Definition of Kinsey Scale
Miscellanea / / November 13, 2021
By Javier Navarro, in Aug. 2018
People's sexual orientation is not limited to two simple categories: heterosexual or homosexual. Both inclinations have different degrees and, therefore, the spectrum of sexuality is very broad. To classify sexual inclinations there is a measurement, the Scale Kinsey. This scale consists of six different levels of conduct.
After a test with different questions, the researchers can decide the sexual orientation of each individual. At level 0, someone is uniquely heterosexual, at 1 is heterosexual with some slight homosexual inclination, at 2 more intense homosexual inclinations appear, in 3 it is possible to speak of bisexuality, in 4 there is a clear tendency to homosexuality, in the 5 the identity homosexual is even more conspicuous and at level 6 the individual is exclusively homosexual.
Subsequently, a new category related to those people who have no sexual inclination.
The publication of Kinsey's work caused a scandal in American society
The American Alfred C. Kinsey (1894-1956) was a biologist who initially focused on the study of animals. In the 1930s he began to collect information about human beings and their sexual behavior.
After surveying thousands of individuals, he compiled his conclusions in two works that were published in 1948 (in each of them he analyzed the sexual behavior of men and women).
Some of their conclusions were the following: 20% of married men between 30 and 35 years had had relationships extramarital and 28% of women and 60% of men declared having had some homosexual relationship during their adolescence.
The publication of these reports was harshly criticized at the time, but today the dimension scientific contribution of her. With his investigations, Kinsey did not intend to solve the sexual problems, but the only purpose of him was to expose some concrete facts.
Like many other scientific theories related to human behavior, the Kinsey Scale has also been harshly criticized
First, it is claimed that it is incorrect to explain sexuality through percentages and objective measurements.
Second, the test questions may be appropriate but it is impossible to control the ability to lie of the people surveyed.
Photo: Fotolia - hydraviridis
Kinsey Scale Themes