Deck 2: Sex Research: Methods and Challenges

Question 1

In a(n) ____ sample, subgroups are represented according to their incidence in the larger population.

A) survey
B) equivalent
C) random
D) representative

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The first extensive survey of sexual behavior in the United States was conducted in:

A) the late 1940s and early 1950s.
B) the mid-1800s.
C) the early 1920s.
D) the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following would be the most cost-effective method for conducting a survey?

A) Face-to-face interviews
B) Telephone surveys
C) Questionnaires
D) Door-to-door interviews

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is true of the case study method of research?

A) It is difficult to explore a problem in any great depth.
B) It may be difficult to generalize the findings to the target population.
C) It tends to be very inexpensive.
D) The measurements obtained through this method are entirely subjective.

Question 5

A representative sample is also known as a:

A) target sample.
B) random sample.
C) volunteer sample.
D) probability sample.

Question 6

All of the following are goals of sexologists EXCEPT:

A) understanding sexual behavior.
B) promoting sexual behavior.
C) predicting sexual behavior.
D) controlling sexual behavior.

Question 7

Which research method would be MOST appropriate for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward sex education in the schools?

A) Case study
B) Experimental method
C) Direct observation
D) Survey

Question 8

Sexology:

A) is one of the oldest branches of science.
B) is declining as a scientific discipline due to lack of interest.
C) is a challenging branch of scientific study because it focuses on an aspect of life that many people prefer to keep private.
D) is not considered a valid scientific specialty.

Question 9

Most of our scientific information about human sexuality has been obtained through:

A) case studies.
B) surveys.
C) direct observation.
D) experimental research.

Question 10

Mariela has written a scientific paper about a young man who suffered severe pelvic injuries during his wartime service. In her paper, Mariela discussed both the psychological and physical effects of the injuries and outlines the course of treatment the young man has pursued to adjust to his injuries. To write this paper, Mariela interviewed the young man and members of his treatment team and was provided with access to his medical records. Mariela's paper is an example of a(n):

A) direct observational design.
B) experiment.
C) case study.
D) survey.

Question 11

Direct observation is a reliable method for studying sexuality because the possibility of ____ is greatly reduced.

A) demographic bias
B) researcher interpretive bias
C) data falsification
D) self-selection

Question 12

What is a disadvantage of the direct observational method of research?

A) The subjects' behaviors may be influenced by the presence of an observer.
B) It is impossible to generalize the findings to the target population.
C) You can only study one subject at a time.
D) The measurements obtained through this method are entirely subjective.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true of surveys?

A) They tend to have very low nonresponse rates.
B) They allow researchers to gather data from large samples.
C) They tend to be more cost-efficient than other types of research.
D) The results obtained from surveys are more generalizable than those obtained from case studies.

Question 14

In which type of research is a representative sample of people asked to answer questions about their sexual attitudes or behaviors by means of questionnaires or interviews?

A) Case study
B) Survey
C) Direct observation
D) Sample of convenience

Question 15

John is studying the case of Bruce, a 35-year-old male who lost his penis at circumcision. John interviews all the family members, reads medical records, and writes a book about the topic, focusing on how the surgery has affected Bruce's self-concept, gender identity, and sexual behavior. Most likely, John considers himself a:

A) humanist.
B) social psychologist.
C) sexologist.
D) forensic psychologist.

Question 16

The first large-scale surveys of sexual behavior in the United States were conducted by:

A) Sigmund Freud.
B) Alfred Kinsey.
C) Virginia Masters and William Johnson.
D) Margaret Sanger.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a method used to conduct surveys?

A) Telephone interviews
B) The Internet
C) Door-to-door interviews
D) Small group interviews

Question 18

The survey method:

A) allows for flexibility in data-gathering procedures.
B) is objective and largely eliminates problems of demographic bias.
C) can be done with the use of technology such as computers.
D) can only be generalized to the people who were actually surveyed.

