Introduction - What is sexual behavior?

Factors in Human Sexual Behavior

The Three Factors 3

In view of modern research findings, it no longer appears justified to speak simply of a human "sex drive". Such a summary approach is not likely to lead very far. It seems much more promising to investigate clearly defined special aspects of human sexual activity. In the meantime many such investigations have been carried out, and they have produced useful, and sometimes surprising, results. Kinsey's statistics counted "total outlets" (i.e., units of sexual performance). William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, in their laboratory, measured not only performance, but also sexual capacities. These and many other studies have done a great deal to clarify the issues. At the present time, scientists are also conducting more detailed research in the area of sexual motivation. In any case, these and similar efforts may lead to new insights into a formerly obscure subject, and thus we can hope that the future will bring us much closer to understanding the puzzling complexity of human sexual behavior.