Author Archives: Logan Beck

Study finds fake orgasms provide pleasure

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A study by a Temple doctoral student has found that women who fake orgasms often do so not just to please their partner, but to get a little added pleasure themselves.

Clinical psychology doctoral student Erin Cooper began her research while she was an undergraduate student at Kenyon College.

“Some friends and I were reading a women’s magazine and the phenomenon of faked orgasms was mentioned in an article,” Cooper said. “We read the article’s advice and cracked a few jokes … but then I began to wonder ‘how do they know what they’re saying is true?’ So I did what any good psychology major would do: I went to the library and did a lit search.”

Cooper said her findings surprised her: only two studies were published in peer-reviewed journals, one in 1986 and another in 1997.  At the time, Cooper was in the midst of planning an independent research study, and presented the proposal to her advisor and second author on the manuscript, Allan Fenigstein.  While she was a senior at Kenyon, a pilot study was conducted.

When Cooper arrived at Temple to begin the clinical psychology doctoral program, she continued her work with Psychology Chair Robert Fauber.

There were no experiments conducted to collect data.  Instead, Cooper and her team gave women in their research study a series of questionnaires about their sexual experiences.

The team found that the most common motive for a faked orgasm was “altruistic deceit,” which means faking an orgasm in order to avoid hurting the partner’s feelings. According to Cooper, altruistic deceit is often deemed by popular culture to be the only reason for women faking orgasm, but her study showed otherwise.

Cooper suggests that the scale used in the study is unique because for the first time there is quantitative data suggesting other reasons for faking an orgasm.

“Women may also fake orgasm for far more ‘selfish’ reasons,” Cooper said.

The study suggests that women may fake orgasm to increase their own arousal, known as “elevated arousal.”

“I view this strategy as one of the many ‘tools in the toolbox’ women may use to enhance their own sexual experience,” Cooper said.

      Logan Beck can be reached at logan.beck@temple.edu.

Students react to attack on cop

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A video posted to Philly.com showing a SEPTA police officer being attacked in the Cecil B. Moore subway station while bystanders watched gained heavy criticism from police officers and officials in the city.

The Temple News spoke with several students around campus asking for their reactions to the video and what they would do in such as situation.

“It’s scary to think that most people aren’t willing to step in and help someone even if they see something going wrong,” Erin Cain a freshman biology major said. “Even though it was a person of authority, clearly you know who was in the right, people still didn’t feel the urge to do anything about it.”

Alex Fern, a freshman actuarial science, was surprised by the actions of the suspect and his ability to overtake a police officer.

“Honestly, the end result was a lot more than what he should have done, the fee isn’t worth all that trouble,” Fern said. “I feel a little unsafe that he wasn’t able to defend himself one hundred percent, I understand there would be instances where he can’t defend himself, but it seemed kind of easy almost for the attacker to take him over.”

As for what she would in the situation, Fern admitted that she didn’t know.

“I’d like to think that I would be one of the people that would help, but me having never been put in that situation I wouldn’t know for sure.  Everyone thinks in that situation someone else would step up.”

Allison Macolino, a sophomore tourism and hospitality management major expressed shock in the crowd’s actions.

“I think it’s crazy how now one helped him.  Everyone just stood there and watched,” Mocolino said. “I can see where people don’t want to get involved, but I don’t really understand why they wouldn’t help the cop.  It didn’t even look like anyone went to go get more help, you don’t have to intervene but you couldn’t go get someone else?”

“It makes it that much more real because it’s where I live and I use that Subway station all the time,” she added.

Student Activities to plan Spring Fling alternatives

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After Temple officials recently cancelled the school’s long-running Spring Fling tradition due to excessive amounts of student drinking, administrators have announced they will begin to plan alternatives this fall.

Director of Student Activities Chris Carey said that in the next few weeks, Student Activities will be partnering with other organizations to brainstorm new spring programs.

“It is important to note that we are not looking for one program to replace Spring Fling, but rather programs that will achieve goals of creating school sprit and a sense of engagement among the campus community,” Carey said.

Student Body President Darin Bartholomew said he will also be a driving force in the effort.

“In the coming weeks we will be having a TSG general assembly meeting that focuses on campus life and the discussion topic that week will be ideas for a spring event that allows us to show off the great things that happen on campus and all the opportunities Temple has to offer,” Bartholomew said.