Biology of Human Sexuality- Chapter 2

After Kinsey related that same-sex sexual relationships were widespread, I demonstrated that homosexuality is not a psychological disorder. I am:

Evelyn Hooker.

Which type of research enables researchers to isolate a single factor under controlled circumstances to see how it influences behavior?

experimental research

Basic to any scientific study, whether of sex or any other area of research, is a fundamental commitment to:

objectivity.

Alfred Kinsey explored all of the following human sexual behaviors EXCEPT:

the psychological dimensions of sexual behavior.

A problem that researchers encounter when using survey research is:

the lack of in-depth responses.

Jeremiah believes that certain rites and rituals that are practiced in some African cultures are disgusting. He is engaging in the:

ethnocentric fallacy.

Jenna holds an unsubstantiated belief about sex that is based on neither accurate knowledge or concrete evidence. Jenna’s unsubstantiated belief would be called:

an opinion.

The sex information/advice genre transmits:

information and norms about sexuality

I am an English physician who believes that masturbation is a normal sexual behavior and homosexuality is neither a disease nor a perversion. I am:

Havelock Ellis.

Dr. Andrews is a sex researcher who asks that respondents in her study keep track of their sexual fantasies and sexual behavior, as well as when they are using condoms. These respondents are using:

sexual diaries.

The National Survey of Family Growth found that:

10% of males and 85 of females between ages 15 and 44 have never had sex.

Which recent study of sexual behavior has found that approximately 75% of college men and women had at least one sexual partner in the previous year?

The National College Health Assessment

Questionnaires in magazines that survey readers about their sexual attitudes and behaviors are primarily designed to:

promote sales.

The term "machismo," when used correctly, refers to:

values of courage, strength, generosity, politeness, and respect for others.

Full disclosure relates to which ethical issue in research?

informed consent

When scientists find support for their hypotheses, other scientists will do similar studies to see if they get the same or similar results. Reviews of these attempts at replication show that:

one-third of the time the results are not replicated.

Some commonly held sexual stereotypes are actually true, such as the belief that men are always ready for sex.

False

The in-depth examination of an individual who is seen for psychological disorders would be called therapeutic research.

False

Alfred Kinsey made it possible for people to talk about sex.

True

An ethical concern faced by researchers involves the use of human beings as subjects.

True

It is much easier today for universities and other institutions to get federal funding for sex research than it was in the time of Alfred Kinsey.

False

Media personalities are more successful when they rely on their ability to inform rather than to entertain.

False

The representation of black sexuality that allowed white masters to sexually exploit their female slaves continues to be perpetuated in the media today.

True

Because researchers are rarely able to sample the entire population they wish to study, they select small groups that reflect the larger group in terms of age, sex, ethnicity, and so on.

True

The media frequently misquote and misuse the findings of social science research.

True

The type of research that involves manipulation of variables and allows for a determination of cause and effect is called observational research.

False

An egocentric fallacy is the mistaken belief that

one’s own values are held by others.

What is a stereotype?

a simplistic overgeneralized belief about people or ideas

Which statement best reflects the views of Havelock Ellis regarding the nature of female sexuality?

Women have sexual desires no less intense than those of men.

A researcher is interested in studying the relationship between illegal drug use and certain high-risk sexual behaviors. She collects questionnaires from college students and faculty and has each subject identified by their Social Security number. This researcher may be most in jeopardy of violating the principle of

confidentiality.

Those factors which the experimenter varies to observe their effects are

independent variables.

The main difference between a value judgment and an objective statement is that objective statements

describe actual behavior.

Sexually active National College Health Assessment survey respondents indicated that _______ were the most commonly used forms of birth control.

condoms and birth control pills

The common Latino stereotype of machismo is as negative for Latino males as it is for non-Latinos.

False

To modern feminist scholars, power is a critical element in male-female relationships.

True

Havelock Ellis believed that homosexuality was learned.

False

A major problem with observational research in the natural environment is that

it raises the ethical issue of informed consent.

A personal leaning or inclination is called a bias.

True

According to the National College Health Assessment, ____ of college women had at least one sexual partner during their last school year.

71%

Why was the research of Evelyn Hooker important?

