Introduction to Sexuality Carroll Chapter 2 Research Methods in Sexology

What is Sexuality? n Sexuality Sensations, emotions, behaviors and cognitions associated with sexual arousal

Contemporary Trends n Safer sex (AIDS) n Gender issues Changing images of male & female n Homosexuality Causes, consequences, hip-ness (Will & Grace) n What constitutes sex? ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky’ –W. J. Clinton.

JAMA (1999), 281, n College student asked what they considered sex (Ns range ) FemalesMales Hand-Genital12.2%19.2% Oral-genital37.7%43.9% Penis-anal82.3%79.1% Penis-vagina99.7%99.2%

Sexuality Throughout History n The Earliest Records (20,000 years old) n Cave depictions of sex & reproduction n Classical Greece, Rome n Explicit sexuality & inherent bisexuality Zeus, Hercules seduced males & females Prostitution common

Sexuality Throughout History n Victorian Period ( ) Rigid and repressive Women domestic, maternal, sexual purity n Degeneracy Theory Sex impairs physical and mental health (masturbation causes blindness)

Theoretical Perspectives n Evolutionary Psychology Sexual practices evolved because they maximized survival –Biological theories n Social Psychology Culture & society impacts development and expression of sexuality –Social learning, sociological, feminist and queer theories –Suppression of female sexuality

Research Methods in Sexuality

Sexology n An interdisciplinary field devoted to the scientific study of sexuality n Scientific study of sex began in 1800s Physicians in Europe –Bloch ‘Sexology’ –Hirschfeld –Ellis –Mosher –Davis n Systematic study in US began in 1920s

The Scientific Approach n Process of inquiry relying on empiricism Direct observation and measurement Replication Only appropriate for certain Qs

Goals of Science n Describing it n Understanding it n Predicting it n Controlling or changing it n Phenomenon generally function? Rape n Types of rape, victimology, rapist n Why do men rape? n Misogyny -> rape n Therapy to reduce hatred of women

Measurement n Self-Report Questionnaires, Interviews, Diaries n Direct Behavioral Measures Masters & Johnson n Medical/Physiological Measures Penile plethysmograph –Diameter of penis (blood flow) Vaginal photoplethsymograph –Light reflection (blood flow)

Measurement - Sampling n Sample from population Married couples n Inference from sample to population l Sample should be... large (N = 100) representative randomly sampled

Personal Experiences n Personal experiences important & meaningful to the individual n But they are not useful in generating general laws (theories) about behavior Biased Not representative Unique cases

Research Designs in Science n Controlled experiments ( understand & predict ) n Correlational designs ( describe ) Case studies Observational methods Survey methods

Controlled Experiments n Systematic manipulation of one variable and observation of its impact on another while other factors are held constant

Controlled Experiments n Independent variable Causal factor that is manipulated n Dependent variable Measured effect n Hypothesis Relationship between IV & DV

Controlled Experiments n Ho: alcohol increases sexual arousal IV: alcohol DV: sexual arousal (self-report, genital blood flow) n 1/2 drink alcohol 1/2 no alcohol n Measure arousal

Text Video n Type of design, measurement & procedure? n IV? n DV? n How to increase female sex drive?

Controlled Experiments n Strengths Control Cause and effect n Weaknesses Low external validity Impossible to control some Vs

Survey Methods: Interviews & questionnaires n Strengths Easy, fast Only way to get at attitudes, preferences n Weaknesses Measurement Error Presentational bias Memory distortion Volunteer bias

National Surveys of Sexual Behavior n Describe sexuality of country’s population w/ a small, representative sample n Many (see text especially for NHSLS)

Alfred Kinsey n Sex researcher in 1940s, 1950s n Used interview techniques (1940s, 50s) ~18,000 Ps (8,000 by Kinsey himself) 2 major works (Male: 1948; Female, 1953) n Very controversial

Kinsey n When Kinsey began his work the main sexologists were physicians Poorly trained (not sex experts) Most work came from psychiatrists –Freudian view Influenced by assumptions of the day –Sex made you sick –Sex education MUST involve moral education

Kinsey n Scientific approach to sexology ‘value free’, apolitical Sex = behavior to be studied Face-to-face interviews best n Has been widely criticized Sampling

Kinsey n Contribution rests more with approach than with findings Trailblazer Willing to challenge societal beliefs & study sex scientifically

Group Activity I: Sex Research n Groups of 4-5 develop controlled experiment to examine some aspect of sexuality.

Group Activity I: Sex Research n First describe primary strengths of CEs n Second, pick/label your IV and DV Arousal, orgasms, attraction n Third, develop a hypothesis n Fourth, decide how to manipulate IV Include > 2 conditions n Fifth, decide how to measure DV Qaire, physiological measures, interviews Please turn this in at end of class

Conclusions n Many scientific methods to study sex n Each has strengths and weaknesses n Choice depends on resources and Q