Chapter 3 - Sex research Flashcards
Why is sex research important?
Basic knowledge and understanding
applications for:
- Reducing unwanted sex behaviour (ex. social offences)
- Improve desired sex behaviours (ex. couple satisfaction)
Inform evidence-based public policy (ex. Sex education in schools)
How was sex research conducted (methods of measurement)? (4)
Self reports (ex. interviews)
Questionnaires
Online surveys
Behavioural measures
- Direct observation
- eye tracking
- Implicit associations test
- psychophysiological responding (ex. Sympathetic autonomic signals: HR, Skin conductance, Eye tracking & pupil dilation)
Measures of arousal and response: Masters & Johnson
Sex in controlled setting
Electrocardiograph (EKG)
Electromyograph (EMG) (registered muscle activity, can record orgasms)
Ph Meter (measures secretions)
“artificial coition device (vibrator)”
Modern techniques of arousal and response measurements
Penile Plethysmography (ring that goes around the penis and registers volume)
Vaginal photoplethysmograph (measures blood flow of clitoris)
Thermography
Functional MRI
What is incidence
How many people do, or will do the thing
ex. 45 of the 67 teenage boys who answered the surveil indicated they masturbate.
What is prevalence?
A percentage amount of the people in a population that the statistic is describing
ex. 60% of adolescent boys masturbate
What is frequency?
The rate at which (a behaviour for example) occurs.
ex. Adolescent boys on average masturbate 5 times a day.
