Chapter 3 – Sexology through Time and Contemporary Sex Research

https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/introtohumansexuality/chapter/sexology-through-time-and-contemporary-sex-research/

Sexology

The interdisciplinary scientific study of human sexuality, including sexual behaviors, interests, and function.

Sexologist

A trained professional who specializes in human sexuality.

Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing

Published "Psychopathia Sexualis" in 1886, establishing sexology as a scientific discipline.

Havelock Ellis

Challenged sexual taboos of his era, specifically regarding masturbation and homosexuality.

Sigmund Freud:

Linked sex to healthy development and recognized humans as being sexual throughout their lifespans

Alfred Kinsey

Known as the father of human sexuality research; conducted large-scale surveys on sexual behavior

Kinsey Scale:.

A continuum used to categorize an individual's sexual orientation

Masters and Johnson:

Expanded studies of sexuality by measuring people's anatomy and physiology during sexual behavior.

Sexual Response Cycle:

Divided into four phases by Masters and Johnson: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS)

First nationally representative survey of U.S. sexual behavior conducted in 1991.

National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG):

Surveys younger age groups about sexual behaviors related to pregnancy and STIs.

Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS):

Surveys younger age groups about sexual behaviors related to risk.

National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP):

Addresses relational and sexual issues for older Americans.

National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB):

Largest nationally representative probability survey focused on understanding sex in the U.S.

Self-Report Measurements:

Common technique used by sex researchers through paper questionnaires, interviews, and online surveys.

Surveys

A way of gathering information using questionnaires or the Internet.

Behavioral Measurements:

Direct observation of individuals engaged in particular behaviors

Eye-Tracking:

A device that measures where a participant is looking.

Biological Measurements:

Measuring the brain and genitals during sexual activity to understand bodily responses.

MRI:

Used to look internally at the size, structure, and shape of the genitals and brain regions.

fMRI

Maps brain activity by measuring blood flow to certain areas.

Pupil Dilation

Changes in pupils can indicate arousal, interest, or cognitive strain.

Penile Plethysmography:

Measures blood flow in the penis.

Vaginal Photoplethysmography:

Measures changes in blood flow inside the vagina using light.

Thermology

Studies changes in body temperature due to arousal.

Media Content Analysis:

Developing a system to make inferences about some form of media.

Intercoder Reliability

Ensuring that coders accurately code for the same things.

Qualitative Methods:

Research designs that allow investigation of harder-to-study topics.

Participant Observation:

Researcher embeds themselves into a group to study its dynamics.

Case Studies

In-depth analysis of a single case or individual.

Narrative Analysis

Analyzing stories and personal accounts.

Meta-Analysis

Combining all previous studies on a particular topic to analyze the results altogether.

Geographical and Cultural Bias:

Most sex research comes from countries in the Global North, skewing data.

Convenience Sample

A sample of participants who are easy to include, but not representative of the general population.

Non-Response

Participants not responding to certain parts of a survey or interview.

Purposeful Distortion

Participants exaggerating or minimizing the truth related to their sexual thoughts and behaviors.

Volunteer Bias

People willing to participate in sex research may not share qualities of the general public.

Test-Retest Reliability:

Interviewing participants twice to see if their responses are consistent.

Interrater Reliability:

Checking for reliability by conducting the interview twice using different interviewers.

Ethical Concerns

Ensuring that research involving human subjects follows ethical standards to prevent harm.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of research subjects.

Informed Consent:

Obtaining subjects' voluntary agreement to participate in research based on a full understanding of the research.

Anonymity

Ensuring that participants' data cannot be linked to their identities.

Confidentiality

Keeping participants' identifying information private.

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

Ensuring the rights and welfare of human research subjects are protected.

National Research Act (1974)

Created the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects in Biomedical and Behavioral Research.

The Belmont Report

Outlines basic ethical principles for research on human subjects.

Sexual Orientation

An individual's emotional and erotic attractions to same-sexed, opposite-sexed, or both individuals.

Neurological Responses to Pleasure:

Understanding how the brain responds to sexual pleasure.

Sex with Robots

Exploring the implications and ethical considerations of having sex with robots.