METHODOLOGY OF SURVEY-DESIGN FOR INTER-CULTURAL SEXOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS

1. Introduction

Sexual attraction is a biologically determined motivation, which expresses itself in goal-oriented organization, and subtle differentiation of behavioral patterns. These behavioral patterns can be studied using direct empirical observation, or through the use of opinion surveys. Surveys are conducted with the use of questionnaires, which form the basis for all psychological testing. Any questionnaire will be accepted differently by members of different social groups, activating in each respondent different semantic links. The psychological method used in designing the questionnaire must filter out social and cultural interference - the words, terms, and connections (usually logical connections) used in the questionnaire must be familiar to the respondent [1]. A questionnaire is not a test, and there are methodological limitations to the use of questionnaires in sexology. Questionnaires, however, still have great value, in that they allow the sexologist to quickly gather the necessary information about particular social groups.

It is widely held that with an increase in the level of intimacy of the questions, the number of "no response" answers will also increase. The better the contents of a questionnaire relate to the opinions and problems of the respondents, the more likely the respondents are to reply thoughtfully and honestly [ 9, p.107 ].

Often, to compensate for inadequacies in the design of the questionnaire, specialists pay extra attention to the accurate use of sexological terms. The investigation thus orients itself towards bringing the respondent's categories of thought in line with those of the researcher. Exactly what mental connections the respondent is making when he answers the questions remains a mystery. For this very reason, questionnaires are often thought to be a less useful investigative tool than face-to-face interviews. If the questionnaire is properly designed, however, with the correct methodological requirements in mind, its possibilities can be extensive. The methodological requirements are defined by Anokhin's theory of functional systems, an important work to the ecological model of sexuality.