Unit 2

Physical Self
-Refers to body
-Physical extremities and internal organs working together for the body to perform
; Breathing, walking, eating, sleeping
-Body performs least during infancy and old age
-Physical efficiency
; Peaks in early adulthood
; Declines in middle age
-Growth
; during childhood continue at slow rate
; rapid rate of growth in babyhood
Adolescence
-Begins onset of puberty
-Rapid physical changes include maturation of reproductive systems
Life span
-Development from conception to death
Elizabeth R. Hurlock
Stages of life span
1. Prenatal – fertilization to birth
2. Infancy – birth to 2 weeks of life
3. Babyhood – 2 weeks of life to 2nd year
4. Early childhood – 2 to 6yrs old
5. Late childhood - 6 to 10 or 12yrs old
6. Puberty – 10>12>14yrs old
7. Adolescence – 14 to 18yrs old
8. Early adulthood - 18 to 40yrs old
9. Middle adulthood – 40 to 60yrs old
10. Late adulthood or senescence (deuteriation of cells in the body) - 60 to death
Factors affecting physical growth and development
A. Heredity – Inheritance of traits parents to offspring
B. Environment – Factors an individual exposed to throughout life includes learning and
experience
Sex, Physical traits – Are determined by combination of chromosomes and genes during
fertilization
Chromosomes – Threadlike tissues that carries the genes, and are usually found in pairs
23 pairs chromosomes=Autosomes or Trait chromosomes (22 pairs)
XY=MALE
XX=FEMALE
Sex of offspring- Depends on the pairing of 23rd Sex Chromosomes from parents
Genes- Basic carrier of hereditary traits
- Classified as dominant (Strong genes)
- Recessive (Weak genes)
Punnett square- Tool used for gene combinations

Theories of physical self

Theory of physiognomy
- Persons physical characteristics, facial features and expressions and body structure could be
related to persons character or personality
-Basing the personality on the physical appearance of a person
1. Five element theory (Ancient Chinese)
- Face is a three-dimensional reflection of “who we are and how life affected us”
- Makes us of the elements of Water, wood, fire, earth, and metal as archetypes of everything
occurring in the natural world
-Oldest theory>Not that factual
2. Theory based on prominence of body fluids (Hippocrates) Father of medicine
-An excess of or deficiency in any of the four body fluids in a person influences their personality,
temperament, and well-being
BLOOD, BLACK BILE, YELLOW BILE, PHLEGM
 A. Sanguine type - red bile; impulsive, cheerful, happy, optimistic
B. Melancholic – black bile; depressed, pessimistic
C. Choleric – yellow bile; easily angry, jumpy, temperamental
D. Phlegmatic – phlegm; sluggish, dull, and slow

3.Body type theory (William Sheldon)- Based on physical characteristics

A. Endomorphic – Soft, plump; easy going, sociable
B. Mesomorphic – Strong muscular; energetic, adventurous, assertive, courageous; competitive
and dominant
C. Ectomorphic – Tall, thin; restrained, quiet, introverted, artistic
Oval- Hospitable, tactful
Square- Witty, analytical and great leaders
Round – Friendly, kindhearted, selfless
Heart- Patient, intuitive by nature
Long – Perfectionist, aggressive
Diamond – Detail oriented like to be in control
Triangle – Creative, artistic, sensitive, determined
Full and thick eyebrows- confident, assertive, goal oriented
Large or highly defined jaw – Have strong values and firm beliefs

Squier and Mew (1981)- Persons with long and angular shaped faces tend to be more
responsive, assertive, genuine than persons with short and square shaped faces tend to be
more restrained, conforming and shrewd
Body image – Refers to how individuals, perceive, think, and feel about their body
Appearance- Others can observe such as; height, weight, skin color, clothes, hairstyle
-When puberty begins adolescents are concern about their feelings and others
treatment on them
Self-esteem – Persons overall evaluation of his or her own worth

 Body image affects both the adolescent's physical and psychological well-being
 Girls are more concerned than boys about their physical appearance and overall body
image.
 The greatest concern that girls express about their bodies is how they conform to
idealized notions of beauty
 The adolescents react to their physical appearance depends on the sociocultural factors
 Bullying and peer pressure are associated with greater body dissatisfaction
 For girls too much concern with thinness and the ideal body shape may result in body
dissatisfaction that may result to depression, low self-esteem and eating disorders.
Anorexia- person refuses to eat for fear of getting weight which can result in severe starvation
and death
Bulimia nervosa - person induces purging after binging on large quantities of food

Unpacking the self

Importance of Beauty

 Humans who have clean and unblemished skin, thick shiny hair, well-proportioned
bodies, and symmetrical faces, are traditionally the most beautiful
 Beauty considered important because these features indicate youth, health, good genes
and fertility
 Advertisements, magazines and television are filled with good-looking faces emphasize
the value of physical attractiveness
 People change their physical appearance through body modification; tattooing, body
piercing, cosmetic surgery
 Attractive people have a lot of advantages in life
 Different cultures have different perceptions of beauty. People often say that beauty is
in the eye of the beholder
Above all things physical, it is more important to be beautiful on the inside.
The sexual self
Development of sex characteristics and the human reproductive system

Primary sex characteristics- Present at birth; characteristics that distinguish male from female.

