Sexology Some examples of assumptions about sexuality . . . • = the study of sexuality! that could be subjects of sex research… • Challenges: ! Chapter 2 – People are often uncomfortable discussing sex! • Watching violent pornography leads to abusive – People might lie, exaggerate, or withhold info.! behaviors such as rape.! – People are often very judgmental of sexual behaviors • Alcohol increases sexual pleasure.! Sex Research and attitudes.! • All women are capable of both vaginal and clitoral • General goal of sexology: to scientifically test our orgasms, and the vaginal orgasms are “superior” to the assumptions about sexuality.! clitoral orgasms.! • Married people have less sex than single people. !
Specific goals of sexology Nonexperimental Research Methods Case studies ! Understanding sexuality! • Single subject or a small group of subjects ! – Ex: how do people communicate sexual desires to 1) Case Studies! • In depth! their partner?! !- in-depth study of a single subject or small group ! • Subjects often are studied b/c they behave in an atypical of subjects! " Predicting sexuality/sexual behavior! way or have a physical or emotional disorder.! – Ex: how will a specific medication influence sexual 2) Surveys! • Examples of information that would be typically desire and/or functioning?! !- interviews or questionnaires given to relatively ! researched using case studies:! large groups of people! – Research about sexual response difficulties --> case studies of # Controlling or influencing sexuality! people seeking treatment for these problems.! – To increase safe sex practices in specific populations! 3) Direct observation! – Research about sex offenders, transsexuals, incest victims, etc. !- observation and recorded responses of ! has been learned! – To develop therapies for specific sexual problems.! participating subjects! – Research about the effect of alcohol consumption on sexual responsiveness --> case studies of alcoholics!
Case studies Important concept in sex research Surveys (and research in general) • Most of what we know from sex research is • Advantages:! from surveys! 1) In-depth exploration of behaviors, thoughts, & feelings ! CORRELATION • Large groups of people are questioned about their 2) Flexible research setting. Open-ended questions offer sexual attitudes and behaviors.! more insight into the research topic.! DOES NOT EQUAL – May be conducted through oral interviews or written • Disadvantages:! CAUSATION! questionnaires.! 1) Very small sample size and “atypical” cases means that • Researcher must write survey questions that are clear it is difficult to generalize research findings to broader • EX: rapists consume (look at, collect, etc.) more violent and concise so they won’t be interpreted differently by populations.! pornography than nonrapists (this is a correlation). ! different people (this is harder than it sounds!). ! 2) Human memory is often inaccurate or selective.! • This does not necessarily mean that there is a cause-and-effect • Researcher then must identify the survey sample: 3) Not suitable for many kinds of research questions.! relationship. For example, the type of environments that socialize this is the group of people that will be questioned in a person to be a rapist might also be characterized by increased order to obtain information about a larger group (the access to violent pornography. ! target population)! – EXs. of target populations: married adults, high school females! Choosing the sample population ideally, the survey sample is: Discussion question (#2-A): What kinds of questions • Randomly chosen! How might you go about selecting a – Research subjects should be chosen w/o bias.! survey sample at Laney if you were might you find in a sex researching a topic related to sexuality? research survey? • Representative of target population! Do you foresee any potential flaws in the – Survey sample provides an accurate representation sample design that might affect the of the larger target population.! results of your survey? • The following examples are from the Kinsey Institute at – EX: if target population is homosexual females in the U.S.:! Indiana University! • Survey sample should reflect the larger target population-- • Can see full survey at http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/research/ so, if 30% of lesbians in the U.S. live in the West, 30% of surveylinks.html! the survey subjects should live in the West.!
Demographic questions Sexual behavior questions More specific questions about sexual behavior
Questions about sexual arousal Personality questions (not sexual in nature) Advantages of surveys 1) Relatively inexpensive! 2) Quick ! 3) Can obtain large amounts of data from many people! - would be impossible to study so many people using case studies or in a laboratory setting. ! Potential problems with surveys Examples of well-known sex surveys Examples of well-known sex surveys 1) Difficult to obtain a truly representative sample.! • The Kinsey Reports ! !(published in 1948 on men, 1953 on women)! • The National Health and Social Life Survey 2) Nonresponse—when people won’t participate! (1992)! – Most famous (now there’s a film about it (Kinsey)! 3) Self-selection bias! – In response to beginning of AIDS epidemic in * Definitely was not a representative sample of U.S.! the 1980s to learn about sexual practices of !- there is some indication that volunteers for sex • All subjects were white! research are more sexually experienced and hold more American adults.! • Disproportionately greater # of educated, urban, younger positive attitudes toward sexuality than do Protestants! – Funding pulled by neoconservative Congress in nonvolunteers.! • All subjects were volunteers! early ‘90s and had to be replaced by (much less) 4) Demographic bias: white, middle-class subjects – Although > 50 years ago, and not representative, private funding.! are overrepresented in sex research.! some of the data is still relevant today.! – Most representative U.S. sex survey to date! 5) Accuracy issues—are people telling the truth? • Sexual orientation as continuum, not all-or-none.! Do they remember their experiences correctly?! • Frame of reference with which to compare sexual behavior and attitudes today.!
