Chapter 3 - Sex Research Methods Flashcards
examples of challenges when studying human sexuality
finding honest and willing participants; finding a representative sample; avoiding bias; finding an appropriate research method
early texts (historical overview of SRM)
sex manuals are detailed descriptions of how sexuality was viewed in the past ex. Kama Sutra (2nd century) & The Perfumed Garden for the Soul’s Recreation (16th century; some texts promoted sex for recreation purposes only
modern texts (historical overview of SRM)
First modern scientific text: Psychopathia Sexualis by Richard von Krafft‐Ebing (1886)
Iwan Bloch’s The Sexual Life of our Time in Its Relations to Modern Civilization
Early 20th century saw the publication of sex manuals written by women.
– E.g. Margaret Sanger’s What Every Woman Should Know
Alfred Kinsey
first sex researcher to conduct large scale analytic studies of sexual behaviour in NA
Criticisms of Kinsey’s work
oversampling of white men and women; use of non-random samples; possible inaccuracies in the reported prevalence of various behaviours/disorders; emphasized sexual behaviour rather than how one experiences their own sexuality
Masters and Johnson
conducted the first systemic, large scale study of human sexual response starting in the late 1950s
Qualitative research approaches
research methods that use flexible, open‐ended questions to explore sexual issues
Quantitative research approaches
research methods that explore sexual issues using methods that measure and organize phenomena
descriptive designs
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direct observation (descriptive designs)
observing and recording patterns in behaviour either in a natural setting or in a lab
strengths: possibility for increased ecological validity, possibility for lessened observer memory bias
weaknesses: researcher cannot manipulate or influence behaviours of interest; interpretation
interviews (descriptive designs)
to collect detailed self-report data about an individual’s experience and/or perceptions of sexuality; detailed account; weaknesses: memory bias, responder bias
case studies (descriptive designs)
examines a single individual, event, or group, over a period of time; can provide a detailed longitudinal account
weaknesses: interpretation bias, poor generalizability; lack of control group
content analysis (descriptive designs)
allows researchers to identify themes or meanings in a text or set of observations; can often relate these patterns or themes to predetermined theories; weakness: findings are hard to quantify
Correlational Designs
examines the strength of the relationship between two or more variables; relationships can be pos neg or non-existent; weaknesses: findings may be hard to interpret due to confounding variables; causation cannot be inferred
surveys (correlational designs)
collecting info through standardized or unstandardized questionnaires
strengths: anonymity, can be large and inexpensive
weaknesses: memory bias; responder bias; influences from demand characteristics
archival data-mining (correlational studies)
involves sorting through records or pre‐existing data; convenient way to find out about past conditions or a specific personal history
strengths: cost effective; data already collected
weaknesses: records may be incomplete; info may be out of date
experimental designs
investigate the causal relationship between two variables using standardized procedures and randomization; can examine cause and effect
weakness: ethical issues with human subjects; demand characteristics may interfere with behaviour
quasi-experimental designs
use standardized experiment‐like procedures to evaluate the relationship between two variables, but do not use random assignment.
Weaknesses:
– cannot make strong statements about cause and effect due to confounding variables
– Demand characteristics may interfere with
behaviour
physiological approaches to research
Contemporary sexual psychophysiology
researchers often use
– measures of genital sexual arousal
– quantitative sensory testing
– brain imaging methods
genital arousal measures (Psychophysiological
Approaches to Research)
Genital measures of sexual arousal measure an
individual’s physiological response to sexual
arousal; closely linked to the sexual response cycle developed by Masters and Johnson; part of the response cycle, vasocongestion, can be
measured using various direct or indirect methods; considered to be a valid indicator of sexual arousal
quantitative sensory testing (Psychophysiological
Approaches to Research)
Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) is a
psychophysical method used to assess how an
individual reacts to various sensations such as
pressure, heat, or cold on the skin’s surface
– Genital quantitative sensory testing
– Clinically, quantitative sensory testing is very useful in studying Genito‐Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder
brain imagine methods (Psychophysiological
Approaches to Research)
Brain imaging technologies have begun to unravel the brain activity related to sexual function and dysfunction; The most common method is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
– indirectly detects changes in blood flow associated with brain regional neural activity
– used to assess cognitive, emotional, and sensory processes associated with sexual arousal, orgasm, genitopelvic pain, and even romantic love
