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The Sexual Response Cycle Abstract Assignment: The Sexual Response Cycle in Psychology and the Challenges of Life: Adjustment in the New Millennium, include a brief description of any sexual dysfunctions which can occur and common methods of treatment. Post as an attachment. Follow APA guidelines. The Sexual Response Cycle While most of us are certain that we like to have and enjoy sex, nearly all of us probably have not spent much time pondering about what actually goes on physiologically while we are engaged in the act. Masters and Johnson (two groundbreaking sex therapists) devised the term “sexual-response cycle” to mean the sequence of events that occurs to the body when an individual becomes sexually aroused and takes part in sexually stimulating activities (intercourse, masturbation, foreplay, etc. ).
Knowing how your body reacts during each phase of the cycle can heighten your relationship and help you single out the cause of any sexual dysfunctions. The sexual-response cycle is divided into four phases that both men and woman go through: excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution. Keep in mind that this is a very general outline of what happens to each of us as we become sexually aroused. There is much variation among individuals as well as between different sexual events. In addition, the intensity of the 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 can last from a few minutes to several hours. In this phase a man’s penis becomes slightly erect, testicles elevate, and scrotum tightens. As for a woman, her vagina expands and lengthens; clitoris, labia minora (inner lips), and breast swell; and vaginal lubrication begins. Both men and women experience increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. Something such as performance anxiety can hinder this phase for some.
The changes that started in the excitement phase continue to progress as they go into the plateau phase. The man’s penis becomes fully erect turning a deep reddish-purple and begins secreting a lubricating liquid. A woman’s vaginal lips become puffier, the tissues of the walls of the outer third of the vagina swell with blood, the opening to the vagina narrows, and the clitoris disappears into its hood. Breathing is more like panting and the heart rate and blood pressure continue to rise for both man and woman. They also both experience myotonia where their muscles tense in the thighs, hips, hands and buttocks, and spasms may begin.
The climax of the cycle is the orgasm phase. It is also the shortest of the four phases, usually only lasting a few seconds. A man’s experience begins when seminal fluid collects at the base of the penis, and then the semen is ejaculated from the penis. Contractions occur in the penis during the orgasmic phase. Now a woman’s vaginal walls contract rhythmically every eight-tenths of a second, and then release of sexual tension with a few contractions to follow afterwards. Breathing, pulse rate and blood pressure continue to rise in both man and woman.
Muscle tension and blood-vessel engorgement reach a peak. Sometimes orgasm comes with a grasping-type muscular reflex of the hands and feet. The downside for some to the orgasm phase is if a person has certain sexual dysfunctions. One such is when a man is unable to control ejaculation so therefore it occurs before satisfying sexual relations can take place with the woman; this is known as premature ejaculation. Ejaculatory incompetence is the lack or delay of reaching orgasm in males. The female version of this is inhibited female orgasm, the lack or delay of reaching orgasm in females.
Sex therapy would be a good way to get this problem under control. This resolution phase is a return to the normal resting state. It can last from a few minutes to a half-hour or longer. The penis returns to its normal flaccid state, and there is usually a refractory period, where it is impossible to orgasm again until a certain amount of time has passed for a man. The amount of time varies among men by age, physical fitness and other factors. The woman’s uterus and clitoris return to their normal positions. Some women may be able to respond to additional stimulation with additional orgasms.
For both the man and woman their swelling recedes, any sex flush disappears, and there is a general relaxation of muscle tension. Understanding what is happening to you and your partner’s bodies during sex can only aid in the full enjoyment of the experience. Combine this with some good communication skills, and you have found the key to unlock sexual pleasure and your heart’s desires. Works cited Nevid, Jeffrey S. , & Rathus, Spencer A. (2005). Psychology and the Challenges of Life: Adjustment in the New Millennium (9th ed. ).