Research Methods

Research Methods in Human Sexuality

Operational Definitions of Sex

• Researchers must operationally define sex before designing studies.

• Considerations include:

  • Masturbation

  • Heterosexual intercourse

  • Oral sex

  • Anal sex

• The definition is determined by the researcher.

Surveys: Questionnaires

• Written format.

• Pros:

  • Cheap and quick for large data collection.

  • Can gather data from more people than lab or case studies.

• Cons:

  • Non-response: incomplete or skipped questions; reasons are unclear.

  • Volunteer bias: participants often younger, more liberal, male, highly educated, sexually experienced, with more partners and frequent sex.

  • Difficulty understanding terms.

  • Requires literacy.

  • Social desirability bias: answering to seem socially acceptable.

Surveys: Interviews

• Spoken format.

• Advantages:

  • Terms can be explained.

  • Clarification is possible.

  • Rapport can be developed, encouraging answers to sensitive questions.

  • Follow-up questions can be asked.

  • Literacy not required.

• Disadvantages:

  • Interviewer bias: influence due to interviewer's characteristics (physical or psychological).

  • Costly and time-consuming.

  • Requires extensive training to minimize bias.

Direct Observation

• Researchers watch ongoing behavior.

• Types:

  • Naturalistic: in the natural environment.

  • Laboratory: in a controlled setting (e.g., Masters and Johnson).

• Laboratory Observation:

  • Participants brought into a lab.

  • Behavior is observed and recorded, sometimes with physiological equipment.

• Advantages:

  • Eliminates data falsification.

  • Video recording allows for later review and coding of behaviors.

• Disadvantages:

  • Participant reactivity (demand characteristics) due to being watched.

  • Researcher bias: seeing what they want to see, confirming hypotheses.

  • Volunteer bias: participants may differ systematically from non-participants.

Case Studies

• In-depth study of an individual or small group, typically unique.

• Data collected is rich and detailed, including feelings, behaviors, and past experiences.

• Collaterals (connected individuals) can provide additional information.

• Flexibility in data gathering.

• Disadvantages:

  • Limited generalizability due to small sample size.

  • Fallibility of memory.

  • Not suitable for many research questions.

Correlational Studies

• Measures two variables to determine if they are related; no manipulation.

• Types of correlation:

  • Positive: variables move in the same direction.

  • Negative: as one variable increases, the other decreases.

  • Zero: no relationship.

• Cannot determine cause and effect.

• Advantage: Can gather data from large groups.

• Disadvantage: Third variable problem.

  • A third variable creates the relationship between the two original variables. For example, the number of words a person has in their vocabulary and show size:

$Positive \,correlation \,between \,vocabulary \,size \,and \,shoe \,size$

The third variable in age.

True Experiment

• Two essential criteria:

  • Random assignment to experimental or control groups.

  • Researcher manipulates an independent variable and measures a dependent variable.

• The only design to determine cause and effect.

• Quasi-experimental designs: groups are self-selected; cannot determine cause and effect, but findings can still be helpful.

  • Example: Studying the effect of sexual fantasy on the sex lives of women who experienced chemotherapy due to breast cancer.

    • A quasi-experimental design as assigning someone cancer would be unethical.

• Advantages:

  • Can determine cause and effect.

• Disadvantages:

  • Artificiality of the laboratory.

  • Some questions don't lend themselves to experiments.

Ethical Issues

• All research must be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

• Ensuring studies are ethical and not harmful to participants.

• Informed consent: participants should know what they will be doing.

• Debriefing: informing participants about the study after completion.

• Deception: if used, must be disclosed and explained during debriefing.

• Avoid painful or stressful situations (unless benefits outweigh risks).

• The IRB weighs whether or not a study will harm an individual; if so, that study will not be approved.

• The IRB determines whether or not what you are trying to find out will benefit science and if it's worth any risk that a participant might take by participating in a study.

• It also determines for sure that a participant will not feel badly about himself or herself after completing the study.