 Female-vagina, uterus, and ovaries

 Male-penis, testes or testicles, scrotum, prostate gland
Secondary sex characteristics-Develop during the onset of puberty

 Woman- enlargement of breast, onset of menstruation, widening of hips, enlargement

of buttocks, growth of pubic hair
 Menstruation- 10 to 12yrs old
 Men- testicular growth, sperm reproduction, appearance of facial, public and other hair,
deepening of voice
 Primary sex characteristics as the embryo grows in the womb because of the
chromosomes contained within the embryonic cells as well as the hormonal influences.
 About 5 weeks of pregnancy, two organs called the gonads, form in the embryo: men:
release of testosterone and androgen women: ovaries produce estrogen and
progesterone
 Female sex hormones are not produced consistently because their production follows a
cyclical pattern, on an approximately 28-day monthly cycle.
 The greatest production occurs during ovulation o period: occur 14 days (about 2
weeks) after the beginning of the menstrual period.
Female reproductive system
Clitoris- Made of erectile tissue swells with blood and hardens when woman is sexually aroused
Vagina- Muscular tube that serves as the receptable for the penis and carrier of the sperm to
the uterus; birth canal where fetus passes out of a mother's body
Ovaries- Produce, store and release the egg cell during ovulation.
Uterus – Hallow organ where fertilized embryo grows to become fetus
Cervix – Passageway between the uterus and the vagina that expands during childbirth
Fallopian tubes – Carry the fertilized egg from the ovary to the uterus.

 Pregnancy starts from fertilization and end at birth, for an approximate duration of
260days (about 8 and a half months)
Male reproductive system
Penis – Organ through which males urinate and deliver the sperm cells into the vagina during
sexual intercourse
Testes or testicles – Located in the pouch-like sac of skin called the scrotum are responsible for
the production of sperm cells and male sex hormones.
Vas deferens – Transports the sperm-containing fluid called semen
Epididymis – A set of coiled ducts connected to the vas deferens where the sperm cells are
stored
Prostate gland and seminal vesicles – Produce semen and nourish the sperm cells
Ejaculation - Release of sperm cells from the penis; contains 300 to 500 mil sperm cells

Sexual arousal and erogenous zone

Erogenous zone

 Area of the body which are highly sensitive and produce sexual responses when
stimulated
 Genitals, mouth, breasts, ears, anus and to a lesser degree, the entire surface of the
body
 One of the most basic forms of sexual stimulation is masturbation or self- stimulation
that causes sexual pleasure or orgasm.
 The brain is where sexual desire originates and where sexual behavior is controlled.
 Men think about sex more often because they report more frequent sex fantasies and
more frequent feelings of sexual desire.
 Women tend to place more emphasis on emotional closeness with a lover than men do.
 Overall, women and men have equal potential for sexual pleasure and women are no
less physically responsive than men.
Excitement Phase - pulse rate increase blood pressure rises, breathing quickens, and the skin
shows rosy flush particularly on the chest and breast area.
 Men: penis becomes erect, skin of scrotum thickens, testes increase in size
 Women: clitoris swells, lips of the vagina open and its inside become wet
Plateau Phase-changes in the body continue

 Men: penis becomes more erect, the circumference of its head increases, few drops of
fluid are released
  Women: the outer part of the vagina smells with the surge of increased amounts of
blood to that area, clitoris retracts, lips of the vagina become redder
Orgasmic Phase- contractions of the muscles in and around the penis stimulate the release of
the semen which contains sperm cells

 Men: usually achieve one intense orgasm

 Women: orgasm involves the contraction of the pelvic muscles that surround the
vaginal walls and can happen multiple times
Resolution Phase- body returns to its normal state after orgasm

 Men: erection is lost, testes decrease in size, skin of scrotum thins again
 Women: clitoris and vagina return to their normal state

Attraction, Love and Attachment

 Puberty is an important stage in sexual development.

 Physical attractiveness refers to the degree to which a person's physical traits are
regarded as aesthetically pleasing or beautiful.
 Social exchange theory proposes that attraction is the result of an exchange process.

Robert Sternberg components of love;

1. Intimacy- feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness
2. Passion- drives that lead to romance, physical attraction and sexual summation
3. Commitment - decision to love and the commitment to maintain that love

Helen Fisher suggests the important ingredients of romantic love:

1. Lust- driven by the desire to sexual gratification
2. Attraction- associated with sexual attraction
3. Attachment- occurs when individuals desire to connect with another person intimately;
affectionate or companionate love
John Bowlby defines attachment as a strong affectional tie that binds a person to an intimate
companion. The quality of early parent-child attachment has lasting impact on the kind of
relationships have later in life.
Sexual Orientation- person's sexual ident anchored on what gender they are attracted to
Heterosexuality- one is sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex.
Homosexuality- one who is sexually attracted to same sex.
Homosexual males: gays
Homosexual females: lesbians
Bisexuality- one is attracted to both opposite and same sex.

 Sexual orientation look at both biological make-up and environmental influences.

 Homosexuality and bisexuality are biological in nature: genetic factors such as hormones
and certain neural systems.

HIV/AIDS-infections caused by direct contact with body fluids such as through blood
transfusion, breast feeding, and sexual intercourse.
Gonorrhea-caused by gonococcal bacteria which attack the lining of the mucous membrane
such as the mouth, throat, vagina and urethra; can be treated by penicillin or other antibiotics.