Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

398
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
398
Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Genital01:23

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Genital

2.0K
The genital stage is the final phase of Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, beginning at puberty, around age 12. During this stage, sexual energy shifts from self-focused interests to external individuals, marking the development of mature adult sexuality. Freud saw this phase as a time of sexual reawakening, with desires directed toward others outside the family. A healthy transition into this stage, according to Freud, signifies the emergence of two key aspects of adult...
2.0K
Psychosexual Theory of Development01:14

Psychosexual Theory of Development

2.9K
Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory of development suggests that early childhood experiences significantly shape personality and behavior. Freud proposed that development is discontinuous, occurring in five distinct stages, each defined by a focus on different erogenous zones. He believed that failure to resolve the conflicts specific to each stage successfully could result in fixation, potentially influencing behavior as adults.
The Five Stages of Psychosexual Development
Freud's psychosexual...
2.9K
Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Phallic01:12

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Phallic

2.0K
The third stage of psychosexual development proposed by Freud is the phallic stage, occurring between the ages of 3 and 6. During this period, children become aware of their bodies and the differences between males and females. The erogenous zone in this stage is the genitals, and conflicts arise as children develop desires toward the opposite-sex parent. Boys experience the Oedipus complex, where they desire their mother and view their father as a rival. This leads to castration anxiety, the...
2.0K
Horney's Sociocultural Approach01:27

Horney's Sociocultural Approach

1.2K
Karen Horney's psychoanalytic theories emphasize the potential for self-realization and the importance of addressing social and cultural, rather than biological, factors in personality development. She challenged traditional Freudian views, particularly Freud's concept of "penis envy," which she argued stemmed from cultural influences rather than inherent biological differences. Horney believed that any sense of inferiority in women was a result of societal conditioning, such as...
1.2K
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

612
The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
612

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Varieties of Masturbatory Experience: Prevalences in a U.S. National Sample and Recommendations for Future Investigations.

Journal of sex & marital therapy·2026
Same author

Individual Differences in Excitatory and Inhibitory Sexual Conditioning in Humans.

Archives of sexual behavior·2025
Same author

The aroma of arousal: Effects of menstrual cycle phase and women's sexual arousal state on men's responsiveness to women's body odor.

Biological psychology·2019
Same author

What Does Sexual Responsiveness to One's Nonpreferred Sex Mean?

Archives of sexual behavior·2017
Same author

A Nutritional Formulation for Cognitive Performance in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Placebo-Controlled Trial with an Open-Label Extension.

Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD·2015
Same author

Field conditioning of sexual arousal in humans.

Socioaffective neuroscience & psychology·2014

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 26, 2026

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility
04:22

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility

Published on: May 30, 2025

1.1K

Situating Human Sexual Conditioning.

Heather Hoffmann1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Knox College, Galesburg, IL, 61401, USA. hhoffman@knox.edu.

Archives of Sexual Behavior
|July 13, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human sexual conditioning is more complex than basic learning. This article clarifies misconceptions about conditioning, comparing human and nonhuman sexual responses and other learning processes.

Keywords:
Human classical conditioningLearningPartner preferenceSexual orientationSexual preferences

More Related Videos

Sex Stratified Neuronal Cultures to Study Ischemic Cell Death Pathways
10:44

Sex Stratified Neuronal Cultures to Study Ischemic Cell Death Pathways

Published on: December 9, 2013

12.7K
Human Fear Conditioning Conducted in Full Immersion 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality
10:38

Human Fear Conditioning Conducted in Full Immersion 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality

Published on: August 9, 2010

21.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 26, 2026

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility
04:22

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility

Published on: May 30, 2025

1.1K
Sex Stratified Neuronal Cultures to Study Ischemic Cell Death Pathways
10:44

Sex Stratified Neuronal Cultures to Study Ischemic Cell Death Pathways

Published on: December 9, 2013

12.7K
Human Fear Conditioning Conducted in Full Immersion 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality
10:38

Human Fear Conditioning Conducted in Full Immersion 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality

Published on: August 9, 2010

21.5K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Conditioning is commonly viewed as a simple, automatic learning process.
  • It is often considered separate from and less significant than "innate" behaviors.
  • These perspectives contain misconceptions regarding its role in complex behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To offer a more precise understanding of human sexual conditioning.
  • To address and correct common misconceptions about conditioning.
  • To explore the nuances of sexual learning in humans.

Main Methods:

  • Reviewing existing laboratory conditioning studies.
  • Comparing human sexual conditioning with nonhuman animal models.
  • Contrasting sexual conditioning with "innate" sexual responses.
  • Examining sexual conditioning in relation to other human learning processes.

Main Results:

  • Identified misconceptions about the simplicity and limited applicability of conditioning.
  • Demonstrated parallels and distinctions between human and nonhuman sexual conditioning.
  • Highlighted the interplay between conditioning and innate sexual behaviors.
  • Showcased conditioning as a relevant process for higher-level human behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Human sexual conditioning is a sophisticated process, not merely basic learning.
  • Conditioning is intertwined with, not separate from, innate sexual responses.
  • Further research is recommended to advance the understanding of human sexual conditioning.