Archives of Sexual Behavior 

About: Archives of Sexual Behavior is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Sexual orientation & Human sexuality. It has an ISSN identifier of 0004-0002. Over the lifetime, 5091 publications have been published receiving 178585 citations.

Sexual scripts: permanence and change.

Abstract: A general introduction to scripting theory is offered, attempting to provide links between macrolevel considerations of sociocultural development and general theories of individual development. The scripting of behavior is examined on three distinct levels: cultural scenarios (instruction in collective meanings), interpersonal scripts (the application of specific cultural scenarios by a specific individual in a specific social context), and intrapsychic scripts (the management of desires as experienced by the individual). These concepts of the scripting of behavior are then applied to sexual behavior. Interpersonal scripts are seen as the ordering of representations of self and other that facilitate the occurrence of a sexual act; intrapsychic scripts represent the ordering of images and desires that elicit and sustain sexual arousal. Issues of stability and change in sexual scripts are then examined in terms of the changing circumstances and requirements associated with movement through the life cycle.

Sample size policy for qualitative studies using in-depth interviews.

Abstract: In recent years, there has been an increase in submissions to theJournal that draw on qualitative research methods. This increaseis welcome and indicates not only the interdisciplinarityembraced by the Journal(Zucker, 2002)butalsoits commitmenttoawidearrayofmethodologies.Forthosewhodoselectqualitativemethodsandusegroundedtheory and in-depth interviews in particular, there appear to be alotofquestionsthatauthorshav ehadrecentlyabouthowtowritea rigorous Method section. This topic will be addressed in a sub-sequentEditorial.Atthistime,however,themostcommonques-tion we receive is:‘‘How large does my sample size have to be?’’and hence I would like to take th is opportunity to answer thisquestionbydiscussingrelevantdebatesandthenthepolicyoftheArchivesofSexualBehavior.

Hypersexual Disorder: A Proposed Diagnosis for DSM-V

Abstract: Hypersexual Disorder is proposed as a new psychiatric disorder for consideration in the Sexual Disorders section for DSM-V. Historical precedents describing hypersexual behaviors as well as the antecedent representations and proposals for inclusion of such a condition in the previous DSM manuals are reviewed. Epidemiological as well as clinical evidence is presented suggesting that non-paraphilic “excesses” of sexual behavior (i.e., hypersexual behaviors and disorders) can be accompanied by both clinically significant personal distress and social and medical morbidity. The research literature describing comorbid Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders and a purported relationship between Axis I disorders and Hypersexual Disorder is discussed. Based on an extensive review of the literature, Hypersexual Disorder is conceptualized as primarily a nonparaphilic sexual desire disorder with an impulsivity component. Specific polythetic diagnostic criteria, as well as behavioral specifiers, are proposed, intended to integrate empirically based contributions from various putative pathophysiological perspectives, including dysregulation of sexual arousal and desire, sexual impulsivity, sexual addiction, and sexual compulsivity.

Distress about sex: a national survey of women in heterosexual relationships.

Abstract: As a consequence of the impact of Viagra on male sexual dysfunction, considerable attention is now being paid to sexual dysfunctions in women, which might respond to pharmacological treatment. Should women's sexual problems be conceptualized in the same way as men's? The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of distress about sexuality among women, and examine the predictors of such distress, including aspects of the woman's sexual experience, as well as other aspects of hercurrent situation. A telephone survey of women used Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing and Telephone-Audio-Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing methodology to investigate respondents' sexual experiences in the previous month. A national probability sample was used of 987 White or Black/African American women aged 20-65 years, with English as first language, living for at least 6 months in a heterosexual relationship. The participation rate was 53.1%. Weighting was applied to increase the representativeness of the sample. A total of 24.4% of women reported marked distress about their sexual relationship and/or their own sexuality. The best predictors of sexual distress were markers of general emotional well-being and emotional relationship with the partner during sexual activity. Physical aspects of sexual response in women, including arousal, vaginal lubrication, and orgasm, were poor predictors. In general, the predictors of distress about sex did not fit well with the DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of sexual dysfunction in women. These findings are compared with those from other studies involving representative samples of women, and the conceptual issues involved in the use of terms such as "sexual problem" and "sexual dysfunction" are discussed.

Why Humans Have Sex

Abstract: Historically, the reasons people have sex have been assumed to be few in number and simple in nature-to reproduce, to experience pleasure, or to relieve sexual tension Several theoretical perspectives suggest that mo- tives for engaging in sexual intercourse may be larger in number and psychologically complex in nature Study 1 used a nomination procedure that identified 237 expressed reasons for having sex, ranging from the mundane (eg, ''I wanted to experience physical pleasure'') to the spiritual (eg, ''I wanted to get closer to God''), from altruistic (eg, ''I wanted the person to feel good about himself/herself'') to vengeful (eg, ''I wanted to get back at my partner for having cheated on me'') Study 2 asked participants (N = 1,549) to evaluate the degree to which each of the 237 reasons had led them to have sexual intercourse Factor analyses yielded four large factors and 13 subfactors, producing a hierarchical taxonomy The Physical reasons subfactors included Stress Reduction, Pleasure, Physical Desirability, and Experience Seeking The Goal Attainment subfactors included Resources, Social Status, Revenge, and Utilitarian The Emotional subfactors included Love and Commitment and Expression The three Insecurity subfac- tors included Self-Esteem Boost, Duty/Pressure, and Mate Guarding Significant gender differences supported several previously advanced theories Individual differences in expressed reasons for having sex were coherently linked with personality traits and with individual differences in sexual strategies Discussion focused on the complexity of sexual motivation and directions for future research