{"id":769,"date":"2023-03-10T19:12:07","date_gmt":"2023-03-10T19:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=769"},"modified":"2024-04-05T17:46:06","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T17:46:06","slug":"sexual-behavior-research","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/sexual-behavior-research\/","title":{"raw":"Sexual Behavior: Learn It 2\u2014Sexual Behavior Research","rendered":"Sexual Behavior: Learn It 2\u2014Sexual Behavior Research"},"content":{"raw":"<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<h2>Kinsey's Research<\/h2>\r\n<p>Before the late 1940s, access to reliable, empirically-based information on sex was limited. Physicians were considered authorities on all issues related to sex, despite the fact that they had little to no training in these issues, and it is likely that most of what people knew about sex had been learned either through their own experiences or by talking with their peers. Convinced that people would benefit from a more open dialogue on issues related to human sexuality, Dr. Alfred Kinsey of Indiana University initiated large-scale survey research on the topic. The results of some of these efforts were published in two books\u2014<em data-effect=\"italics\">Sexual Behavior in the Human Male <\/em>and <em data-effect=\"italics\">Sexual Behavior in the Human Female<\/em>\u2014which were published in 1948 and 1953, respectively (Bullough, 1998).<\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"325\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/902\/2015\/02\/23224946\/CNX_Psych_10_03_Kinsey.jpg\" alt=\"A photograph shows Morrison Hall, the building that houses the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.\" width=\"325\" height=\"212\" data-media-type=\"image\/jpeg\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. In 1947, Alfred Kinsey established The Kinsey Institute for Research, Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University, shown here in 2011. The Kinsey Institute has continued as a research site of important psychological studies for decades.[\/caption]\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p>At the time, the Kinsey reports were quite sensational. Never before had the American public seen its private sexual behavior become the focus of scientific scrutiny on such a large scale. The books, which were filled with statistics and scientific lingo, sold remarkably well to the general public, and people began to engage in open conversations about human sexuality. As you might imagine, not everyone was happy that this information was being published. In fact, these books were banned in some countries. Ultimately, the controversy resulted in Kinsey losing funding that he had secured from the Rockefeller Foundation to continue his research efforts (Bancroft, 2004).<\/p>\r\n<p>Although Kinsey\u2019s research has been widely criticized as being riddled with sampling and statistical errors (Jenkins, 2010), there is little doubt that this research was very influential in shaping future research on human sexual behavior and motivation. Kinsey described a remarkably diverse range of sexual behaviors and experiences reported by the volunteers participating in his research. Behaviors that had once been considered exceedingly rare or problematic were demonstrated to be much more common and innocuous than previously imagined (Bancroft, 2004; Bullough, 1998).<\/p>\r\n<p>Among the results of Kinsey\u2019s research were the findings that women are as interested and experienced in sex as their male counterparts, that both males and females masturbate without adverse health consequences, and that homosexual behavior is fairly common (Bancroft, 2004). Kinsey also developed a continuum known as the Kinsey scale that is still commonly used today to categorize an individual\u2019s sexual orientation (Jenkins, 2010).<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<h2>Masters and Johnson's Research<\/h2>\r\n<p>In 1966, William Masters and Virginia Johnson published a book detailing the results of their observations of nearly 700 people who agreed to participate in their study of physiological responses during sexual behavior. Unlike Kinsey, who used personal interviews and surveys to collect data, Masters and Johnson observed people having intercourse in a variety of positions, and they observed people masturbating, manually or with the aid of a device. While this was occurring, researchers recorded measurements of physiological variables, such as blood pressure and respiration rate, as well as measurements of sexual arousal, such as vaginal lubrication and penile tumescence (swelling associated with an erection). In total, Masters and Johnson observed nearly 10,000 sexual acts as a part of their research (Hock, 2008).<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>the sexual response cycle<\/h3>\r\n<p>Based on these observations, Masters and Johnson divided the <strong>sexual response cycle<\/strong> into four phases that are fairly similar in individuals regardless of the individual's sex assigned at birth: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The <strong>excitement<\/strong> phase is the arousal phase of the sexual response cycle, and it is marked by the erection of the penis or clitoris and the lubrication and expansion of the vaginal canal.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>In the <strong>plateau<\/strong> phase, individuals experience a full erection of the penis often accompanied by pre-ejaculatory fluid or further swelling of the vagina and increased blood flow to the labia minora.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>For individuals with female sex organs, <strong>orgasm<\/strong> is marked by rhythmic contractions of the pelvis and uterus along with increased muscle tension. For individuals with male sex organs, pelvic contractions are accompanied by a buildup of seminal fluid near the urethra that is ultimately forced out by contractions of genital muscles (i.e., ejaculation).