Book contents
- Motivational Systems
- Motivational Systems
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Boxes
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Models of Motivation
- 3 Needs, Drives, and Arousal
- 4 Incentive Motivation
- 5 Levels of Control
- 6 Wanting and Liking
- 7 Regulation and Control: From Homeostasis to Emotion Modulation
- 8 Emotions, Moods, and Affect – Their Link to Motivation
- 9 Feeding Motivation
- 10 The Motivation to Drink Water and Ingest Salts
- 11 Sexual Motivation
- 12 Exploratory Motivation
- 13 Fear, Avoidance, and Security
- 14 Aggression
- 15 Pain
- 16 Social Motivation: Belonging, Affiliation, and Attachment
- 17 Drugs and Addiction
- 18 Addictions to Things Other than Drugs
- 19 Summary and Integration
- Glossary
- References
- Index
11 - Sexual Motivation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 June 2026
Book contents
- Motivational Systems
- Motivational Systems
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Boxes
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Models of Motivation
- 3 Needs, Drives, and Arousal
- 4 Incentive Motivation
- 5 Levels of Control
- 6 Wanting and Liking
- 7 Regulation and Control: From Homeostasis to Emotion Modulation
- 8 Emotions, Moods, and Affect – Their Link to Motivation
- 9 Feeding Motivation
- 10 The Motivation to Drink Water and Ingest Salts
- 11 Sexual Motivation
- 12 Exploratory Motivation
- 13 Fear, Avoidance, and Security
- 14 Aggression
- 15 Pain
- 16 Social Motivation: Belonging, Affiliation, and Attachment
- 17 Drugs and Addiction
- 18 Addictions to Things Other than Drugs
- 19 Summary and Integration
- Glossary
- References
- Index
Summary
There are a wide range of sexual desires and intensities. What kind of motivational system could generate this? Appetitive and consummatory behaviour are distinct. There are on-line and off-line contributions. Hormones sensitize sexual motivation. There are organizational and activational phases of hormone action. People offer 237 reasons why they have sex. Wanting and liking are distinct. Sexual desire and sexual arousal are distinct but interactive. Excitation transfer is discussed. There are three levels of inhibition. The chapter discusses different brain regions and neurochemicals. The chapter describes ‘sexual priors’, the Coolidge Effect and the relevance of ‘life-history theory’. Sexual fantasy is rooted in part in incentive motivation. The complexities of sexual orientation are discussed, in terms of the incentive motivation model. Sexual desire often does not exist in isolation. Rather, it can interact with attachment, anger/aggression, and certain drugs (i.e. stimulants). The chapter then considers a number of paraphilias.
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- Motivational SystemsA Biopsychological Introduction, pp. 202 - 233Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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