The Psychology of Human Sexuality

Praise for the first edition
"Lehmiller has written an impressive, up-to-date coverage of human sexuality. Well-researched and beautifully written, it surveys the vast and tangled realm of human sexual behavior with gentle respect and insight. Everyone will learn something new from this book and come away impressed with a new appreciation of this vital domain of human social life."

Roy Baumeister, author of The Cultural Animal: Human Nature, Meaning, and Social Life

"The Psychology of Human Sexuality is a comprehensive, progressive, and in-depth research-based examination of human sexuality, covering both depth and breadth of contemporary issues in human sexuality. It would be an ideal text for a course for psychology students looking to gain a broad understanding of the field of human sexuality."

Professor Kristen P. Mark, Director of Sexual Health Promotion Lab, University of Kentucky, USA

New edition of an authoritative guide to human sexual behavior from a biopsychosocial perspective

The thoroughly revised and updated second edition of The Psychology of Human Sexuality explores the roles that biology, psychology, and the social and cultural context play in shaping human sexual behavior. The author – a noted authority on the topic and an affiliate of the acclaimed Kinsey Institute – puts the spotlight on the most recent research and theory on human sexuality, with an emphasis on psychology.

The text presents the major theoretical perspectives on human sexuality, and details the vast diversity of sexual attitudes and behaviors that exist in the modern world. The author also reviews the history of sexology and explores its unique methods and ethical considerations. Overall, this important and comprehensive text provides readers with a better understanding of, and appreciation for, the science of sex and the amazing complexity of human sexuality.

• Features broad coverage of topics including anatomy, gender and sexual orientation, sexual behaviors, sexual difficulties and solutions, prostitution, and pornography
• Offers more in-depth treatment of relationships than comparable texts, with separate chapters dealing with attraction and relationship processes
• Includes cutting-edge research on the origins of sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as new treatments for sexually transmitted infections and sexual dysfunctions
• Is written from a sex-positive perspective, with expanded coverage of cross-cultural research throughout, a new chapter on lifespan sexual development, and material that is inclusive and respectful of a diverse audience
• Includes numerous activities to facilitate dynamic and interactive classroom environments

Written for students of human sexuality and anyone interested in the topic, The Psychology of Human Sexuality offers a guide to the psychology of human sexual behavior that is at once inclusive, thorough, and authoritative in its approach.