The first step in bringing two individuals together is sexual attraction. An individual who posses sexually selected traits can be seen as desirable by a  potential mate. Attraction is shaped by association and life experiences (an individual's definition of "attractive" can change and develop with experience). We can measure attractiveness by watching responses of potential mates, however, attractiveness is not necessarily objective. 

Sexual Attraction

Appetitive behaviors are behaviors that start and continue sexual interaction. When a female displays her readiness it is called being proceptive. Behaviors vary across species but they include staying close to a mate, sniffing, wiggling ears for rats, or engaging in song for birds. This is the second step of reproductive behavior, so once two individuals are attracted to each other, they display these species-specific behaviors in order to engage in sexual acts. 

Appetitive Behavior

If both individuals display appetitive behaviors, copulation, which is the sexual act, will occur. In mammals, copulation includes one or more intromissions, which leads to stimulation, and finishes with ejaculation. The four stages of human copulation observed in males and females are increasing excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. 

Copulation

Postcopulatory behaviors vary across species but include grooming (rats), rolling (cats), and parental behaviors (mammals and birds). 

Postcopulatory Behavior

Reproductive behavior has four main stages: 
- Sexual attraction
- Appetitive behavior
- Copulation
- Postcopulatory behavior

University of California, Davis

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

- Reproductive behavior regulation
- Pheromones
- Parental care

Focuses of Sexual Behavior

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Reproductive Behavior

Pheromones are specialized chemical messages secreted by an individual to communicate with other members of the same species. This type of communication is often utilized to broadcast a potential mate's reproductive status.

Pheromones

Behavior that follows copulation and is necessary for raising offspring. Very important for humans because our newborns are considered altricial, meaning  we are not born with high level motor and sensory skills. 

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