术语“性行为（sexual behavior）”可以指表达个人性别角色的所有举止和反应。

这是一个综合的、不十分特定的定义，然而却是宽泛而自发运用的定义。这个定义只不过给人第一个印象，即人是“有性别的”生物，也就是说人是作为女人或男人的生命体。观察者依照个体的行为会立即（通常无意中）注意到这个个体的女性气质或男性气概的程度，然后对这个女性或这个男性做出符合性别特征或不太符合性别特征的界定。反过来，这个个体从能够扮演角色的能力或不能够扮演角色的能力做出自我最明智的判断，并且认同被社会所指派的性别角色。简而言之，个人的性别角色行为塑造着她或他的每一种人际相互作用关系，其中包括与他人的任何一种性欲行为的相互作用关系。

这种最基本意义的性行为，即扮演女性角色或男性角色的性行为是早于任何其它形式性行为的习得的行为。当新生儿诞生之时被命名为男孩或女孩的名字的时候，当他/她被穿上粉红色或蓝色婴儿装的时候，当他/她以性别专一性的方式对待和交谈的时候，这种学习性别角色的过程就开始了。正在成长中的孩子和青少年会被人期待着展示自己“正确的”女性或男性征象，进而，这种性别征象会影响随后所要获得的其它性行为形式。这也正是我们以下所要讨论的问题。

Introduction - What is sexual behavior?

Current Meanings of the Term 1: Gender Role Behavior

The term "sexual behavior" can refer to all actions and responses that express a person’s gender role.
This is a general, not very specific, but widely and spontaneously applied definition. It simply registers the first impression a person makes as a “sexual” being, i.e. as a female or male. Observers immediately notice, often unconsciously, the degree of femininity or masculinity in an individual’s behavior and then define it as appropriate or less appropriate to the female or male sex. The individual, in turn, derives the deepest sense of self from the ability or inability to play and identify with the assigned gender role. In short, a person’s gender role behavior shapes her or his every social interaction, including any erotic interaction with others.
Sexual behavior in this most basic sense, i.e. playing the gender role as female or male, is learned before any other form of sexual behavior. The learning process begins immediately at birth when the newborn is given a female or male first name, is dressed in pink or blue baby clothes, and is handled and talked to in gender-specific ways. The growing child and adolescent is then expected to display the “right” signs of femininity or masculinity, and this, in turn, influences the other forms of sexual behavior acquired later and discussed below.