Question 19

The primary goal of sexology is to:

A) publish material that is interesting and entertaining to the public.
B) test assumptions about sexuality in a scientific way.
C) study only those behaviors that can be electronically quantified.
D) encourage people to increase sexual experimentation.

Question 20

A group chosen in such a way that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected is known as a:

A) clinical sample.
B) qualitative sample.
C) random sample.
D) carpet sample.

Question 21

In order to generalize accurately, it is important to survey a ____ sample of cases.

A) self-selected
B) target
C) representative
D) random

Question 22

The fact that the majority of participants in sex research have been white, middle-class volunteers illustrates the problem of:

A) random sampling.
B) probability sampling.
C) demographic bias.
D) data discrimination.

Question 23

The results of the National Health and Social Life Survey reflect an American people who are:

A) less content with their erotic lives than was widely believed.
B) more sexually active than was widely believed.
C) more sexually conservative than was widely believed.
D) indulgent in all kinds of conventional and unconventional sexual practices.

Question 24

A local radio talk show host asks his listeners to call in and report how frequently they engage in sexual intercourse. Which of the following BEST describes the validity of this information?

A) Because a random sample of the audience will call in, this will be valid information.
B) Because this is considered a demographically balanced sample, the information will be valid.
C) Because the host is utilizing the experimental method instead of the survey method, the information will not be valid.
D) Because this sample is not representative of the community, it will not be valid.

Question 25

The degree to which research data may be biased as a result of the differences in the people who volunteer to participate in a study, as opposed to those who do not, is called:

A) the bystander effect.
B) self-selection.
C) demographic bias.
D) ethnocentrism.

Question 26

For her dissertation project, Tolu intends to interview people who identify themselves as having test anxiety regarding the origins of their fears and what they do to cope. Destiny's dissertation involves interviewing college students about their first episode of sexual intercourse, including whether they saw it as a positive experience. Compared to Tolu, Destiny:

A) likely will have less difficulty recruiting subjects.
B) will not need to worry as much about her subjects changing their responses to make themselves look better.
C) likely will have more difficulty finding people willing to participate in her study.
D) likely will get more accurate responses from her subjects.

Question 27

Which of the following statements regarding Kinsey's research is true?

A) Kinsey's samples included only a small percentage of females.
B) His samples included people from a wide variety of ethnic groups.
C) All of the respondents were married and age 40 or older.
D) His samples included people of various ages, religious backgrounds, and educational levels.

Question 28

In written or oral surveys, a relatively small group, called the ____, is used to draw conclusions about a larger group, called the ____.

A) experimental group; control group
B) random sample; representative sample
C) representative sample; target population
D) dependent variable; independent variable

Question 29

Taylor has volunteered to participate in a research study focused on subjects' recollections of their earlier sexual experiences. Most likely, Taylor:

A) is not sexually experienced.
B) will be able to provide very accurate data regarding Taylor's first sexual experience.
C) has a fairly negative attitude toward sexuality.
D) is female.

Question 30

One of the problems with sex survey research is ____, which occurs when a person refuses to participate in a study.

A) nonresponse
B) low self-esteem
C) the bystander effect
D) diffusion of responsibility

Question 31

Which of the following is an advantage of using interviews instead of questionnaires?

A) They provide opportunities for flexibility.
B) They are less expensive than administering questionnaires.
C) They preserve anonymity.
D) Subjects are less likely to distort information with an interviewer.

Question 32

You are conducting a large scale sex survey and want to ensure that the results are representative of the larger population. In other words, you want to minimize the problem of:

A) ethnographic bias.
B) replicability.
C) demographic bias.
D) equivalent sampling.

Question 33

Which of the following is an advantage of using questionnaires instead of interviews?

A) The researcher can develop a rapport with the subject.
B) They provide opportunities for flexibility.
C) They are usually anonymous.
D) They usually have a longer timeline and are more thorough.

Question 34

In order to learn about the sexual attitudes and behaviors of all the students attending Cleveland High School, Professor Brewer randomly selected and surveyed 50 of the students. In this case, all of the students attending the high school are called the:

A) target population.
B) dependent variable.
C) representative sample.
D) independent variable.

