 |
| Title | Objects of Desire: How evolved, instinctual motivational/reinforced mechanisms and sexual difference in the human brain accounts for psychopathologies. |
| Author | Morris, Trevor J. |
| Abstract | This paper examines the variable of sexual development and sexual influences on the brain, and how the sex variable affects instinctual behaviors in males and females. An evolutionary framework is employed to argue that psychological mechanisms evolved to enhance survival in the past can, in fact, explain some behaviors (i.e. motivational and certain addictive behavior) that are harmful today. It is now known that subtle anatomical differences between the male and female brain exist. While IQ between the sexes is about the same, males and females as disparate groups, test differently on certain cognitive skills (i.e. different means and standard deviations between the sexes). But, as for humans, what do these subtle structural differences mean for instinctual behaviors necessary for survival and how abnormal behaviors can be caused by the motivational/reinforcement behaviors of the brain. Certain behaviors such as pathological gambling, pornography, and written erotica (i.e. romance novels) are viewed in terms of the sex difference of the brain in males and females and why certain behaviors are more prevalent in one sex or the other. In fact, damage to the regulatory mechanism changes the normal process of the reward systems of the brain and leads to extreme behavior more prevalent in one sex. |
| Contributors | Utah Valley University |
| Edition | Electronic reproduction |
| Date Original | 2006-04-27 |
| Publisher Digital | Digitized by: Utah Valley University Library |
| Date Digital | 2007-04-27 |
| Physical Description | 35 pages; 22 cm. inches; |
| Owning Institution | Utah Valley University Library |
| Subject | Brain--Sex differences
Sex differences (Psychology)
|
| Local Subjects | Psychology: Behavioral Science |
| Language | eng |
| Collection Name | Utah Valley University Thesis Collection |
| Rights | The author retains all copyright ownership. The right to download or print any of the pages of these theses is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or classroom use. The author retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any reproduction or editing by any means mechanical or electronic without the express written permission of the copyright owner is strictly prohibited. |
| Copyright Status/Owner | Author |
| Type | Text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Metadata Entry Date | 2007-04-27 |
| Metadata Entry Tool | CONTENTdm Acquisition Station 4.2 |
| Publication Type | Honors Thesis |
| Degree | Psychology |
| Department | Behavioral Science |
| School/College | Humanities and Social Science |
| Degree Granting Institution | Utah Valley University |
| conversion/Specifications | Cannon ImageRUNNER 2022i |
| Refresh | 2009-04-27 |
| File Size | 217kb |
| Color Space | Not Available |
| Height | Not Available |
| Width | Not Available |
| Media Type | PDF |
| User Name | uvsc |
| Checksum | 0x4820DF4F |
