Lovemaking as a ceremony of accreditation.
In this article, the significance of lovemaking as a ceremony of mutual accreditation is explored, as well as some ramifications of viewing it as such. The article (a) summarizes a well-researched formulation of the nature of romantic love; (b) provides a detailed view, based on this formulation, of what lovemaking is all about for lovers and thus the enormous importance its presence (or absence) has in most people's lives; (c) explicates the relevance of the above to understanding the powerful attraction that some ostensibly non-loving sexual behavior (e.g., that of the conquest seeker or the pornography addict) exercises over certain individuals; and (d) demonstrates how the present account clarifies an essential characteristic common to all sexual disorders and thus may be used to define the notion of "sexual disorder" itself.
Bergner
Raymond M
RM
Department of Psychology, Illinois State University, Norman, Illinois 61790-4620, USA. rmbergn@ilstu.edu
D003075:Coitus / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D035502:Trust