性行为的发展

正如已经解释的那样，每一个人必须采用的第一个性脚本是性别角色行为脚本，这个脚本规范他/她的“适当的”性别角色行为。从出生的那一刻起，女孩和男孩会获得不同的性别特征的名字。他们被有差异性地着装和对待。随着他们发育到孩童期，他们会得到不同的玩具并被告知“真正的女孩”和“真正的男孩”是什么样和如何作为。一旦他们进入青春期，他们的性别角色就已经内化到相当大的程度，而且他们的性欲期待（erotic expectation）和性欲行为会定型下来。毋庸置疑，同样地，这两个脚本的采用会先于任何可能的生殖脚本的采用。

由此可以断定：要想在女性和男性的“性的”行为中区分出“自然差异”是脱离常规的。毕竟，性别角色行为既被脚本加以塑造，性欲行为也被脚本加以塑造了。此外，性别角色行为会先于性欲行为而习得，因此起初它就会发生改变。基于早前的两个性脚本，随后任何可能的生殖行为脚本就会被采用。简而言之，指望在很大程度由社交学习所形成的性脚本里找到“自然”的行为，是不合适的。无论如何，当探讨人类的性行为的时候，要发现性行为在文化掩藏之下的生物基础是十分困难的。

不过，我们确信性的生理方面，即个人的性能力、性动机和性行动，在人的一生中会经历持续的改变过程。性脚本的采用过程在成年期也许或多或少就得以完成，但是，随着岁月的流逝，性脚本通过行为所表现出来的方式也发生着改变。下面，我们将按照从婴儿到老年的各个不同时期，简要阐述这些改变过程。

Stages of Development

As already explained, the first sexual script human beings have to adopt is that which defines their “proper” gender role behavior. From the moment there are born, girls and boys are given different, gender-specific names. They are dressed differently and treated differently. As they grow into childhood, they are given different toys and are told what “real girls” and “real boys” are like and how they behave. Once they reach puberty, their gender roles have become internalized to a very great extent and shape their erotic expectations and behavior. Also, needless to say, the adoption of both of these scripts precedes any possible reproduction.
It follows that it is an error to look for “natural differences” in female and male “sexual” behavior. After all, both gender role behavior and erotic behavior are scripted. Moreover, gender role behavior is learned before erotic behavior and therefore colors it from the very beginning. The script for any possibly following reproductive behavior is then adopted on the basis of the two earlier scripts. In short, it is inappropriate to look for “nature” in what is largely the result of social learning. In any event, when it comes to human sexual behavior, it is extremely difficult to find the biological basis beneath its cultural superstructure.
Nevertheless, we know that the physical side of sex, i.e. a person’s sexual capacity, motivation, and performance, is subject to continuous changes throughout the life span. The adoption of sexual scripts may be more or less complete in adulthood, but the way in which they find expression in behavior also changes over the years. The following sections provide brief descriptions of these changes at various stages of life from infancy to old age.