53184 - Psychology and Psychopathology of Sexual Behaviour

Learning outcomes

At the end of the training activity, the student:

• has an in-depth knowledge of the psychology and psychopathology of sexual behavior;
• is able to evaluate the psychological aspects related to sexuality;
• has learned a rich clinical case study of the psychology and psychopathology of sexual behavior.

Course contents

The course is a module of the integrated course "“MODELLI ED INTERVENTI DI PSICOLOGIA CLINICA DEL COMPORTAMENTO SESSUALE E DELLA RIABILITAZIONE (C.I.)” and it takes place in the first semester (from September to December). The classes are held at the Cesena (FC) campus of the Department of Psychology.

The contents presented during the course are divided into 5 macro-areas and includes the following:

1. Sexual Positivity

• Cultural and Historical Perspectives of Human Sexuality
• Challenges in Integrating Sexuality into Rehabilitation

2. Sexual Health and Well-being

• Anatomy and Physiology of the Sexual Response

3. Psychological Impact of Disability or Illness on Sexuality

• Bio-Psycho-Social Model, Clinical Assessment Approach and Sexuality
• Medical and Psychiatric Comorbidities and Sexuality

4. The Psychopathology of Sexual Behavior

• Female Sexual Disorders (DSM-5TR)
• Male Sexual Disorders (DSM-5TR)

5. Education, Interventions and Principles of Sexual Therapy

Readings/Bibliography

Essential study material for exam preparation:

1. Lehmiller Justin J. The Psychology of Human Sexuality, 2nd Edition. Wiley Blackwell (2018). ISBN: 978-1-119-16470-8. (Chapters:1,2,3,4,13)
2. Balon R & Segraves RT. Clinical Manual of sexual disorders. American Psychiatric Publishing, 2009. Arlington, VA (Chapters: 2,3)
3. Kathryn S. K. Hall and Yitzchak M. Binik (a cura di). Principles and practice of sex therapy, sixth edition. The Guilford Press, (2020). New York (Part 1: chapters: 1,2,3,4,5,6, 7,8,9, 20,21).
4. Scientific articles: Additional scientific articles may be provided as supplementary exam material. These articles, if relevant for the exam, will be made available by the instructor on Virtual Teaching Resources [https://virtuale.unibo.it

Supplementary study material (not mandatory):

1. Balon R & Segraves RT. Clinical Manual of sexual disorders. American Psychiatric Publishing, 2009. Arlington, VA (Chapters: 5,6,7,8,9,10,11)
2. Lehmiller Justin J. The Psychology of Human Sexuality, 2nd Edition. Wiley Blackwell (2018). ISBN: 978-1-119-16470-8. (Chapters:2,5,6,7,8,9,12,14)
3. Stephen B. Levine, Candace B. Risen, and Stanley E. Althof. Handbook of Clinical Sexuality for Mental Health Professionals (3rd Edition). Routledge, 2016. New York and London. Section 2 (part A-B (all chapters) and C (only chapters: 15,19,20, 21,22)

PowerPoint material presented in class by the instructor will be made available at the instructor's discretion on https://virtuale.unibo.it [https://virtuale.unibo.it/] . Access to teaching materials is reserved for students enrolled at the University of Bologna. No part of the PowerPoint material available on the UNIBO site may be reproduced for any reason and in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without written permission from the instructor. The use of material made available online by the instructor cannot be used on sites other than Unibo without the instructor's permission.

Teaching methods

The lectures will be conducted in Italian with the aid of teaching materials in English. During the lectures, small group work, case analysis, seminars with professionals and experts, role-playing, and video projections will be conducted. Published scientific articles will be indicated for further integrative study. Attendance at lectures is not mandatory but is recommended for learning (see also the section on Learning Assessment Methods).

Assessment methods

The training activity is part of the integrated course "“MODELLI ED INTERVENTI DI PSICOLOGIA CLINICA DEL COMPORTAMENTO SESSUALE E DELLA RIABILITAZIONE (C.I.)."

The assessment method will consist of a single WRITTEN exam on Esami Online (EOL) and it will be conducted in conjunction with “PSICOLOGIA CLINICA DELLA RIABILITAZIONE”. The exam will have a total duration of 60 minutes and  will be structured as follows for each of the two courses: 14 multiple-choice questions (1 point for each correct answer, 0 points for incorrect or missing answers) and 1 open-ended question (up to 2 points).

This exam will serve to evaluate the adequacy of the knowledge acquired concerning the topics of the integrated course and the ability to organize and integrate information, with particular reference to clinical and therapeutic implications. The evaluation criteria used for grading the open-ended question are as follows: congruence and completeness of the answer concerning the discussed topics (0-0.60 points); critical reworking and synthesis ability of the discussed topics (0-0.60 points); completeness of the theoretical frameworks of reference (0-0.60 points). The correctness of the written language and/or providing clinical examples represent additional rewarding criteria (0-0.2 points).

Full passing of the exam (30/30) and the possible addition of honors are based on the correctness of the closed responses and the completeness and adequacy of the open response. The final grade corresponds to the sum of the evaluations obtained in the tests of the individual courses of the integrated course. The exam will be considered passed with a minimum score of 18/30. There are no intermediate tests or prerequisites before taking the final exam.

Registration for the exam is done through the AlmaEsami application, following the usual procedures. The written exam will be conducted on the UNIBO EOL platform, so students must present themselves in the classroom with their own PC, tablet, or other device, such as a mobile phone (PC is recommended). During the exam, the use of support materials such as textbooks, e-books, notes, or other electronic aids is not allowed.

Erasmus or exchange program students are invited to contact the professor at the beginning of the course. Students with disabilities or specific learning disorders can contact the professor and the University's Service for Students with Disabilities and DSA (http://www.studentidisabili.unibo.it/ ) to arrange appropriate teaching and assessment methods

Teaching tools

During the lectures, a video projector, DVD player, overhead projector, and PC will be used. Part of the PowerPoint teaching material presented in class will be made available to students. To access the teaching material, please visit: https://virtuale.unibo.it [https://virtuale.unibo.it/] .

Access to the teaching material is reserved for students enrolled at the University of Bologna.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Tomba