Which of the following is a common criticism of Kinsey's sex research?

• A. He relied solely on laboratory experiments rather than interviews.
• B. He exclusively studied only female participants.
• C. His research focused only on psychological disorders, not sexual behavior.
• D. His sample was not representative of the general population.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of Kinsey's sex research, which involved collecting extensive data on human sexual behavior primarily through interviews and surveys rather than laboratory experiments.
2. Recognize that Kinsey's research included both male and female participants, so the criticism about studying only females is incorrect.
3. Note that Kinsey's work focused broadly on sexual behavior, not just psychological disorders, so that criticism does not apply.
4. Identify the main criticism: Kinsey's sample was not representative of the general population because it included a disproportionate number of certain groups (e.g., prisoners, sex offenders, and volunteers from specific communities), which could bias the findings.
5. Conclude that the common criticism is about the representativeness of the sample, which affects the generalizability of Kinsey's conclusions about human sexual behavior.