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Sexuality and Its Disorders
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Sexuality and Its Disorders
Development, Cases, and Treatment



472 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Sexuality and Its Disorders explores sexuality from an evolutionary perspective using powerful, real-life case studies to help readers provide effective guidance around issues relating to sexuality. Drawing on his 30 years of clinical experience and research, author Mike Abrams provides a comprehensive, evidence-based, and clinically-oriented text with cutting-edge coverage throughout. Discussions include the physical and psychological development of sexual identity; the social aspects of sexual behavior; the many expressions of sexuality; cognitive behavior treatment of sexual problems; and more. The many perspectives of sexuality are examined with interviews and commentaries from major figures in the field—including David M. Buss, Helen Fisher, C. Sue Carter of Kinsey, Todd K. Shackelford, Ken Zucker, and Gordon Gallup—who discuss such topics as the origins of sexuality, the nature of love, the role of attachment, and the treatment of sexual problems. 
 
Chapter 1: Overview of Sexuality
Case of Elena and Arthur

 
Defining Sex

 
The Making of Sexuality

 
Objectives of This Book

 
Interviews with Preeminent Researchers on Sexuality

 
Interview with David Buss, PhD

 
 
Chapter 2: The Basics of Sexuality
Sexuality and Gender

 
Sexual Reproduction

 
Sexual Reproduction and Genetic Variation

 
Red Queen Hypothesis

 
Sexual Competition

 
Sperm Competition

 
r/K Selection

 
Interview with J. Philippe Rushton

 
Sexual Dimorphism

 
Relationship Types

 
Monogamy

 
Pair Bonding

 
Reproduction

 
Sexual Selection

 
Polyandry

 
 
Chapter 3: History of Western Sexuality
The Nature of Historical Sex: Desirability and Debauchery

 
Sex in the Bible

 
Ancient Greece

 
Ancient Rome

 
Sexuality in the Medieval Era

 
Sexuality During the Renaissance

 
Sexuality in the Eighteenth Century

 
Victorianism

 
The Twentieth Century and the Sexual Revolution

 
Fear in Sexuality

 
An Interview with Dr. Joseph Ledoux

 
 
Chapter 4: Major Figures in Sex Research and Theory
Early Writings of Sexuality

 
Demons and Witchcraft: Early Explorations of Sexual Aberration and Mental Illness

 
The Renaissance and the Development of Sexology

 
Sex Research and the Reaction to Victorianism

 
Heinrich Kaan (1816-1893)

 
Karl-Heinrich Ulrichs (1825-1895)

 
Albert Moll (1862-1939)

 
Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935)

 
Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902)

 
Iwan Bloch (1872-1922)

 
Havelock Ellis (1859-1939)

 
Feminism and Early Research on Female Sexuality

 
Clelia Mosher (1863-1940)

 
Robert Latou Dickinson (1861-1950)

 
Katherine Bement Davis (1860-1935)

 
The Psychoanalytical School of Thought

 
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

 
Modern Science and Human Sexuality

 
Paulo Mantegazza (1831-1910)

 
Ira Reiss (1925- )

 
William Masters (1915-2001) and Virginia Johnson (1925-2013)

 
Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956)

 
 
An Interview With Dr. Sue Carter of Kinsey Institute

 
Studies in Gender and Sexual Orientation

 
Michel Foucault (1926-1984)

 
John Money (1921-2006)

 
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

 
Albert Ellis (1913-2007)

 
Biological Perspectives

 
Gordon Gallup, Jr. (1941- )

 
Interview with Dr. Gordon Gallup

 
 
Chapter 5: Theories and Perspectives on Sexuality
Essentialism

 
Sexual Motivation and the Feedback Loop

 
Essentialism and Sexual Orientation

 
Humanistic Perspectives

 
The Decline of Humanism

 
Psychoanalytic Schools

 
Constructivist / Post-modern Perspectives of Psychoanalysis

 
Analytical Psychology

 
Constructivism and Social Relativism

 
Bio-Psycho-Social Point of View

 
Behaviorism

 
Legal Approach

 
Social Constructionism

 
Evolutionary Perspectives

 
Developmental Theory

 
Evolution and Attachment Theory

 
Strategy-Based Theories

 
Interview with Dr. Todd Shackelford

 
 
Chapter 6: Sexuality Development and Developmental Psychology
Development of Gender

 
Interview with Gender Identity Expert Dr. Kenneth Zucker

 
Interview with Transgender Author and Clinician Dr. Diane Ehrensaft

 
The Development of Sexual Behavior

 
The Maturation of Sexual Behavior

 
Developmental Abnormalities

 
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

 
Biological Influences on Homosexuality

 
 
Chapter 7: The Psychology of Sexual Anatomy and Physiology
The External Male Sex Organs

 
The Internal Male Sex Organs

 
Hormones: Reproduction, and Sexual Development

 
Male Sexual Functions

 
The Female External Sex Organs

 
The Internal Female Reproductive System

 
Hormones and Reproduction

 
The Female Sexual Response

 
Sexual Responses in Men and Women

 
Aging

 
 
Chapter 8: Theories of Love and Attachment and Mating
The Evolutionary Approach to Love

 
Evolution, Cognition, and Motivation

 
Attachment Theory

 
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

 
Neurology and the Science of Love

 
Interview with Dr. Helen Fisher

 
Relationships and Commitment

 
 
Chapter 9: Dating and Mating
The Psychology of Dating

 
Evolutionary Perspectives on Dating/Mating Behavior

 
Interview with Dr. Douglas Kenrick

 
Mate Choice

 
Short-Term Mating Strategies

 
Case of Roderick

 
Long-Term Mating Strategies

 
Issues in Relationships

 
Culture and Sexual Behavior

 
Sexual Orientation

 
Agrarian and Hunter-Gatherer Societies versus Industrial Societies

 
Eastern versus Western

 
 