She showed that gay men could not be distinguished from heterosexual men on the basis of personality characteristics.

___________________ is the method in which a hypothesis is formed from impartially gathered data and tested empirically.

The scientific method

A simplistic, rigidly held, overgeneralized belief about an individual or a group of people is a(an)

stereotype.

The sex researcher who wrote Psychopathia Sexualis was

Richard von Krafft-Ebing.

The terms homosexual and heterosexual were coined by

Karl Kertbeny.

Which of the following is NOT a common methodology used in social science research?

unethical research

The media typically depict alcohol use as __________ leading to sexual risk behavior.

always

According to Sigmund Freud, a person’s gender identity is formed during the Oedipal stage.

False

The primary purpose of the sex information/advice genre is to

sell copies of the printed material or raise ratings.

A researcher compares the GPAs (grade point averages) of college students who are in monogamous romantic relationships with the GPAs of those who have multiple sexual partners. What research method is being employed here?

correlation

If a researcher wanted to know about the contraceptive techniques used by poor people, and only African Americans were surveyed, the sample would be biased.

True

Ethnocentrism is reinforced by

opinions, biases, and stereotypes.

Portia and Blaine are firmly convinced that their Ivy League college culture is superior to others in every way. They view students at other institutions with disdain. Portia and Blaine may be demonstrating

ethnocentrism.

A major weakness of Kinsey’s research was

that its strictly quantitative approach ignored other key dimensions of sexual behavior.

Many people believe Kinsey’s work was responsible for a moral breakdown in the United States.

True

Which of the following statements is a value judgment?

Young men and women should masturbate regularly.

One of the most important findings in Kinsey’s work was that

there was extraordinary diversity in sexual behavior.

According to Sigmund Freud, girls and boys develop feminine and masculine identities when they

relinquish their desire for the other-sex parent and begin to identify with their same-sex parent.

An opinion differs from a fact in that an opinion is

not based on concrete evidence or accurate knowledge.

Which statement best summarizes Havelock Ellis’ view of homosexuality?

He saw it as a harmless congenital condition.

The notion that women need a reason for sex; men need a place is an example of

a sexual stereotype.

A relatively new interviewing research technique using computer and audio assistance is known as the

audio-CASI method.

According to the National Survey of Family Growth, when including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex, _______ of men aged 25-44 have never had sex in their lives.

10%

Which of the following is TRUE of feminist scholars?

They believe power is a critical element in male-female relationships.

The "phallic fallacy" is the mistaken belief that our experiences and values are shared by others.

False

The stage of psychosexual development in which little girls sexually desire their fathers is commonly known as the

Electra Complex.

Latinos who do not identify with their Latino heritage, speak only English, and have moderate (at most) religious ties are

acculturated Latinos.

Masters and Johnson are well known for their laboratory observations of sexual behavior among rats.

False

Dr. Castillo wants to conduct research on college students’ sexual behavior. After designing the study, he must

demonstrate to a research review board that ethical guidelines will be followed.

Using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2001), researchers surveyed students in grades 9-12 and found that the percentage of students reporting having had sexual intercourse with at least one person during the three months before the survey was

35%

Clinical research

is usually descriptive in nature.

Statistics about sexual behavior that are promoted the most in the media tend to

support widely held media preconceptions.

Dr. Barnes is interested in the sexual behavior of middle-aged adults. She goes to a large corporation and collects data on all clerical workers who meet this criterion. Dr. Barnes calls her study "The Sexual Behavior of Middle-Aged American Workers." Dr. Barnes could be criticized on the grounds that

the findings are not based on a representative sample.

It is important to think critically when reading sex research studies because

most research samples have several potential limitations.

A major limitation of correlational studies is that they cannot

indicate which variable causes the other to change.

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using questionnaires in sex research?

The researcher can obtain in-depth information.

Stereotypical beliefs

are resistant to change.

If two variables occur together with great statistical regularity, we may conclude that they are correlated.

True

Which of the following is NOT a stereotypical belief?

Unprotected sexual contact with a new partner can transmit STIs.

Those factors which are affected by the manipulation of other variables are

dependent variables.

Which of the following does NOT describe objective statements?

They suggest ideals or desirable ways of behaving.

