Have Sex on the Mind?
Professor Heather Molenda-Figueira giving her presentation on the psychology of sex. Photo by Ross Vetterkind

Have Sex on the Mind?

On Thursday night Heather Molenda-Figueria, assistant professor at the department of psychology, hosted a lecture that every student on campus has questions about: “The Psychology of Sex.”

All 14 rows within the Dreyfus University Center’s theater were full to understand the psychology of sex, attraction and arousal.

“Sexual orientation is the direction of a person’s sexual feelings,” stated Molenda-Figueria at the initiation of her talk.

The highly academic lecture tackled numerous aspects of sexuality, and students throughout the theater had pens to paper, furiously taking notes.

Molenda-Figueria focused on the sexual orientation spectrum which was explained through many informative charts and scales, such as the Kinsey Scale and the newly created Klein Sexual Orientation Grid.

Homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, asexual and pansexual were defined and debunked of some common misconceptions. For example, women are more likely to be lesbians because they need more emotional responsiveness in relationships, while another was the fallacy that those who identify as pansexual experienced arousal toward animals.

Professor Molenda-Figueria brought knowledge and explanations to the students of the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point, allowing a greater understanding to many different topics.

Beyond the topic of orientation, Molenda-Figueria focused the second half of her lecture on the science of attraction and arousal

“I think talks like these are very important, especially for college students. Everyone has sex, and it’s important to understand that there isn’t just straight and gay, but an entire spectrum that people identify on,” Leah Smith,  a business major, said .

The academic lecture was not the sole reason for some students to attend the talk. Some students came for class assignments, while others came for the free amenities provided by the women’s resource center on campus.

“I came for the free condoms,” stated one student.

“The Psychology of Sex” lecture was an easy way for students to find answers to the inevitable questions that teens and young adults have in regards to sex and seuxality.

Libby Bonnin, clinical laboratory science major, said, “It was an interesting lecture. I’m sure a lot of students learned about sexuality and arousal that they would not have learned anywhere else. It was great for the university to offer an opportunity for students to learn more about sex.”

 

Sydney DenHartigh

Reporter

sdenh702@uwsp.edu

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