Reproductive Psychology

8/14/2019 Reproductive Psychology

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BehaviouralNeuroscience (Psy2042)

Lecture Five (23rd April)

[email protected]


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[email protected]

Fluid Balance Intracellular Fluid (67%)

Extracellular Fluid Interstitial fluid (26%)

Blood plasma (7%)Cerebrospinal fluid (~1%)


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Two types of Thirst Loss of intracellular water

Osmometric Thirst Loss of blood plasma

Volumetric Thirst


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Lamina Terminalis

Anterior Cingulate


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Empty Stomach? Stomach releases the hormone

Ghrelin (GH Releasin) When stomach full, the release

of Ghrelin is suppressed


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Reproductive Behaviour


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X

Y

XX: FemaleXY: Male


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Lecture AimsSexual Development

Hormones (Menstruation)Male/Female Behaviour

Sexual Orientation


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Reproduction Pretty vital(!)

Human beings are sexuallydimorphic (two forms)MenWomen


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FertilisationMale: X or Y

Female: X


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Sex Organs (Gonads) Until 6th week, male and female

foetuses are identicalGonads become ovariesunless otherwise instructed to

become testes


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Male or female? Hormones being secreted

These have an organisationaleffect on gonads and the brain


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Masculinisation? Mllerian System (female)

Wolffian System (male)


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Mllerian System


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Wolffian System


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Masculinisation? Determined by presence or

absence of testes hormones1] Anti-Mllerian hormone

2] Androgens


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Sexual Maturation Secondarysexual characteristics

are not present at birth:


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Puberty Hypothalamus

Gonadotropin-releasinghormones (GnRH)

Pituitary GlandGonadotropic hormones


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Gonadotropic Hormones

Harris and Jacobson (1951, 1952)

They swapped pituitary glandsbetween male and female rats

Luteinising Hormone

(LH)

Follicle-Stimulating

Hormone (FSH)


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Hormones & Behaviour

Having the physique of a man

or a woman affects behaviour But hormones do more than

give us a particular body


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Menstrual Cycle (Estrous cycle in other animals)

Female rats in estrus actdifferently (due to hormones)

Males act differently near her


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Remember Leptin?

E i ff f l d i


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Exercise can affect female reproduction

Bale et al. (1996)


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Female Preferences More at risk with bad decisions

Millions of sperm400 viable eggs

Trials of pregnancy andchildrearing are arduous


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Male Preferences Health and Youth (Buss, 1994)

Physical Appearance

Behaviour

C t t d (S ith 2005)


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Computer-generated (Smith, 2005)


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Male Behaviour Intromission (entry)

Pelvic Thrusting Ejaculation

Refractory period


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Male AggressionAdult males fight for territory

and access to femalesAndrogen (e.g. Testosterone)

Occurs prenatallyAgain at puberty


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Male Aggression 92% of car horn tooting is

done by men 96% of burglaries

88% of murders

90% prison population male


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Shuster (2007)Stereotypical

and predictableresponses


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Alexander & Hines (2002)

Young Vervet Monkeys


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Female AggressionAdults females meeting in

neutral territory wont fightTestosterone still important


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0M

0M


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Sexual Orientation Some believe it is determined

by childhood experiences Bell, Weinberg & Hammersmith

(1981) found no evidence of:


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A biological cause? No variation in sex hormones

Subtle differences in the brain?


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Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Too many androgens in system

Boys develop normallyGirls may suffer masculination

Females with CAH more likely tobe attracted to other woman


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Toy Preferences Boys prefer active toys; girls prefer

nurturance (Alexander, 2003)

Note: caregivers and peers mayencourage certain types of toy

Even at day one, boys prefermoving mobiles; girls prefer humanfaces (Connellan et al., 2001)


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Whats happening?Androgens may be affecting

development of the brain

The women involved aremasculinised, though still able

to produce and bear children


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Androgenisation In males, pre-natal hormones:

Defeminise and Masculinise Failure of androgenisation?


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The Human brain Male and Female versions:

Corpus CallosumMale brain is larger

(Certain other regions)


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Autopsy (LeVay, 1991)


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Martin & Nguyen (2004)Bars show Means

0 1 2 3 4 5

0.780

0.790

0.800

Arms/statureratioArms/Legs

Ratio

Hetero Homo Homo Hetero


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Ward (1972) Maternal stress in rats:

Confined pregnant mothers Exposure to bright light

Suppressed androgen production


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Orientation 1] Prenatal hormone exposure

2] HeredityAffect sexual orientation?


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Reading (this week)

Carlson (9e)

Pages 328-349 (Ch 10)Pinel (7e)

Pages 320-346 (Ch 13)


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Reproductive Psychology

Documents

Transcript of Reproductive Psychology