The document discusses three theories that could help Dennis understand his sexual issues: Symbolic Interaction Theory, Cognitive Theory, and Gender Schema Theory. It determines that Cognitive Theory would be most effective for Dennis, as it could help him restructure negative thought patterns regarding sexuality developed from cultural influences. A systems perspective and neurological factors like dopamine production are also relevant to Dennis's case.

1. RELEVANT THEORIES AND MODELS 1
Identifying Relevant Theories and Models
Marie Overbaugh
COUN 5225: Human Sexuality
May 22, 2016
Professor: Dr. Page

2. RELEVANT THEORIES AND MODELS 2
Introduction
This paper addresses the case of Dennis. Dennis is a middle-aged man that presented with
frustration and concern over his inability to develop and maintain an erection with his wife
without first engaging in pornographic images. He further presented with excessive use of
alcohol. Here is a brief overview, analysis, and justification, for three theories that could help
Dennis better understand and subsequently resolve some of his concerns. The three theories
include the Symbolic Interaction Theory, Cognitive Theory, and Gender Schema Theory. A
difficult decision was reached to apply the Cognitive Theory to Dennis’ needs, with an
explanation to justify the decision. In addition, a brief explanation of some of the neurological
influences that could be impacting his sexual dysfunction was added, as well as, an explanation
as to how handling this issue with Dennis would benefit from taking a close look at his concerns
from a system’s perspective.

3. RELEVANT THEORIES AND MODELS 3
Symbolic Interaction Theory
From a sociological perspective, the Symbolic Interaction Theory proposes that some of
the sexual difficulties Dennis is experiencing with his wife may be because sex symbolizes a
different meaning for him than it does for her (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). Given some of the
details of Dennis’ relationship with sex, such as a very long pattern of seeking sexual
gratification with the use of pornography, and years of extramarital sex, for him sex symbolizes
merely pleasure. On the other hand, his wife of 25 years, symbolizes sex with her desire for
intimacy and continued commitment to her husband. Due to this difference in symbolic
meanings for sex, and his reluctance to this point to offer her some self-disclosure on the topic,
there is virtually no effective communication between them. Hyde & DeLamater (2014)
explains further that consistent with this theory, Dennis is attempting to be proactive, or take the
initiative to help his wife understand his goal. The problem though is that Dennis’s goals are
entirely different that those of his wife. Since he stated that he has just recently offered her some
self-disclosure regarding his need for pornography before having sex with her, she is displaying
resistance to his demand. Without her cooperation, states Hyde & DeLamater, Dennis cannot
reach his goal. This approach could work for Dennis if and only if he can reach a mutual
agreement with his wife as to the symbolic meaning and the purpose of their love making by
either restating an earlier purpose or negotiating a new one (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014).
Dennis’ current symbolic meaning for sex has influenced his image of himself and the
image he sees has an impact on how he relates to others, as well as, how other’s relate back to
him (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). Dennis stated that when he makes eye contact with another
woman all he can think about is having sex with her, and he believes she is thinking the same
thing. This points to the assumption that the image he has developed of himself, has somehow
warped his sense of reality, and his sense of right and wrong. Dennis will need some cognitive

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therapy to help him sort out his thoughts, establish new goals, and distinguish between reality
and non-reality.
Cognitive Theory
Dennis began the interview with the therapist by blaming his wife for his sexual
dysfunction because she just does not understand his needs. When actually it may be safe to say
that Dennis is suffering from such psychological distress that he cannot understand or own up to
his responsibility for his problems. Hyde & DeLamater explain that this kind of psychological
distress is brought about by, “. . . unpleasant thoughts that are not tuned to reality and include
misconceptions, distortions, exaggerations of problems, and unreasonably negative evaluations
of events (2014)”. From a cognitive standpoint, according to Walen & Roth (1987) as cited by
Hyde & DeLamater (2014), how Dennis perceives and evaluates his inability be aroused by his
wife and develop an erection makes a huge difference. Dennis’ thought patterns pertaining to his
sexuality seem rigid and negative. He knows what he wants (pornography before sex with his
wife) and he does not grasp the reason why this need of his should impact how she relates to
him. With the use of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, Dennis could begin to restructure his thought
process and reduce his negative attitude toward having sex with his wife (Hyde & DeLamater,
2014). In order to successfully accomplish this goal, it might be necessary to determine and
evaluate his gender schema.
Gender Schema Theory
In Dennis’ case, as in all other cases, his cultural background and gender development
process should be evaluated to determine if there are any past influences that are effecting his
sexual behavior today. With the Gender Schema Theory, directly associated with cognitive
psychology, Dennis can be helped with understanding his general knowledge frame-work
pertaining to his sexuality (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). In other words, Dennis could benefit

