Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002
This handbook is intended to provide guidance to graduate students and professionals interested in the empirical study of human sexuality from behavioral and social scientific perspectives. Although, behavioral and social scientists have been prolific in producing research on human sexuality, traditionally, these researchers have been trained in a more general field, such as psychology, sociology, or anthropology. Sexual scientists therefore often come well prepared to carry out the research methods promoted within their disciplines of origin, but may be less familiar and comfortable with methods from other disciplines. Similarly, they may be unfamiliar with the methodological issues unique to sexuality research. Because there are few formal programs for training sexual scientists per se, researchers social and behavioral scientists who conduct research on human sexuality find themselves faced with research questions that entail conceptual, methodological, and ethical issues for which their professional training or prior experience may not have prepared them. This book is designed to provide a bridge between sexuality researchers' knowledge of the general methodologies prevalent in their fields of training and the specific issues that arise in conducting research on human sexuality.
All royalties from this book go to the Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.
1. A Preview: The Unique Nature of Sexuality Research by Michael W. Wiederman (Columbia College) and Bernard E. Whitley, Jr. (Ball State University)
PART I -- FOUNDATIONS OF RESEARCH
2. The Need to Integrate Sexual Theory and Research by David
L. Weis (Bowling Green State University)
3. Reliability and Validity of Measurement by Michael W.
Wiederman (Columbia College)
4. Validity in Research by Bernard E. Whitley, Jr. (Ball State
University)
PART II -- DATA COLLECTION
5. Sampling Considerations by Michael P. Dunne (Queensland
University of Technology)
6. Behavioral Observation by Monica M. Moore (Webster University)
7. Psychophysiological Measurement of Sexual Arousal by Erick
Janssen (The Kinsey Institute/Indiana University)
8. Focus Group Methods by Peggy Y. Byers (Ball State University),
Richard A. Zeller (Bowling Green State University), and Bryan D.
Byers (Ball State University)
9. Dear Diary: A Useful But Imperfect Method by Paul Okami
(University of California, Los Angeles)
10. Policy Capturing by Michael W. Wiederman (Columbia College)
PART III -- DATA ANALYSIS
11. Group Comparison Research by Bernard E. Whitley, Jr. (Ball
State University)
12. Regression Models by Alfred DeMaris (Bowling Green State
University)
13. Covariance Structure Models by Alfred DeMaris (Bowling Green
State University)
14. Analyzing Textual Material by Laura M. Carpenter (Johns
Hopkins University)
15. Content Analysis of Visual Materials by Gloria Cowan
(California State University, San Bernadino)
PART IV -- INTERPRETING RESULTS
16. Interpreting Research Results by Elizabeth Rice Allgeier
(Bowling Green State University)
17. Integrative Literature Reviewing by Bernard E. Whitley, Jr.
(Ball State University)
PART V -- SPECIAL ISSUES
18. Discovering the Value of Cross-Cultural Research on Human
Sexuality by Suzanne G, Frayser (Colorado College)
19. Conceptualizing Diversity in Sexuality Research by Michael R.
Stevenson (Ball State University)
20. Institutional Review Boards and Conducting Sexuality Research
by Michael W. Wiederman (Columbia College)
18. Causes and Consequences of a Career in Sex Research by Paul
Okami (University of California, Los Angeles)
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Last Modified: 28 August 2001