Examples of well-known sex surveys YRBS data 1991-2007 YRBS data by sex 1991-2007 • Youth Risk Behavior Survey! – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)! – Conducted across U.S. among high school students every 2 years! – Last YRBS survey was 2009! – In 2005 YRBS, 14,000 students participated!
– Let’s look at some examples of the type of data generated by these surveys…!
Percentage of High School Students Who Percentage of High School Students Who Used a Percentage of High School Students Who Were Currently Sexually Active, Condom During Last Sexual Intercourse, by Sex Were Tested for HIV, by Sex and Race/ and Race/Ethnicity, 2007 by Sex and Race/Ethnicity 2007 Ethnicity, 2007
• Had sexual intercourse with at least one person during the 3 months before the survey. Let’s go back to the examples of Direct Observations assumptions about sexuality . . . • Researchers observe & record responses of subjects.! • Watching violent pornography leads to abusive behaviors • Advantage: eliminates issues of data falsification; such as rape.! If you want to know about cause and – Has been addressed by a number of surveys! data can be stored easily.! – Results indicate that exposure to sexually violent media can lead • Disadvantage: how much is subject’s behavior effect, you have to use an to increased tolerance for sexually aggressive behavior, greater influenced by any kind of observation?! acceptance of myth that women want to be raped, desensitization experimental research method to violence against women, and increased probability of • Most famous example in sex research: Masters and committing a rape.! Johnson (1966) (we’ll study what they learned in Chp. 6)! • Alcohol increases sexual pleasure.! – Studied 10,000 sexual response cycles in a laboratory • Alcohol increases sexual pleasure.! • All women are capable of both vaginal and clitoral orgasms, setting to understand arousal and orgasm.! This one requires experimental research!! and the vaginal orgasms are “superior” to the clitoral – Recorded many physiological changes in response to a orgasms.! variety of stimulation; followed with extensive Can’t address last two by survey--these are better interviews.! addressed by direct observation . . . !
Experimental Research Experimental Research Technologies in Sex Research • Experimental research is conducted in precisely • Electronic devices for measuring sexual response! controlled laboratory conditions! • So how is sexual responsiveness or arousal – Can be used to ask experimental questions! measured in a laboratory?! – penile strain gauge measures very – The independent variable is manipulated, and changes in the slight changes in penis size! dependent variable are measured.! • EX: does comprehensive sex education reduce the rate – vaginal photoplethysmograph of unplanned teen pregnancies?! measures increased vaginal blood volume! • EX: are rapists more likely to exhibit sexual arousal in response to violence?! – Vaginal or rectal myographs • EX: does alcohol decrease sexual responsiveness?! measure muscle contractions in – Here: the independent variable would be: ______! the vagina or rectum! – The dependent variable would be: – Also see Fig. 2.1! ______!
Experimental Research (cont.) Ethical Guidelines for Review: Sexology Research Methods Human Sex Research • Advantages! • No pressure or coercion for participation! – lowers the influence of other variables (controlled environment)! • Informed consent and right to refuse to participate! – can make cause-effect conclusions! • Confidentiality and anonymity! • Question of deception! • Disadvantages! – If deception must be used, a postexperiment – being measured may affect actions!! debriefing must explain why it was necessary.! – artificiality of laboratory setting! • Institutional ethics review!
Table 2.1 A Summary of Research Methods Evaluating Research: What do you think? Some Questions to Ask
• Why was the research done? Who did the research? !Many studies have reported an What biases are there?! association between abnormally low • Who were the subjects? How were they selected & Pick up female A & P assigned to groups? ! levels of testosterone and decreased • How was the research conducted? What methods jigsaw handout for homework! sexual desire in both sexes. What type were used?! of research method would be the best • Where was the research reported? What additional support is there?! one to address this question? !