History and Future of Sex Research (4 CE Hours)

Course Description:

This presentation aims to give attendees a better understanding of the origins of sex research, what it looks like today, and where it is headed. We will begin by exploring the history of sexology (the systematic, scientific study of sex), including notable sex researchers, key findings, and controversies. Next, we will delve into modern day sex research methodologies, including both experimental and non experimental approaches. We will discuss contemporary technologies, strengths and weaknesses of various research methods, ethical issues in sex research, and how the “replication crisis” is affecting
sexology. Finally, we will explore the future of sexuality research, with particular emphasis on virtual reality as a tool for answering novel research questions, as well as a technique for augmenting the practice of sex therapy. We will also consider potential applications of artificial intelligence in sex research and education.

Learning Objectives:

1.) After participating in this session, attendees should be able to identify and explain the key contributions of historical figures in sexology, including Magnus Hirshfeld, Alfred Kinsey, Masters and Johnson, and Shere Hite.

2.) After participating in this session, attendees should be able to describe and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both experimental and non-experimental sex research methods.

3.) After participating in this session, attendees should be able to name and summarize the key elements of ethical sex research.

4.) After participating in this session, attendees should be able to describe the advantages and challenges of employing virtual reality and artificial intelligence to the scientific study of sex.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Purdue University. He is a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and author of the book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, having been honored three times with the Certificate of Teaching Excellence from Harvard University, where he taught for several years.

He is also a prolific researcher and scholar who has published more than 40 pieces of academic writing to date, including a textbook entitled The Psychology of Human Sexuality (now in its second edition) that is used in college classrooms around the world. Dr. Lehmiller’s research focuses on topics including casual sex, sexual fantasy, sexual health, and friends with benefits. His studies have appeared in all of the leading journals on human sexuality, including the Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, and The Journal of Sexual Medicine.Dr. Lehmiller has run the popular blog Sex and Psychology since 2011, and it now receives several million page views per year.

He has been interviewed by numerous media outlets, includingThe Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, CNN.com, The Atlantic, The Globe and Mail, and The Sunday Times. He has been named one of 5 “Sexperts” You Need to Follow on Twitter by Men’s Health and one of the “modern-day masters of sex” by Nerve. Dr. Lehmiller has appeared on several episodes of the television program Tabooon the National Geographic Channel and has been a guest on numerous podcast and radio shows, including the Savage Lovecast and the NPR programs Radio Times and Airtalk. He is a popular freelance writer, penning columns and op-eds for major publications, including Playboy, USA Today, VICE, Psychology Today, and New York Magazine. In addition, the articles he writes on Sex and Psychology have been syndicated on major websites, including Business Insider, Huffington Post, Men’s Health, and Thought Catalog