Masters and Johnson – The Sexual

Response Cycle
They observed people engaging in a
variety of sexual practices in a
laboratory setting and recorded the
physiological changes that occurred,
concluding that the human sexual
response cycle consists of five phases:
desire, arousal or excitement, plateau,
orgasm, and resolution
Note:
 Vary in length, distinctiveness.
 Characteristic of men than
women; women responses more
variable.
 Occasional difficulties at one or
more of the phases of the sexual
response cycle are common
o Related to stresses in
individual’s lives,
medications, illness,
problems in
relationships
o Persistent = cause
distress or interfere with
their social or
occupational functioning
may be diagnosed with a
sexual dysfunction

1. Sexual Desire
a. Urge to engage in any type of sexual activity
2. Arousal phase
a. excitement phase
b. Combines a psychological experience of pleasure and physiological experience of pleasure
c. Vasocongestion
i. physiological experience of pleasure
ii. Engorgement
iii. Occurs when blood vessels and tissues fill with blood
iv. Male: erection of penis  increase in the flow of blood into the arteries of the penis +
outflow of blood from the penis through the veins
v. Female: clitoris to enlarge, labia to swell, vagina to become moist; blood flow in
pelvic area
d. Myotonia
i. Physiological experience of pleasure
ii. Muscular tension
iii. Become tense, culminating in the muscular contractions known as orgasm.
3. Plateau Phase
a. Excitement remains at a high but stable level
b. Pleasurable in itself
 c. Try ot extend this phase as long as possible before reaching an orgasm
4. Orgasm
a. The discharge of the neuro-muscular tension built up during the excitement and plateau
phases
b. Males: rhythmic contractions of the prostate and the entire length of the penis and urethra +
ejaculation of semen
i. Refractory period
1. Lasting from few minutes to few hours
2. After ejaculation
3. Male cannot achieve full erection and another orgasm (regardless of type or
intensity of sexual stimulation)
c. Females: Rhythmic contractions of the vagina and more irregular contractions of the uterus,
which is not always felt
i. No refractory period
ii. Capable of experiencing additional orgasms immediately following one
5. Resolution
a. Following an orgasm
b. Entire musculature of the body relaxes
c. Deep relaxation

Sexual Dysfunctions
 A set of disorders on which people have difficulty responding sexually or experiencing sexual
pleasure
 Qualifications:
o Difficulty must be more than occasional or transient
o Must cause significant distress or interpersonal difficulty or impairment
o Duration: 6 months
o Must not be due to another, non-sexual psychiatric problem (depression); a substance or
medication; a general medical condition; or stressors
 Types
o Disorders of desire and arousal
o Disorders of orgasm sexual pain
 Substance / medication induced sexual dysfunction
o Sexual dysfunction caused by a substance (chronic alcohol abuse) or a medication (anti-
depressant)
o Overlap

Disorders of Sexual Interest / Desire and Arousal

 Sexual desire can be manifested in a person’s sexual thoughts and fantasies, a person’s interest in
initiating or participating in sexual activities, and a person’s awareness of sexual cues from others.
 Individual differences – time also
 Low sexual desire or arousal is among the most common problems for which people seek treatment
 Male Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
o Men
o Have little desire for sex
o They do not fantasize about sex or initiate sexual activity and may be unresponsive when a
partner initiates sex
o Causes them marked distress or interpersonal difficulty
o In some rare cases, men report never having had much interest in sex, either with other
people or privately (e.g., viewing of erotic films, masturbation, or fantasy).
 Lifelong male hypoactive sexual desire disorder
 Disturbance has always been present
o Common: Men used to enjoy sex but lost interest in it
 Acquired male hypoactive sexual desire disorder
o