Question 35

Interviews have an advantage over questionnaires in that:

A) the format of an interview is always preset.
B) the interviewer can clarify confusing questions.
C) the sequence of questions remains constant.
D) it is not necessary to establish a rapport with the subject.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT an element of questionnaires and interviews:

A) a set of questions
B) possible inclusion of multiple-choice, true or false, or discussion questions
C) allows subjects to respond alone, in their own homes, or with a researcher
D) direct observation

Question 37

Assume that you wanted to research a sensitive subject and that you planned to have a fairly large sample size. Helping the respondents to feel at ease as well as giving them an opportunity to elaborate on their answers is crucial. Adequate funding for your study is not a problem. Which of the following research methods would BEST suit your needs?

A) Case study
B) Questionnaire
C) Experimental research
D) Survey by interview

Question 38

Several studies indicate that volunteers for sex research tend to:

A) demonstrate less sexual interest and activity than nonvolunteers.
B) be more sexually experienced than nonvolunteers.
C) have lower levels of sexual self-esteem than nonvolunteers.
D) be in long-term, committed relationships more than nonvolunteers.

Question 39

Kinsey's studies on American sexuality were pioneering but limited, because his sample included ____.

A) a disproportionate number of better educated persons.
B) nonvolunteers.
C) large numbers of people from rural areas.
D) mostly older adults.

Question 40

Kinsey and his associates obtained their data on sexuality by means of:

A) direct observation.
B) case studies.
C) experimental research.
D) survey interviews.

Question 41

Kinsey's research:

A) is still considered relevant to understanding sexuality in America.
B) was based on a sample that was highly representative of the American population at the time.
C) was based on a very small sample of subjects.
D) was largely ignored in his time.

Question 42

A kind of sampling bias in which certain segments of society (such as White, middle-class, white-collar workers) are disproportionately represented in a study population is known as:

A) nonresponse.
B) demographic bias.
C) researcher bias.
D) volunteer bias.

Question 43

Masters and Johnson's research findings have proved useful in the all of the following areas EXCEPT:

A) conception control.
B) infertility counseling.
C) general sex education.
D) Fertility treatment.

Question 44

Which of the following studies provided one of the most expansive, nationally representative studies of sexual behavior and condom use to date?

A) Kinsey studies
B) Masters and Johnson studies
C) NHSLS survey
D) NSSHB survey

Question 45

Which of the following groups was overrepresented in the Kinsey studies?

A) Educated, city-dwelling Protestants
B) Low-income, urban Catholics
C) Low-income, rural Protestants
D) African Americans and other ethnic minorities

Question 46

The National Health and Social Life Survey:

A) was hampered by a very high nonresponse rate.
B) used the direct observation method to study a broad range of human sexual behaviors.
C) is an example of case study research.
D) suggested that Americans were less sexually active and more content in their sex lives than was previously believed.

Question 47

A nonexperimental research method that examines a small group of people to gain in-depth information about personal perspectives and lived experiences is a(an):

A) observational study.
B) survey study.
C) quantitative study.
D) qualitative study.

Question 48

The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB) survey included information regarding all of the following EXCEPT:

A) the percentage of subjects who participated in same-sex encounters.
B) patterns of condom use.
C) more than 40 combinations of sexual acts engaged in during sexual events.
D) a broad array of sexual practices and attitudes to connect with the spread of AIDS.

Question 49

The National Health and Social Life Survey is considered noteworthy because:

A) large numbers of prostitutes and their clients agreed to participate.
B) it examined the sexual practices of teenagers.
C) it yielded data that most social scientists believe reliably indicate the sexual practices of American adults ages 18 to 59.
D) new physiological recording devices were utilized.

Question 50

A direct consequence of the shift in funding sources from federal agencies to drug companies has been a(n):

A) de-emphasis on the psychosocial aspects of human sexual functioning.
B) improvement in women's health.
C) decline in integrity of scientific peer review.
D) increase in the use of the experimental method.

