An evolutionary behaviorist perspective on orgasm

An evolutionary behaviorist perspective on orgasm

Evolutionary explanations for sexual behavior and orgasm most often posit facilitating reproduction as the primary function (i.e. greater rate of fertilization). Other reproductive benefits of sexual pleasure and orgasm such as improved bonding of parents have also been discussed but not thoroughly. Although sex is known to be highly reinforcing, behaviorist principles are rarely invoked alongs...

An Evolutionary Perspective on Morality

Moralbehaviorandconcern forothersare sometimesargued tosethumansapart fromother species. However, there is some evidence that humans are not the only animal species to possess these characteristics.Work frombehavioral biology andneurosciencehas indicated that some of these traits are present in other species, including other primates. Studying these behaviors in other species can inform us abou...

An evolutionary perspective on psychiatry.

Recent progress in the evolutionary understanding of behavior may greatly assist psychiatry. Although explanations of psychopathology have traditionally emphasized proximate causes of individual differences, consideration of the evolutionary functions of human behavior is essential for psychiatry, just as biology, ethology, and medicine routinely consider both proximate and evolutionary explana...

Review Symposium Sometimes an Orgasm Is Just an Orgasm

An Evolutionary Perspective on Substance Abuse

This article describes how recent advances in understanding the evolutionary functions of emotions can help to reconcile diverse approaches to substance abuse. Emotions can be understood as specialized states that prepare individuals to cope with opportunities and threats. Drugs that artificially induce pleasure or block normal suffering disrupt these evolved mechanisms, and thus should tend to...