Research by Kinsey and his colleagues in the 1930s and 1940s shattered social
stereotypes: People in the United States were engaged in far more types of sexual behaviors than previously
believed, including masturbation, premarital sex, and homosexuality. In effect, Kinsey revealed what was really
going on in people’s private sexual lives, uncovering contradictions between their beliefs and practices. You
can see more recent versions of this type of polling at the Pew Research Center webpage (here is one
example, but you can type “sex” in the webpage search box to find many other examples). What are some of
the issues in asking people about their sex lives? Do you think people are truthful when asked about their sex
lives? What differences do you notice between Kinsey’s and the Pew Research findings? Why do you think
these differences exist?
Sample Solution