Question 51

Which of the following statements MOST accurately describes Kinsey's research?

A) It discovered the causes of sexual dysfunction in men and women.
B) It described the physiology of sexual behavior in women and men.
C) It described patterns of sexual behavior in men and women.
D) It reported the incidence of deviant sexual behavior in men.

Question 52

Which of the following statements regarding Masters and Johnson's research is TRUE?

A) Their subjects were required to pay to participate in the study.
B) Their final sample population consisted primarily of individuals with above average intelligence from an academic community.
C) They employed the case study method of research.
D) They employed the survey method of research.

Question 53

Data for the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB) were collected via:

A) paper-and-pencil questionnaire.
B) the Internet.
C) face-to-face interview.
D) the traditional phone survey.

Question 54

Many researchers consider which of the following to be the single best survey conducted of adult sexual behavior to date?

A) Kinsey's research
B) Masters and Johnson's research
C) The American Life League Survey
D) The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior

Question 55

Investigators used data from 2,560 U.S. men and women who were surveyed two times approximately 10 years apart. They found evidence that many individuals, particularly women, changed what over time?

A) Their arousability and sexual interest decreased.
B) They changed their ideas on educational importance over time.
C) They changed their sexual identity over time.
D) Their sexual experience always enhanced with time.

Question 56

The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB):

A) was conducted in 1990 and funded by the U.S. Congress.
B) has largely been ignored by sexologists because political concerns greatly limited the types of questions researchers could ask.
C) was based on data from about 200 adults and adolescents.
D) included data from subjects randomly selected from a probability sample drawn from a file of residential addresses representing 98% of the U.S. population.

Question 57

Which statement is NOT true of the National Health and Social Life Survey?

A) The NHSLC was a federally funded project.
B) The NHSLC was carried out by a team of researchers from the University of Chicago.
C) Too few members of Jews, Asian Americans, and Native Americans were included to provide useful information about these groups.
D) More than 75% of the people contacted agreed to participate.

Question 58

A method of research in which participants are observed as they go about their activities is:

A) survey.
B) direct observation.
C) qualitative study.
D) experimental method.

Question 59

Landmark studies involving direct observation of physiological arousal during sexual activity were conducted by:

A) Sigmund Freud.
B) Virginia Masters and William Johnson.
C) Alfred Kinsey.
D) Sylvester Graham.

Question 60

If you wanted information on how men and women respond physiologically during sexual arousal and orgasm, your BEST source of information would be:

A) Masters and Johnson.
B) Kinsey.
C) the National Health and Social Life Survey.
D) the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior.

Question 61

Which of the following research methods would provide you with the best information if you wished to examine the effects of different room temperatures on physiological sexual response?

A) Case study
B) Interview
C) Experimental research
D) Questionnaire

Question 62

A matched group of rapists and nonrapists listen to taped descriptions of sexual activity, one involving rape and the other involving consensual sexual interaction. The researcher measures the degree of penile engorgement in each group. The independent variable is:

A) the taped descriptions.
B) the penile tumescence among rapists.
C) the penile tumescence among nonrapists.
D) the group of nonrapists.

Question 63

A disadvantage of the survey method of research is that:

A) findings are less likely to generalize to the larger population than with other research methods.
B) they tend to be significantly more expensive to conduct than other research methods.
C) nonresponse rates can be high, and subjects may still distort their responses.
D) they provide information on a very limited sample of subjects.

Question 64

In one high school, condoms are freely available. In another similar high school, students must request condoms from the school nurse. The number of pregnancies among both groups of students are compared. The dependent variable is:

A) the freely available condoms.
B) the condoms available by request.
C) the high school students from the first school.
D) the number of pregnancies.