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Resolution<\/strong> is the relatively rapid return to an unaroused state accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure and muscular relaxation. While many individuals with female sex organs can quickly repeat the sexual response cycle, those with male sex organs commonly pass through a longer refractory period as part of resolution. The refractory period is a period of time that follows an orgasm during which an individual is incapable of experiencing another orgasm. For those with male sex organs, the duration of the refractory period can vary dramatically from individual to individual with some refractory periods as short as several minutes and others as long as a day. As these people age, their refractory periods tend to span longer periods of time.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_6897\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"487\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2015\/02\/03203928\/8779b02770677c3a72128d975437df4299869513.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-6897\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2015\/02\/03203928\/8779b02770677c3a72128d975437df4299869513.jpeg\" alt=\"A graph titled \u201cSexual response cycle\u201d has an x-axis labeled \u201ctime\u201d and a y-axis labeled \u201carousal.\u201d Four phases are depicted. In the \u201cexcitement\u201d phase the arousal level increases from the bottom to midway on the graph. In the \u201cplateau\u201d phase the arousal level remains mostly steady at the midpoint of the graph and then begins to rise at the end of the plateau phase. At the \u201corgasm\u201d phase, the arousal level sharply increases, peaks at the top of the graph, and then declines to the midway point. In the \u201cresolution\u201d phase the graph drops from the midway point to the bottom.\" width=\"487\" height=\"349\" \/><\/a> <strong>Figure 2<\/strong>. This graph illustrates the different phases of the sexual response cycle as described by Masters and Johnson.[\/caption]\r\n<\/section>\r\n<figure><\/figure>\r\n<p>In addition to the insights that their research provided with regard to the sexual response cycle and the multi-orgasmic potential of those with female sex organs, Masters and Johnson also collected important information about reproductive anatomy. Their research demonstrated the oft-cited statistic of the average size of a flaccid and an erect penis (3 and 6 inches, respectively) as well as dispelling long-held beliefs about relationships between the size of an individual's erect penis and their ability to provide sexual pleasure to their partner. Furthermore, they determined that the vagina is a very elastic structure that can conform to penises of various sizes (Hock, 2008).<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"400\"]4411[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>\r\n<section><\/section>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<h2>Kinsey&#8217;s Research<\/h2>\n<p>Before the late 1940s, access to reliable, empirically-based information on sex was limited. Physicians were considered authorities on all issues related to sex, despite the fact that they had little to no training in these issues, and it is likely that most of what people knew about sex had been learned either through their own experiences or by talking with their peers. Convinced that people would benefit from a more open dialogue on issues related to human sexuality, Dr. Alfred Kinsey of Indiana University initiated large-scale survey research on the topic. The results of some of these efforts were published in two books\u2014<em data-effect=\"italics\">Sexual Behavior in the Human Male <\/em>and <em data-effect=\"italics\">Sexual Behavior in the Human Female<\/em>\u2014which were published in 1948 and 1953, respectively (Bullough, 1998).<\/p>\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 325px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/902\/2015\/02\/23224946\/CNX_Psych_10_03_Kinsey.jpg\" alt=\"A photograph shows Morrison Hall, the building that houses the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.\" width=\"325\" height=\"212\" data-media-type=\"image\/jpeg\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. In 1947, Alfred Kinsey established The Kinsey Institute for Research, Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University, shown here in 2011. The Kinsey Institute has continued as a research site of important psychological studies for decades.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<p>At the time, the Kinsey reports were quite sensational. Never before had the American public seen its private sexual behavior become the focus of scientific scrutiny on such a large scale. The books, which were filled with statistics and scientific lingo, sold remarkably well to the general public, and people began to engage in open conversations about human sexuality. As you might imagine, not everyone was happy that this information was being published. In fact, these books were banned in some countries. Ultimately, the controversy resulted in Kinsey losing funding that he had secured from the Rockefeller Foundation to continue his research efforts (Bancroft, 2004).<\/p>\n<p>Although Kinsey\u2019s research has been widely criticized as being riddled with sampling and statistical errors (Jenkins, 2010), there is little doubt that this research was very influential in shaping future research on human sexual behavior and motivation. Kinsey described a remarkably diverse range of sexual behaviors and experiences reported by the volunteers participating in his research. Behaviors that had once been considered exceedingly rare or problematic were demonstrated to be much more common and innocuous than previously imagined (Bancroft, 2004; Bullough, 1998).<\/p>\n<p>Among the results of Kinsey\u2019s research were the findings that women are as interested and experienced in sex as their male counterparts, that both males and females masturbate without adverse health consequences, and that homosexual behavior is fairly common (Bancroft, 2004). Kinsey also developed a continuum known as the Kinsey scale that is still commonly used today to categorize an individual\u2019s sexual orientation (Jenkins, 2010).