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Methodologies used to Study Human Sexual Behavior
SurveysClinical StudiesQuasi-Experiments
SEX SURVEYS - METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
1) PURPOSEFUL DISTORTION
2) ABILITY TO REMEMBER
3) ABILITY TO ESTIMATE
4) COST
•SEXUAL
BEHAVIOR IN
THE HUMAN
MALE (1948)
•SEXUAL
BEHAVIOR IN
THE HUMAN
FEMALE (1953)
ALFRED KINSEY Pioneer of the Sex Survey
Kinsey’s Method 100% Sampling
Technique Face-to-face
interviewing Rapid fire
questioning Anonymity
Results from a Survey of Illinois 4-Year University Students
0.021
0.072
0.184
0.306
0.123
0.023
0.004
0.268
0.005
0.044
0.2
0.304
0.151
0.032
0.002
0.262
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
Percent of Unmarried College Students Under 25
No Sex
23 or older
21-22
19-20
17-18
15-16
13-14
less than 13
Age atFirst Sexual Inter-course Male
Female
Results from a Survey of Illinois 4-Year University Students
0
0.002
0
0.002
0.009
0.015
0.972
0.085
0.038
0.082
0.114
0.211
0.205
0.265
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Percent of Unmarried College Students Under 25
None
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10 or more
Number of Male Sexual Partners
Male
Female
Results from a Survey of Illinois 4-Year University Students
0.129
0.038
0.07
0.106
0.18
0.192
0.285
0
0
0
0.003
0.002
0.003
0.992
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Percent of Unmarried College Students Under 25
None
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10 or more
Number of Female Sexual Partners
Male
Female
8.3
7.3
19.1
7.6
1.4
26.8
29.5
Some other method
Withdrawal
Diaphram or sponge
Condoms
Birth control pills
Nothing or not sure
No sex
The last time you had sex, what form of birth control
did you use?
Female College
Students in Illinois
The last time you had sex, what form of birth control
did you use?
8.4
4.5
20.4
8.6
2.5
32.7
22.8
Some other method
Withdrawal
Diaphram or sponge
Condoms
Birth control pills
Nothing or not sure
No sex
Male CollegeStudents in Illinois
Clinical Studies
William
Masters
& Virginia
Johnson
Human Sexual Response (1966) 694 people studied males - ages 21-89 females - ages 18-78 Mostly medical students Medical View of the
sample - the processes observed assumed to be normative
Technology for Sex Research
Penile Strain Gauge
Technology for Sex Research
Vaginal Photoplethysmograph
Technology for Sex Research
Vaginal & Rectal Myographs
Advantages & Disadvantages of Masters & Johnson’s methods
Sophisticated technology Sampling problems “Unnatural” laboratory setting Direct observation: No self-report
problems
Quasi-ExperimentsSome Important Characteristics of
Real Experiments: Manipulation, Control, Random Assignment, Systematic Measurement
Why “Quasi”? ---You can’t manipulate gender.
Design of Heiman’s Quasi-Experimental Study
erotic &
erotic romantic romantic control
male initiated male perspective
female perspective
female initiated male perspective
female perspective
Manipulations of story content:
Crossed with this matrix of manipulations was the gender of the participant
Two Types of MeasuresUsed in Heiman’s Study
Physiological Self-Report
Results from Heiman’s Study
Explicit sex was most arousing for both men and women
Female-initiated/female-centered scenarios were most arousing for both men and women
When physiological measures indicated that women were aroused 1/2 failed to report it