Question 65

After helping two of her psychotherapy clients deal with the impact of viewing excessive amounts of pornography in their intimate relationships, Dr. Kamari began to grossly overestimate the negative effects of viewing sexually explicit materials. Dr. Kamari should be reminded of the limits of:

A) case studies.
B) surveys.
C) self-selection.
D) direct observation.

Question 66

A researcher manipulates a set of conditions, or variables, and observes the effect of this manipulation on participants' behavior. This describes:

A) the experimental method.
B) the survey.
C) the qualitative study.
D) direct observation.

Question 67

This method of research is quite common in the social sciences, such as anthropology, sociology, and psychology, but less common in sexology research because of the highly personal and private nature of human sexual expression. Which of the following does this describe?

A) Survey
B) Direct observation
C) Qualitative method
D) Experimental method

Question 68

A group of college men is exposed to films with nonviolent sexual themes. A second group is exposed to R-rated films in which men commit sexual violence against women. Several days later, all men complete an attitude questionnaire. The results demonstrate that the second group of men is more accepting of violence toward women than the first group. What is the dependent variable in this study?

A) The films with nonviolent sexual themes
B) The films with sexually violent themes
C) The subjects' responses to the questionnaire
D) The attitude questionnaire

Question 69

Which of the following statements regarding case studies is FALSE?

A) They are often used to study atypical sexual behavior.
B) They allow for flexible data gathering.
C) The researcher is not easily able to generalize findings to broader populations.
D) Masters and Johnson's research (Human Sexual Response) is an example of the case study method.

Question 70

One specific advantage of the case study method is that it allows:

A) researchers to obtain data on many subjects in a short period of time.
B) great flexibility in data gathering.
C) virtual elimination of the possibility of data falsification.
D) a high degree of control, thus allowing the researcher to raw conclusions about causation.

Question 71

Devices that measure sexual arousal electronically:

A) are sold for use recreationally, but are not considered valid scientific tools.
B) provide data that is more likely to be affected by response bias than if research subjects are asked to report their levels of sexual arousal.
C) work primarily by monitoring muscle activity in the pelvic region.
D) provide more accurate data than research participants' subjective responses.

Question 72

What is a major advantage of the experimental method?

A) The ability to obtain in-depth information of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings
B) The flexibility in data-gathering procedures
C) Control over variables that influence the behavior being studied
D) Anonymity

Question 73

A vaginal photoplethysmograph:

A) measures increased vaginal blood volume.
B) measures increased vaginal lubrication.
C) measures genital arousal.
D) records orgasmic contractions.

Question 74

Studies have shown that circumcision is one of many effective strategies for reducing the spread of:

A) gonorrhea.
B) HPV.
C) syphilis.
D) HIV/AIDS.

Question 75

All of the following are limitations of the case study method EXCEPT the:

A) memory distortions in recalling past events.
B) difficulty in generalizing what is learned to the larger population.
C) inflexible data-gathering procedures.
D) inappropriateness for addressing some kinds of research questions.

Question 76

An advantage of the survey method of research is that:

A) problems with nonresponse or demographic bias are not likely to occur.
B) they are relatively inexpensive and data can be obtained from large groups of people.
C) they provide great flexibility in data-gathering procedures.
D) they allow us to demonstrate causal relationships.

Question 77

Which of the following research methods is best suited to exploring cause-and-effect relationships?

A) Experimental method
B) Survey
C) Case study
D) Direct observation

Question 78

In the experimental method, the ____ variable is controlled by the researcher while the ____ variable is the outcome that the experimenter observes and records.

A) dependent; independent
B) independent; dependent
C) random; representative
D) representative; random

Question 79

Which of the following research strategies would provide the MOST effective way of demonstrating that sexually violent media may cause or contribute to some rapists' assaultive behaviors?

A) The survey
B) The experimental method
C) Direct observation
D) The case study

Question 80

One disadvantage of using the experimental method for research is that:

A) results are highly unlikely to generalize to the larger population.
B) the artificiality of laboratory settings can affect the validity of results.
C) the low degree of control over the environment.
D) it is impossible to draw conclusions regarding cause-and-effect.