性行为的发展

正如性别角色行为一样，成人的性欲行为也遵循着脚本或更准确地说遵循着多种脚本的整合脚本而发展。即使对于表面上看来单一的已婚和未婚性欲行为也是如此。此处发挥作用的内化脚本和人际间脚本都被性交的意义和总体的文化脚本抹上了文化色彩；总体的文化脚本对性欲行为的目的、理想的频率和“正常的”持续时间等等都有相应的规定。总体的文化脚本也判定性欲行为在哪里和什么时候应该和不应该发生，还判定谁应该采取主动，等等。最后，文化脚本决定除了性交以外，其它什么方式的性行为要禁止，或在哪一种情形下是被允许的。所有这些因素意味着社会-文化环境的变化也可能导致个人性欲行为的改变。

例如，美国在过去的半个世纪里，口交（oral intercourse）已经既在已婚、也在未婚的异性性伴中变得更为普遍。毋庸置疑，这种变化归因于所有西方国家里愈来愈自由的社会风气。这种风气也第一次引起男子之间增加肛交（anal intercourse）行为；不过，AIDS的突然现世，肛交行为又引人注目地下降了。简而言之，像其它任何社会行为一样，个体相互之间的性行为容易折射出较大的社会变革。

但是，总会有人坚守着旧的行为模式。典型的例子就是男人对设法争取较大独立性的女人滥用权力。这种权力的滥用，多由文化脚本所塑造，并且当男性主导地位确立的时候，也是家长制时代的遗痕。现时，一些男人仍固守这种很大程度上已经被废弃的文化脚本，而且把它带进了性欲行为的关系之中。这常常会导致性失调、性功能障碍，并最终导致离异。

与之相反，当今有许多夫妇因为对摒弃传统的成规陋习感到自由自在，他们在很大程度上达到了关系的融洽，尤其在婚姻后期更为如此。通过忽视社会已经制定的性别角色行为和性欲行为脚本，他们在相互关系中变得更富有创造性和更具个性。其结果是，他们也会得到较大的性满足。

然而，除此之外，我们必须谨记，成人期是儿童期和青春期性脚本显然形成之后的生命时期。个体的性爱偏好显露无遗，并且个体与个体之间会显示出显著的差异。因此，我们会发现各式各样的人，他们要么参与一种类型的性行为，要么数种，要么许多种，要么所有类型的性行为都参与。

Stages of Development: Adulthood

Erotic Behavior

Adult erotic behavior, just like gender role behavior, also follows a script or rather a combination of scripts. This is true even for the seemingly simple case of marital and non-marital coitus. The intrapsychic and interpersonal scripts at work here are colored by general cultural scripts about the meaning and importance of sexual intercourse, its purpose, ideal frequency and “normal” duration. These scripts also say where and when it should and should not take place, who should take the initiative etc. Finally, cultural scripts determine what other forms of sexual interaction besides coitus are prohibited or permitted and under which circumstances. All of this means that changes in the socio-cultural environment are also likely to lead to changes in individual erotic behavior.
For example, in the last half century, oral intercourse has become more common in both married and unmarried heterosexual couples in the US. This is undoubtedly due to an increasingly liberal social climate in all Western countries. This climate also first led to an increase in anal intercourse between homosexual men, but after the sudden appearance of AIDS, there was a dramatic decrease. In short: The interactive sexual behavior of individuals, like any other social behavior, tends to reflect larger social changes.
However, there are always individuals who cling to older behavior patterns. A good example is the violence committed by men against women who try to achieve greater independence. Much of this violence is culturally scripted and a relic of patriarchal times, when male dominance was taken for granted. Some men still follow this now largely obsolete script and carry it over into their erotic relationships. This often results in sexual discord, dysfunction, and finally, a parting of ways.
On the positive side, many couples today achieve greater harmony, especially in their later years, because they now feel free to abandon traditional stereotypes. Ignoring the established scripts for gender role behavior and erotic behavior, they become more creative and individualistic in their relationships. As a result, they also find greater satisfaction.
Apart from all that, however, it must be remembered that adulthood is the stage of life when the the results of childhood and adolescent sexual scripting become apparent. The individual erotic preferences fully manifest themselves and reveal remarkable differences from one individual to the next. Accordingly, one finds different adults engaging in one, several, many, or all types of sexual behavior.