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Dimensions of Human Sexuality, 6/e
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Commercial and Coercive Sex
Dimensions of Human Sexuality 6/e Cover Image

Glossary

antisocial personality  Individuals who are impulsive and indifferent to others. They are capable of committing any act or crime, seemingly without guilt or remorse (sociopaths, psychopaths). 484
child molestation  Sexual abuse of a child by an adolescent or an adult. 486
child sexual abuse  Sexual contact with a prepubescent person. Because children are not considered able to give free consent, these activities are viewed as abusive. 486
classical conditioning  Learning via repeated association of one stimulus with another, especially a behavior. 455, 462
embedment  The placement or hiding of sexual words or pictures in the background of an advertisement. 462
erotica  Writings or other artistic creations that are sexually arousing or sensual. 464
gay-bashing  Verbal insults or physical threats and harm aimed at gay men and lesbian women. 478
gender-role ideology  A particular society's general beliefs and norms regarding how girls and boys or women and men should be (behaviors, traits, etc.). 288
gender stereotyping  The overapplication of simple and rigid beliefs about the traits possessed by girls and women or boys and men. 290, 463
hard-core pornography  explicit material designed to sexually arouse that includes graphic close-ups of genitals, ejaculation, degradation, etc. 465
heterosexism  Attitudes and behaviors that denigrate and stigmatize nonheterosexual behavior. Some prefer the term homophobia. 478
identification  Internalizing the qualities, characteristics, values, etc., of another into one's self-concept or identity. 462
incest  Sexual activity between closely related individuals (blood relatives or those related by marriage). 486
intrapersonal sexual script  Culture-bound, learned guidelines regarding any aspect of sexual expression. 480
misogyny  Hatred of women. 485
obscenity  Sexually explicit writings, pictures, etc., that are offensive or repulsive. 464
paraphilia  Recurrent, intensely arousing sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that involve nonhuman objects, suffering, or nonconsenting others. 304, 444, 486
pedophilia  A general erotic preference for children. 447, 486
pornography  Sexually explicit writings, pictures, etc., created for the purpose of sexual arousal. 464
prurient interest  Excessive or morbid interest in nudity, sexual function, or excretion that well exceeds socially acceptable limits. 464
recovered memories  Memories of traumatic events, recalled through hypnosis, regression, or other techniques. 491
repression  The pushing of traumatic memories out of awareness and into the unconscious; a controversial concept. 491
sexual harassment  sexual coercion that occurs in situations of unequal power. 475
social learning theory  a theory emphasizing the learning of social roles, behaviors, etc., via rewards/
soft porn  Explicit material designed to sexually arouse, but lacking in graphic close-ups of genitalia, ejaculation, degradation, etc. 465
stereotype  a belief that all members of a group possess certain traits, qualities, or characteristics. 463