Sexual Pathologies

 
Current Trends in Courtship and Mating

 
 
Chapter 10: Sexual Disorders and Paraphilias
Classifying Sexual Disorders and Dysfunctions

 
Perspectives on Sexual Dysfunction

 
Prevalence and Incidence of Sexual Disorders

 
Paraphilias

 
Case of Andy: A Paraphile Seeking Help

 
Dimensions of Paraphilic Sexuality

 
The Structure of Paraphilias

 
Prevalence of Paraphilias

 
Theories Related to Paraphilia

 
Theories of Masochistic Sexuality

 
Evolutionary Perspectives

 
 
Chapter 11: Treatment of Sexual Problems
Case of Sharon: Abuse, Masochism, and Troilism

 
The Nuances of Sexual Assessment

 
Case of Fabrice

 
Common Factors in Sexual Treatments

 
Cognitive Approach

 
Behavioral Approach

 
Treatment of Troubled Relationships

 
Paraphilias

 
Problems with Arousal

 
The Case of Lorraine and Mark – Loss of Passion

 
Infidelity or "Cheating"

 
The Case of Linda and Vlad’s Marital Infidelity

 
 
Chapter 12: Sexuality and the Internet
Online Sexual Activities

 
Dating and Casual Encounters

 
Dating and Hookup Statistics

 
Cybersex

 
Pornography

 
Adult Websites

 
Interview with Mike Stabile

 
Erotic Stories

 
Gender Differences in Online Sexual Behaviors

 
The Case of Arnet

 
Effects of Online Sexual Material

 
Self-Expression

 
Online Sexual Predators

 
 
References

Supplements

Instructor Site

Password-protected Instructor Resources include the following:

  • Microsoft® Word test bank, is available containing multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter. The test bank provides you with a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity for editing any question and/or inserting your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.
  • Editable, chapter-specific Microsoft® PowerPoint® slides offer you complete flexibility in easily creating a multimedia presentation for your course. Highlight essential content and features.
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to certain full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected for each chapter. Each article supports and expands on the concepts presented in the chapter. This feature also provides questions to focus and guide student interpretation. Combine cutting-edge academic journal scholarship with the topics in your course for a robust classroom experience.
  • Sample course syllabus provides suggested models for use when creating the syllabi for your courses.
  • Additional readings provide a jumping-off point for course assignments, papers, research, group work, and class discussion.
  • Audio interviews and questions
Student Study Site

The open-access Student Study Site includes the following:

  • Audio interviews
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to certain full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected for each chapter. Each article supports and expands on the concepts presented in the chapter. This feature also provides questions to focus and guide student interpretation. Combine cutting-edge academic journal scholarship with the topics in your course for a robust classroom experience.
  • Additional readings provide a jumping-off point for course assignments, papers, research, group work, and class discussion.

“In Sexuality and Its Disorders, Mike Abrams shares a wealth of knowledge about sexual matters gleaned from decades of observation and study. He shares fascinating facts, such as the myriad reasons why people have sex in the first place. Who knew that there are scores of reasons that go way beyond the obvious one – people do it for pleasure? Anyone who appreciates that sex is a crucial component of life, and who wonders about its scientific underpinnings, will learn a great deal from this book.”

Elizabeth F. Loftus, PhD
Distinguished Professor, University of California, Irvine

“This is a first-class text on human sexuality. Its scope is wide-ranging with historical and theoretical depth that gives readers a fabulous overview of the field. It springs to life with lively interviews conducted with today’s leading sexual scientists. And although theoretically eclectic, it uses a sophisticated evolutionary perspective to tie together the fascinating and diverse threads that make up human sexuality.”

David M. Buss
The University of Texas at Austin

“In this volume Mike Abrams has brought together great minds in this complex field. His insightful interviews, in particular, add new dimensions to our understanding of one of the world’s oldest mysteries – what is sex and what are the origins of variations in sexuality?”

C. Sue Carter
Director, The Kinsey Institute

“Mike Abrams has written a superbly comprehensive—and imminently readable—overview of historical and recent work on sexuality and disorders of sexuality. Students and instructors will find Dr. Abrams’s writing style engaging and straightforward, bringing excitement and enthusiasm to a fascinating field.”

Todd K. Shackelford, PhD
Distinguished Professor and Chair Co-Director, Evolutionary Psychology Lab

“Sex is an endlessly fascinating topic. Mike Abrams, a leading thinker on intimacy and sexuality, and treatments of these, lays out the story for us. Sexuality and Its Disorders is an engaging and informative book that should be of interest to lay people and professionals alike.”

Joseph LeDoux
Author of Anxious (Viking, 2015)

“This text fills an important but largely ignored gap by providing an accessible and comprehensive text on the psychology of sex and intimate relationships.”

Sue Becker
Teesside University

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 6

Chapter 11


Michael P. Abrams

Mike Abrams, Ph.D., ABPP is a practicing psychologist with 30 years experience. He is a board certified Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology, a Supervisor, Fellow and Diplomate of the Albert Ellis Institute. He is on the graduate psychology faculty of New York University where he has taught graduate courses in sexuality and psychotherapy.  His work on sex related issues began with his work at GMHC with people with AIDS; he was the first non-gay psychologist to volunteer to do such work in the mid 1980’s.  He spebt nearly 4 years helping, pro-bono, afflicted individuals along with their lovers and... More About Author

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