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from looking back to his adolescence when he developed his first ideas about sex and his role as
a Mexican-American male. The reason this seems important in Dennis’s case is because his first
experience or impression of sex was initiated by his father providing him with pornography.
Another factor is the influence that his father, being of Mexican decent, had on his attitude
toward sex and woman. These influences created a core belief or schema that organizes and
guides his perception about sex (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). With an opportunity to question
and/or justify those perceptions, it is possible that Dennis can redevelop a schema that would
better support his needs as an adult.
Most Effective Theory for Identified Case
In Dennis’ case, it is difficult to select only one most effective theory to address his
situation. Just as there are several stages of his sexuality development throughout his life span,
so too are there different methodologies to address those stages. As an adolescent, he was
introduced to pornography and masturbation, which in itself is normal (Hyde & DeLamater,
2014), but the manner in which it was introduced, i.e., by a father whose concept of sexuality is
different from the society Dennis now must answer to, poses a problem for him. This is one
example of why and how Dennis perceives sex the way he does. With Cognitive Therapy,
Dennis can dig deep into his ideas and beliefs about sex and determine if they are still relevant
for him as a middle-aged adult living in a primarily Euro-American society. Dennis is full of
frustration, anger, confusion, and negativity, in regard to his current sex life. With Cognitive
Therapy, he could gain a better understanding of where this thought process is coming from, and
transform those thoughts into more positive ones.
The Neuroscience of Human Sexuality
There are two possible neurological conditions affecting Dennis. His inability to form an
erection and his addiction’s to alcohol and sex. Referring to Master’s and Johnson’s Sexual

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Response Cycle, Dennis’problem with acquiring an erection is neurologically and
physiologically impacted by his aging, his use of alcohol, and possible fatigue (Hyde &
DeLamater, 2014). Kaplan’s Triphasic Model further explains, that neurologically,
Dennis’erection impairment probably is caused by The Vascocongestion Response, which is
narrowly impacted by the aging process (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). Kaplan’s model, opposed
to Master’s and Johnson’s model, however, also takes into consideration Dennis’
psychological/cognitive functioning which in some cases is also influenced by neurological
changes in the brain (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). One of the neurological changes in the brain
that could be influencing Dennis’s behavior, i.e., his addictions to alcohol and sex, is his brains
production of the ‘feel good’ hormone Dopamine.
Dennis stated in the interview that sometimes he wishes that he did not need to rely on
pornography anymore to acquire sexual gratification. This statement signifies the possibility that
the reward center in his brain is not as satisfying as it once was. In translation, according to,
How Addiction Hijacks the Brain. (2011), he is experiencing the phase in his addiction to sex
where the reward center in his brain has surpassed its tolerance for dopamine. Dopamine is the
‘feel good’ hormone that fuels the brain’s reward center (How Addiction Hijacks the Brain,
2011)). With excessive amounts of this hormone being produced in the brain because of Dennis’
daily use of pornography, he developed a tolerance, which causes him to need more and more
pornography to maintain the level of pleasure that it once did (How Addiction Hijacks the Brain,
2011). Consequently, Dennis’ addiction is out of control and he is at least considering how much
better his life could be without this addiction.
A Systems Perspective
From a systems perspective, Hyde & DeLamater (2014) inform that in all societies and
cultures there are rules and established norms that dictate how a society should act in regard to

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marriage, family, and sex. Being raised by an American mother and a Mexican father, Dennis
presumably experienced some contradictions regarding those rules and norms, which in turn
somewhat interfered with his psychosexual development. On one hand, his father being of
Mexican decent, likely influenced Dennis’ concept of male behavior, including machismo.
Machismo plays a significant role in male sexual culture (Hirsch, 2012). One of the
disadvantages of this influence is that Dennis lives in an American society, where his father’s
influence has negatively impacted his ability to see women in a more positive and respectable
light. In essence, Dennis seems to have disregarded the social norms of sexuality in the society
he lives in as evidenced by his attitude toward women, his unwillingness to concede that he may
be at fault instead of his wife, and his admission to participating in several extramarital affairs in
which he feels no regret or remorse.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a look at the theories that have been developed to assist people such as
Dennis with sexual dysfunction and addiction has shown that there are many facets of human
sexuality that require attention in order to effectively diagnose and treat disorders. The Symbolic
Interaction Theory addresses the importance of how symbols or labels people use to determine
the meaning of sex for them can sometimes be totally different from their partners and can cause
serious problems. Cognitive Theory addresses the thought processes that people have and how
challenging and altering those patterns of thinking can create positive change in their sex life.
Finally, the Schema Theory addresses people’s core schema or the concrete ideas and beliefs that
were developed early in their life span that might be contradicting to their present reality. Along
with studying these theories, it is imperative to take into consideration the real affect that a
person’s neurological system can pose, particularly later in their lifespan. Finally, since society,

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families, and institutional norms, all influence sexual identification and behavior, it is necessary
to determine how each one may have contributed to the person’s sexual concerns.

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References
Hirsch, Jennifer (2012) “The Social Constructions of Sexuality: Marital Infidelity and Sexually
Transmitted Disease–HIV Risk in a Mexican Migrant Community.” Am J Public
Health. 2002; 92(8): 1227–1237.
How addiction hijacks the brain. (2011, 07). Harvard Health Publications.the Harvard Mental Health
Letter, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/
Hyde, J., & DeLamater, J. D. (2014). Understanding human sexuality (12th ed.). New York, NY.
McGraw-Hill.

10. RELEVANT THEORIES AND MODELS 9
References
Hirsch, Jennifer (2012) “The Social Constructions of Sexuality: Marital Infidelity and Sexually
Transmitted Disease–HIV Risk in a Mexican Migrant Community.” Am J Public
Health. 2002; 92(8): 1227–1237.
How addiction hijacks the brain. (2011, 07). Harvard Health Publications.the Harvard Mental Health
Letter, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/
Hyde, J., & DeLamater, J. D. (2014). Understanding human sexuality (12th ed.). New York, NY.
McGraw-Hill.