Psychology2016

Sexuality and Gender 413

Practice Quiz How much do you remember?

Pick the best answer.

1. Which of the following is the first phase of the human sexual
   response cycle?
   a. excitement c. orgasm
   b. plateau d. resolution


2. Which phase of the sexual response is typically the shortest?
   a. excitement c. orgasm
   b. plateau d. resolution


3. In Kinsey’s original data, approximately ____ of women
   reported being predominantly homosexual, while as many as
   ____ of men reported the same.
   a. 6 percent; 21 percent
   b. 6 to 14 percent; 46 percent

c. 2 percent; 22 percent

d. 2 to 6 percent; 10 percent

4. Which of the following was a criticism of Kinsey’s research?
   a. The study was incomplete.
   b. The study asked poorly worded questions.
   c. The study was rushed.
   d. The study had a restricted sample.
   5. Robert Trivers’s theory of parental investment states that
   a ____ desire to engage in sex at an early age results
   from ____.
   a. man’s; social pressure
   b. man’s; evolution
   c. woman’s; biological concerns
   d. woman’s; psychological pressure
   6. One study found that the major reason for decrease in sexual
   activity in later adulthood was primarily due to
   a. a loss of interest in sex.
   b. fewer opportunities to find an available partner.
   c. a belief that sex and sexual fantasies in late adulthood was
   unhealthy.
   d. a desire to channel energy into other tasks.

APA Goal 2: Scientific Reasoning and Critical Thinking

Addresses APA Learning Objectives 2.4: Interpret, design,

and conduct basic psychological research; and 2.5: Incorporate

sociocultural factors in scientific inquiry.

Sexting and Sex in Adolescents

For many people, it’s hard to imagine being without a cell phone. Essentially a computer in

your hand, we use them not just for making calls but also for surfing the Internet, watching

movies, and dozens of other things—including, especially among the younger set, sending

sexually explicit text messages and pictures to others. This phenomenon is called sexting.

While sexting is certainly not limited to adolescents (think about the number of well-known

public figures who have gotten themselves into hot water over sexting in recent years), a

study suggests that sexting may now be a normal part of adolescent sexual development—

and that it may have an impact on the frequency of adolescent sexual behavior as well.

As part of a six-year longitudinal study, researchers Dr. Jeff Temple and Dr. Hye Jeong

Choi examined second- and third-year data from surveys of a group of ethnically diverse teens

from Southeast Texas. These surveys were anonymous and asked the young people to answer

questions about their sexting behavior (Temple & Choi, 2014). The questions about sexting were:

1. “Have you ever asked someone to send naked pictures of themselves to you?”


2. “Have you ever been asked to send a naked picture of yourself through text or e-mail?”


3. “Have you ever sent naked pictures of yourself to another through text or e-mail?”
   Participants were also asked about their sexual behavior over the course of the study. If
   they responded “yes” to having had sexual intercourse, they were also asked about condom use,
   the number of sexual partners in the past year, and frequency of alcohol or drug use before sex.
   The results: Adolescents who reported asking for a sext in their sophomore year
   (Question 1 above) were 4.55 times more likely to send a sext during their junior year when
   compared to those adolescents who reported never having asked for a sext. Those who
   reported having been asked to send a sext (Question 2 above) as sophomores were 5.35
   times as likely to send a sext as juniors when compared to those who had not been asked.