An ad in the campus newspaper indicated that $20 will be paid to male volunteers who participate in a study of male sexual response. What might one assume about the volunteers?

They are not a representative sample of college-age males.

One obstacle to sex research today which was also experienced by Alfred Kinsey is

the attack on the value of sex research by some members of Congress and conservative groups.

A major limitation of clinical research is

the emphasis on pathological behavior.

The influence of nature versus nurture on sexual orientation has been resolved after a lengthy debate.

False

Ethical considerations for research in sexuality include

informed consent from the participants.

A criticism of the clinical research method is that it lacks depth.

False

Value judgments serve to

obscure the search for understanding about sexuality.

In order to lend scientific credibility to their materials, the sexual information media

use the trappings of social science and psychiatry without the substance.

The American Psychiatric Association has removed homosexuality from its list of psychological disorders.

True

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey suggested that roughly ____% of students, grades 9-12, had engaged in sexual intercourse.

48

To say that masturbation is an immature form of sexual behavior is a value judgment.

True

A disadvantage of the survey method is that

self-reports of behavior can be inaccurate.

Evelyn Higginbotham described the rationalized constructions of African American woman’s sexuality as

primitive and promiscuous.

The development of the Kinsey Scale was an attempt to

represent the proportion of an individual’s sexual behaviors with the same or other sex.

A major weakness of Freud’s theory of sexuality was

the fact that there were no empirical data to support his ideas.

According to sociologists, sexual stereotyping is often used to

justify discrimination.

Okazaki (2002) reported that Asian American adolescents and young adults tend to be

sexually conservative and later sex initiators, compared to White adolescents and young adults.

The highly successful approach to treatment of sexual problems developed by Masters and Johnson was based on

behavioral therapy.

The National Health and Social Life Survey suggested that on average Americans have sex about once a week.

True

Dependent variables are those factors that the investigator manipulates in order to observe the effects on the independent variable.

False

Why was the 1973 removal of homosexuality from the DSM-II (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) significant?

It meant that homosexuality per se was not considered a mental illness.

How do the methods employed by sex researchers compare with those used by other social scientists?

Sex researchers use familiar methodologies but are constrained by taboos and additional ethical concerns.

Havelock Ellis viewed the so-called abnormal sexual behaviors as

exaggerations of normal sexual behavior.

Alfred Kinsey’s studies of sexual behavior revealed that there was tremendous consistency between public standards of sexual behavior and actual sexual behavior.

False

Current research shows that sexual attitudes and behaviors are __________ among low- and middle-class African Americans.

very different

William Masters and Virginia Johnson contributed all of the following to our understanding of human sexual behavior EXCEPT they did not

support Freud’s distinction between clitoral and vaginal orgasms.

According to Sigmund Freud, the part of the body that is involved with the earliest form of erotic pleasure is the

mouth.

A bias in scientific inquiry causes us to

select information that supports our view or belief.

The focus of the sexual information/advice genre is on

simplified how-to information and morality.

An in-depth combination of an individual or group is called

clinical research.

Opinions are not based on accurate knowledge or concrete evidence.

True

Janet and Joshua conclude that a particular tribe is bizarre because the men adorn themselves by making holes in their genitalia and filling the holes with little wire rings. They overlook the fact that in our culture, we pierce our ears, tongues, eyebrows, and other body parts. This is an example of

ethnocentrism.

Once personal biases are recognized and overcome, it becomes less important to apply objective methods of social science research.

False

Which of the following is NOT a sampling-related problem that occurs in sex research?

African Americans and Latinos are over-represented in most studies.

A schema performs all of the following functions EXCEPT that it does not

ensure that the information we receive is accurate.

The notion that gay male relationships are doomed to fail is an example of

a sexual stereotype.

The term phallacy was coined by feminists to describe male stereotypes of women.

False

Sex advice columnists are bound by a strict code of professional ethics.

False

Survey research results are only as accurate as the memories of the survey respondents.

True

In scientific research, an attempt to generalize the findings of a study with a smaller number of subjects to a larger population is known as a(n)

representative sample.

The position of most major mental health organizations regarding "reparative" therapy for homosexuality is that it should

not be done.