research

Question 1

What is the primary goal of sexology?

Answer 1

the scientific study of sexuality, with aims to understand, predict, and change sexual behavior

Question 2

What are some challenges of sex research?

Answer 2

the privacy of sexual behavior making discussions uncomfortable, links to emotional and moral issues, and high nonresponse rates due to discomfort with the topic

Question 3

What defines a peer-reviewed source?

Answer 3

written and evaluated by experts in the field, typically research scientists

Question 4

Describe a case study

Answer 4

an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

Question 5

What is a representative sample?

Answer 5

a randomly selected sample of subjects from a larger population, providing confidence in findings

Question 6

Explain the concept of self-selection bias

Answer 6

when people who volunteer for sex research are more likely to be sexually experienced and sexually liberal than the general population

Question 7

What characterizes demographic bias in sex research?

Answer 7

occurs because much sex research is conducted in middle-class college communities.

Question 8

Define self-report bias

Answer 8

happens when data is influenced by tendencies toward social desirability

Question 9

Define a random sample.

Answer 9

group chosen in such a way that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected

Question 10

What is social desirability, and how does it influence responses?

Answer 10

refers to the need to respond in socially appropriate ways, which can influence how individuals answer questions

Question 11

Why is retrospective self-reporting often considered unreliable?

Answer 11

involves asking about past behavior, tends to be unreliable as memories degrade with time

Question 12

What characterizes descriptive designs in research?

Answer 12

involve the examination of a phenomenon or group of phenomena without manipulation of variables.

• Ex: surveys, interviews, questionnaires, and correlational designs

Question 13

What is the key feature of experimental designs?

Answer 13

involve the manipulation of one or more variables to investigate causation

Question 14

What are the advantages and disadvantages of interviews as a research method?

Answer 14

• Advantages include flexibility and potential for better rapport
• disadvantages include susceptibility to self-report bias and interview biases, as well as being costly and time-consuming

Question 15

How do surveys contribute to research, and what type of research design do they typically fall under?

Answer 15

involve questioning a sample of people about behaviors and attitudes, typically falling under descriptive designs

Question 16

What are the advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires?

Answer 16

advantages:
- generally cheaper/more practical than interviews
- can get higher response rates due to less embarrassing format
- less subject to researcher biases
disadvantages:
- also subject to self-report bias
- subjects can skip uncomfortable questions

Question 17

What are the Penile Strain Gauge and Vaginal Photoplethysmograph used for?

Answer 17

• Penile Strain Gauge measures sexual arousal through changes in penile circumference
• Vaginal Photoplethysmograph indirectly measures blood flow to the vagina using light

Question 18

What are the advantages and disadvantages of direct observation as a research method?

Answer 18

Advantages include accuracy and reduced bias, while disadvantages include reactivity and practical limitations such as random sampling and cost.

Question 19

Define reactivity in research and explain its significance

Answer 19

Reactivity is the process by which behavior changes because it is being measured, which may not generalize to the population

Question 20

What is the purpose of correlational designs, and what are their advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 20

purpose: measure two or more variables to determine whether they are statistically related

advantages: identifying relationships between variables,

disadvantages: not explaining the nature of the relationship or proving causation

Question 21

What distinguished the National Health and Social Life Survey, and when was it conducted?

Answer 21

National Health and Social Life Survey was the first large-scale population-based survey on sexual attitudes and practices in the U.S. It was conducted in 1992 with approximately 3,500 respondents

Question 22

What is randomization of subjects, and why is it important?

Answer 22

involves assigning them in such a way that each has an equal chance of ending up in either the experimental or control group. It is essential for experimental designs

Question 23

Differentiate between experimental groups and control groups

Answer 23

Experimental groups receive the intervention, while control groups do not

Question 24

What is the significance of randomized controlled trials in clinical research?

Answer 24

Randomized controlled trials involve randomly assigning subjects to receive different interventions and are considered the state of the art for clinical research

Question 25

Define independent and dependent variables in research.

Answer 25

independent variable is what you change, while the dependent variable is what you measure to see the effect of changing the variable

Question 26

Name two ethical principles in research.

Answer 26

“Do no harm” and informed consent.

Question 27

What is a notable advantage of online questionnaires?

Answer 27

Advantages of online questionnaires may include increased accessibility, convenience, and potentially higher response rates

Question 28

Briefly describe the Tuskegee syphilis study and its lasting impact.

Answer 28

study focused on low-income African-American men who were never told they had syphilis and were prevented from receiving treatment. It created lasting mistrust of public health interventions.

Question 29

What was the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, and when was it conducted?

Answer 29

a national survey of sexual behavior in the U.S., conducted at Indiana University and published in 2010, focusing on sexual experiences and condom use behaviors