Orgasm remains the most poorly understood of the human sexual responses. In particular, the psychological experience of orgasm is in need of research attention. The first chapter of this thesis, a critical review of the literature on human orgasm, highlights the dichotomization of the biological and psychological perspectives and the assumption of sex differences in the orgasm response within the literature. A multidimensional approach to describing the orgasm experience in both sexes is advocated, and a three-dimensional model involving sensory, evaluative, and affective dimensions and their respective components is outlined. The second chapter of this thesis summarizes an evaluation of the three-dimensional model using an adjective-rating questionnaire. A sample of 523 female and 365 male university students completed the questionnaire to convey orgasm experiences attained under solitary masturbation and sex with a partner. Results supported the applicability of the model in describing both male and female orgasm, suggesting they involve similar experiences, and revealed the evaluative and affective differences in the orgasm experience as a function of sexual context. Further inquiry into the questionnaire's psychometric properties as a measure of the subjective orgasm experience and the three-dimensional model was conducted and is covered in the third chapter of the thesis. Validity tests entailed investigating the relationships between model components and orgasm intensity, perceived location of orgasm sensation, and relationship happiness and satisfaction. A sample of 503 female and 295 male university students completed the questionnaire to describe orgasm attained through either solitary masturbation or sex with a partner. Good internal consistency of the adjective set was observed. The model again adequately described both male and female orgasm experiences as well, arguing against the reductionist perspective of male orgasm in the literature. Results als
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.36648 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Mah, Kenneth. |
| Contributors | Binik, Yitzchak M. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Psychology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001762171, proquestno: NQ64613, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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