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Chapter 1
An Introduction to the
Study of Sex and
Sexuality
Slide show created by:
Richard C. Krejci, Ph.D.
Professor of Public Health
9.02.2014
Why Study Sexuality?
1. Develop positive attitudes
2. View yourself and everyone else in a
“positive” fashion
3. Gain knowledge of functioning and response
4. Enhance sexual relationships
5. Educate others
6. Understand sexual values, attitudes,
practices of others
7. Foster self-confidence in making decisions
8. Enhance communication skills
Sex and Sexuality
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Write a definition of sex…
How has your definition changed over the
years?
Was it…
– “sex-as-classification”?
– “sex-as-activity”?
– “sex-as-experience”?

Write a definition of sexuality…
– Six dimensions
Sexual Behavior
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Traditional
– Casual – e.g. kissing, holding hands, etc.
– Sexual intercourse
– Oral sex
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Non-traditional
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Fetishism
Partialism
Transvestic Fetishism
Exhibitionism
Frotteurism
Voyeurism
Sexual Masochism
Sexual Sadism
Pedophilia
Fetishism
Transvestic
Fetishism
Partialism
Exhibitionism
Frotteurism
Voyeurism
Sexual Masochism
Sexual Sadism
How has Sexual Expression in
Advertising and in the Media
Changed Over the Past Century?
Sexual Images and
Advertising
The Six Dimensions of Sexuality
PHYSICAL
PSYCHOSOCIAL
RELATIONSHIPS
Human
Sexuality
EROTIC
REPRODUCTIVE
DEVELOPMENTAL
Physical
Psychological
Social
Purpose of Sexuality Research
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Provides basis for objectivity
Helps to avoid biases
Conveys accurate and factual
information to the public.
Sex Information/Advice Genre
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Advice as entertainment
– Primary purpose is sales, not accuracy
– Media must entertain
– Focus is on information and morality
– Gives appearance of being scientific
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Misleading use of statistics
– Glamor®, Redbook®, and Playboy® magazine
studies
Thinking Critically About Sex
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Objectivity
– observation of things as they exist in reality as
opposed to our feelings or beliefs about them
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Value judgments
– evaluations as good or bad based on moral or
ethical standards rather than objective ones
Opinions, Biases, and
Stereotypes
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Opinion - an unsubstantiated belief
Bias - personal leaning or inclination
Stereotype - set of simplistic, rigidly
held, over-generalized beliefs
–
–
Egocentric fallacies
Ethnocentric fallacies
Sex Research Methods

Seven different methodological
approaches:
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Clinical Case Studies
Laboratory Observations
Naturalistic Observations
Epidemiological Studies
Ethnographic Studies
Survey Methods
Experimental Studies
Ethical Issues in Research
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Informed consent
Protection from harm
Confidentiality
Use of deception
Sampling
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Random sample - portion of a larger
group collected in an unbiased way
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Representative sample - small group
representing a larger group
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Biased sample - a non-representative
sample
–
Sometimes referred to as a “convenience” sample
Case Study
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One or more individuals are observed
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High likelihood of observational bias
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Similar behaviors in others can lead to
conclusions about a group
Clinical Case Study
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Made thru health practitioners
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Issue is lack of generalization to the overall
population
Laboratory Observation Study
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Use of a lab setting
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Not a “real world” setting
Naturalistic Observation Study
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Observations made in a “natural setting”
Epidemiological Study
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Naturalistic setting
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Larger groups are observed
Ethnographic Study
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Naturalistic observations
Groups and communities
Survey Methods
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Written questionnaires
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Interviews
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Telephone
Experimental Study
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Two groups
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Experimental
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Control
Variables - aspects/factors that can be
manipulated
– Independent variables
– Dependent variables
– Correlational studies
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Gold Standard are “double blind”
The Sex Researchers
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Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840 - 1902)
most influential of the early researchers
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Research focused on variant sexual
behavior
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
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Psychoanalysis
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Theory of
personality
(psychosexual
development)
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Biased research
primarily based
upon a “male” model
Havelock Ellis (1859-1939)
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Earliest important
“modern-day” sexual
thinker
– Disputed “Victorian”
values
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Re-evaluated
masturbation and
homosexuality
Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956)
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Conducted research on
sexual diversity and
variation
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Critical studies of
masturbation
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Homosexual
experiences and
behavior
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Limited and biased data
(no psychological
dimension)
William Masters (1915-2001) and
Virginia Johnson (1920- 2013)
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Directly studied the
human sexual response
cycle
– Excitement
– Plateau
– Orgasm
– Resolution
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Set the stage for
therapeutic treatment of
sexual response
disorders
Comparing Yourself with
Research Findings
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Two common errors
– Equate “average” to “good/normal”
– Equate “infrequent” to “bad/deviant”
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There is great diversity in sexual attitudes,
beliefs, feelings & behaviors
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“Harm” is the key factor which distinguishes
one sexual behavior from another
The End
Slide show created by:
Richard C. Krejci, Ph.D.
All Rights Reserved