sex and anatomy, especially female sexuality / anatomy 3
This class is all about S. E. X. That means you all have to be comfortable talking about it, learning about it And If seeing it! you find yourself getting a little too excited Chapter 1 4
Why take a class like this? Why is it important to learn about sex? Began in late 1800s, during Victorian era A time of extreme sexual oppression Sex was conducted infrequently and only for procreation This caused high levels of sexual dysfunction Sexual anxiety Hysteria Doctors and scientists wanted to find treatments Sex is one of the most basic biological processes All mammals, birds, fish, and most insects do it! 5
Sex is one of the most basic biological processes All mammals, birds, fish, and most insects do it! Sex is strongly related to all other biological, psychological, and cultural phenomena Sexual dysfunction can be the first sign of serious physiological problems E.g., high blood pressure, diabetes, prostate cancer Freud discovered psychological dysfunction can arise from sexual problems All cultures have rules/norms around sex, with great variability between cultures Can be a major source of world conflict Most people, if left uninformed, remain ignorant about sex National polls find 40% of teens have sex before ever talking about sex with their parents Less than 50% of parents teach their children about safe sex (e.g., condoms, birth control) National poll of college freshman 63% reported they didn t know how birth control works 30% didn t know how to properly use condoms 30% reported having unprotected sex in the past 3 months 18% of men believed having sex standing up reduced risk of pregnancy 28% of men believed it was better to use two condoms instead of one derp 6