Research News
Dr Rob King's Book Naturally Selective discussed on the Nature/Nurture podcast
Researchers of human behaviour have identified an "orgasm gap": Men usually orgasm during intercourse, whereas women often do not. This book addresses this mystery. The two leading explanations are either that women are “psychologically broken” - Freud’s theory – or badly designed – the “by-product theory.” However, there is a much more compelling third explanation. Evolutionary biology, anatomy, physiology, and direct sex research suggest women have evolved under their own selection pressures and orgasm is a fitness-increasing consequence of such selective factors. This is revealed in their patterns of orgasmic response, which are neither random nor inexplicable.
In the Nature/Nurture podcast we discuss
0:03:23 - The ‘orgasm gap’ between men and women
0:05:25 - Evolutionary perspectives on female orgasm
0:07:51 - Mating behaviors across species
0:09:32 - Sperm competition and sexual dimorphism
0:14:16 - Similarities in reproductive anatomy across males and females
0:16:58 - The psychology of foreplay and cultural attitudes towards sex
0:20:03 - What do women want in men?
0:23:10 - Cuckoldry, infidelity, and monogamy
0:26:59 - Oxytocin, pairbonding, and marriage
0:28:20 - Sex and cultural differences in attraction
0:34:19 - Orgasm research in the lab
0:42:38 - Are there different types of orgasms?
0:47:25 - Why sex research is good for society
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/5n8d8pah
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4cesrr8a
For more on this story contact:
Dr Robert King; R.King@ucc.ie