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Introduction to Sexuality

This chapter provides an introduction to the study of sexuality, exploring research methods used in sexology, contemporary trends in sexuality, and historical perspectives on human sexuality. Topics covered include safer sex practices, gender issues, changing images of male and female, homosexuality, and the definition of sex. Theoretical perspectives, such as evolutionary psychology and social psychology, are also discussed. The chapter concludes with an overview of research designs and measurement techniques commonly used in the study of sexuality, including self-report questionnaires, observational methods, and controlled experiments.

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Introduction to Sexuality

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  1. Introduction to Sexuality Carroll Chapter 2 Research Methods in Sexology

  2. What is Sexuality? • Sexuality • Sensations, emotions, behaviors and cognitions associated with sexual arousal

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

  4. JAMA (1999), 281, 275-277 • College student asked what they considered sex (Ns range 239-353) Females Males Hand-Genital 12.2% 19.2% Oral-genital 37.7% 43.9% Penis-anal 82.3% 79.1% Penis-vagina 99.7% 99.2%

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

  6. Victorian Period (1837-1901) Rigid and repressive Women domestic, maternal, sexual purity Degeneracy Theory Sex impairs physical and mental health (masturbation causes blindness) Sexuality Throughout History

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

  8. Research Methods in Sexuality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  24. Kinsey • 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

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

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

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

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

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

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