Sexual attraction
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Sexual attraction or sex appeal refers to a person's ability to attract in a sexual or erotic manner the interest of another person.
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About sexual attraction
Human sexuality has many aspects. Biologically, sexuality refers to the reproductive mechanism as well as the basic biological drive that exists in all species and can encompass sexual intercourse and sexual contact in all its forms. There are also emotional or physical aspect of sexuality, which refers to the bond that exists between individuals, which may be expressed through profound feelings or emotions, and which may be manifested in physical or medical concerns about the physiological or even psychological aspects of sexual behaviour. Sociologically, it can cover the cultural, political, and legal aspects; and philosophically, it can span the moral, ethical, theological, spiritual or religious aspects.
Which aspects of a person's sexuality attracts another is influenced by cultural factors, and varies over time, as well as personal factors. Influencing factors may be determined more locally among sub-cultures, across sexual fields, or simply by the preferences of the individual. These preferences come about as a result of a complex variety of genetic, psychological, and cultural factors. The sexual attraction of one person to another depends on both people.
Much of human sexual attractiveness is governed by physical attractiveness. This involves the impact one's appearance has on the senses, especially in the beginning of a relationship:
- Visual perception (how the other looks and acts);
- Audition (how the other's voice and/or movements sound).
- Olfaction (how the other smells, naturally or artificially; the wrong smell may be repellent);
As with other animals, pheromones may also enter into the picture, though less significantly. Theoretically, the "wrong" pheromone may cause someone to be disliked, even when they would otherwise appear attractive. Frequently a pleasant smelling perfume is used to encourage the member of the opposite sex to more deeply inhale the air surrounding its wearer[citation needed], increasing the probability that the pheromones from the individual will also be inhaled. The importance of pheromones in human relationships is probably limited and is widely disputed,[1] although it appears to have some scientific basis.[2]
Many people exhibit high levels of sexual fetishism, and are sexually stimulated by other stimuli not normally associated with sexual arousal. The degree to which such fetishism exists or has existed in different cultures is controversial.
See also
- Mating systems
- Erotic capital
- Erogenous zone
- Human height
- Human physical appearance
- Interpersonal attraction
- Lookism
- Physical attractiveness
- Sexual arousal
- Sex in advertising
- Sexual dimorphism
- Sexual field
- Sexual selection
- Sex symbol
Notes
- ^ "Will pheromones make you irresistible to the opposite sex?". The Straight Dope. http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_206.html. Retrieved on November 30 2006.
- ^ "First Evidence of a Human Response to Pheromones". ScientificAmerican.com. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0007F9B4-B6D4-1C60-B882809EC588ED9F&sc=I100322. Retrieved on November 30 2006.
References
- Menstrual cycle, trait estrogen level, and masculinity preferences in the human voice
- On pecularities of Russian sex appeal, see Emil Draitser, Making War, Not Love: Gender and Sexuality in Russian Humor. (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000.), pp. 13-32. ISBN 0312221290
External links
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This article's external links may not follow Wikipedia's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links. |
- Sexual Attraction Among Humans
- FaceResearch – Scientific research and online studies on the role of faces in sexual attraction
- Reunions Set Off Sex Urges, Article on sexual attraction among birth relatives sparked by reunion.
- www.lookism.info deconstruction of attraction and beauty standards
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