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<h2>Masters and Johnson&#8217;s Research<\/h2>\n<p>In 1966, William Masters and Virginia Johnson published a book detailing the results of their observations of nearly 700 people who agreed to participate in their study of physiological responses during sexual behavior. Unlike Kinsey, who used personal interviews and surveys to collect data, Masters and Johnson observed people having intercourse in a variety of positions, and they observed people masturbating, manually or with the aid of a device. While this was occurring, researchers recorded measurements of physiological variables, such as blood pressure and respiration rate, as well as measurements of sexual arousal, such as vaginal lubrication and penile tumescence (swelling associated with an erection). In total, Masters and Johnson observed nearly 10,000 sexual acts as a part of their research (Hock, 2008).<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>the sexual response cycle<\/h3>\n<p>Based on these observations, Masters and Johnson divided the <strong>sexual response cycle<\/strong> into four phases that are fairly similar in individuals regardless of the individual&#8217;s sex assigned at birth: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>excitement<\/strong> phase is the arousal phase of the sexual response cycle, and it is marked by the erection of the penis or clitoris and the lubrication and expansion of the vaginal canal.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>plateau<\/strong> phase, individuals experience a full erection of the penis often accompanied by pre-ejaculatory fluid or further swelling of the vagina and increased blood flow to the labia minora.<\/li>\n<li>For individuals with female sex organs, <strong>orgasm<\/strong> is marked by rhythmic contractions of the pelvis and uterus along with increased muscle tension. For individuals with male sex organs, pelvic contractions are accompanied by a buildup of seminal fluid near the urethra that is ultimately forced out by contractions of genital muscles (i.e., ejaculation).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Resolution<\/strong> is the relatively rapid return to an unaroused state accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure and muscular relaxation. While many individuals with female sex organs can quickly repeat the sexual response cycle, those with male sex organs commonly pass through a longer refractory period as part of resolution. The refractory period is a period of time that follows an orgasm during which an individual is incapable of experiencing another orgasm. For those with male sex organs, the duration of the refractory period can vary dramatically from individual to individual with some refractory periods as short as several minutes and others as long as a day. As these people age, their refractory periods tend to span longer periods of time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6897\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6897\" style=\"width: 487px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2015\/02\/03203928\/8779b02770677c3a72128d975437df4299869513.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6897\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2015\/02\/03203928\/8779b02770677c3a72128d975437df4299869513.jpeg\" alt=\"A graph titled \u201cSexual response cycle\u201d has an x-axis labeled \u201ctime\u201d and a y-axis labeled \u201carousal.\u201d Four phases are depicted. In the \u201cexcitement\u201d phase the arousal level increases from the bottom to midway on the graph. In the \u201cplateau\u201d phase the arousal level remains mostly steady at the midpoint of the graph and then begins to rise at the end of the plateau phase. At the \u201corgasm\u201d phase, the arousal level sharply increases, peaks at the top of the graph, and then declines to the midway point. In the \u201cresolution\u201d phase the graph drops from the midway point to the bottom.\" width=\"487\" height=\"349\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6897\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 2<\/strong>. This graph illustrates the different phases of the sexual response cycle as described by Masters and Johnson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>In addition to the insights that their research provided with regard to the sexual response cycle and the multi-orgasmic potential of those with female sex organs, Masters and Johnson also collected important information about reproductive anatomy. Their research demonstrated the oft-cited statistic of the average size of a flaccid and an erect penis (3 and 6 inches, respectively) as well as dispelling long-held beliefs about relationships between the size of an individual&#8217;s erect penis and their ability to provide sexual pleasure to their partner. Furthermore, they determined that the vagina is a very elastic structure that can conform to penises of various sizes (Hock, 2008).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm4411\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=4411&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm4411&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"400\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<section><\/section>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"menu_order":20,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":711,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/769"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7497,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/769\/revisions\/7497"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/711"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/769\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=769"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=769"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}