Methodologies used to Study Human Sexual Behavior

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Methodologies used to Study Human Sexual Behavior

• Surveys
• Clinical Studies
• Quasi-Experiments

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SEX SURVEYS - METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

• 1) PURPOSEFUL DISTORTION
• 2) ABILITY TO REMEMBER
• 3) ABILITY TO ESTIMATE
• 4) COST

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ALFRED KINSEY Pioneer of the Sex Survey

• SEXUAL
• BEHAVIOR IN
• THE HUMAN
• MALE (1948)
• SEXUAL
• BEHAVIOR IN
• THE HUMAN
• FEMALE (1953)

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Kinseys Method

• 100 Sampling Technique
• Face-to-face interviewing
• Rapid fire questioning
• Anonymity

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Results from a Survey of Illinois 4-Year
University Students
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Results from a Survey of Illinois 4-Year
University Students
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Results from a Survey of Illinois 4-Year
University Students
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The last time you had sex, what form of birth
control did you use?

• Female College
• Students in Illinois

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Male CollegeStudents in Illinois

• The last time you had sex, what form of birth
  control did you use?

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Clinical Studies

• William
• Masters
• Virginia
• Johnson

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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

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Technology for Sex Research

• Penile Strain Gauge

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Technology for Sex Research

• Vaginal Photoplethysmograph

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Technology for Sex Research

• Vaginal Rectal Myographs

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Advantages Disadvantages of Masters Johnsons
methods

• Sophisticated technology
• Sampling problems
• Unnatural laboratory setting
• Direct observation No self-report problems

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Quasi-Experiments

• Some Important Characteristics of Real
  Experiments Manipulation, Control, Random
  Assignment, Systematic Measurement
• Why Quasi? ---You cant manipulate gender.

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Design of Heimans 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
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Two Types of MeasuresUsed in Heimans Study

• Physiological
• Self-Report

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Results from Heimans 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