When I took it, I received a mean sexual orientation of 8.5. It ranges from 0 (opposite-sex attraction) to 18 (same-sex attraction). So, I'm pretty close to right in the middle (bisexual), but leaning slightly to opposite-sex attraction.
Hmmm... my test results: Kinsey = 5 out of 6 Klein = past mostly gay, present mostly gay, future gay IDR Labs = 100% gay quadrant for last two weeks Epstein = 17 out of 18 I’m not a person who gives much weight to these sorts of tests, but I am noticing a trend here...
Let's be honest, we can examine every scale that exists and take test after test to try to ascertain where precisely we stand with our sexuality, but in the grand scheme it's about our feelings. You may be a man who is attracted to only one woman in every ten thousand, but that may be enough for you to label yourself as bisexual, even though another man in the same position would label himself [predominantly] gay. Who is to say who is right or wrong? There is no precise formula in these matters and I wouldn't really want there to be either. It's good that we have this diversity in human sexuality and allow room for people to arrive at their own conclusions.
I don't take sexuality tests to ascertain where I stand with my sexuality. That would be absolutely ridiculous and only something I could only imagine someone would do if they are absolutely confused about their sexuality (which I've never had a problem with). For me, the reason I take the tests is quite the opposite. I take them to see how accurate they are to my sexuality (my own conclusions), and like you said, my feelings. However, that's a very minor reason I take the tests. In all honesty, I just have fun taking them and that's the biggest reason I do.
@BiBoyToy — You make sense to me. If the test questions are answered truthfully, then the test results are simply confirmation of what you already know about yourself. I agree the tests are a bit of fun pastime.
If someone is denial about their sexuality then they won't answer the questions truthfully - or might have unconscious repression.
I agree with PatrickUK above. At first the Kinsey scale helped me talk about a shift that had occurred three years ago. I think I went from a 0 or 1, to a 2 (because of fantasies about guys taking the forefront. Later I took the IDR test, which is based on Michael D. Storm’s model. I liked that better. There is a thread on EC someplace with lots of people discussing. I like that I’m able to say I’m about 66% Homosexual on that scale, and 66% Heterosexual (using the terms shown). It seemed way better to describe it that way to my wife, rather than Kinsey’s (which made it look like each higher number marched away from having hetero feelings). I’m both-and. But that scale, without a professional administering it can not be accurate, especially with that few questions. But I liked it. And at least it brings things up to the dawn of the 1980’s (rather than Kinsey’s 1940’s stuff). And it had a quadrant for the gray-ace folks (Kinsey never did).
@DecentOne You hit the nail on the head. I like to think of myself as 100% gay and 100% straight. I couldn’t tell you which is a better experience. Same sex or opposite sex intimacy. It’s almost like the two are unrelated to each other. Both my wife and boyfriend have worried that I am, somehow, not fully attracted to either of them. And, that cannot be further from the truth. Both can agree that (this sounds lame) I am capable of providing all that they need. Bisexual, for me, is not gay lite or Hetero lite. I’ve learned that being bisexual is a gift and not a curse.
That's a very interesting way to look at it. I would say I'm probably something like 90% heterosexual and 70% homosexual. Exactly. What I would add is that I enjoy same-sex and opposite-sex intimacy for different reasons. It's certainly a gift. I genuinely love my bisexuality. With the right mindset and approach it's a lot of fun!
I kind of agree to a certain point with what @PatrickUK said about tests. But what @BiBoyToy said also makes sense otherwise why did people go through all that research and studies to come up with these tests. It does not make sense that they thought it would not be helpful somehow to people. And am sure they did not do it just for fun. I mean Some of those people dedicated their lives to these studies.
If these people are true scientists, then their quest is to understand the science of sexuality and sexual orientation. How that science gets used is quite another thing. We are the ones who use the data presented (ie the Kninsey Scale) to define our sexuality. the Kinsey study was a study of sexual behavior. That’s it. It has become some sort of straight to gay litmus test. But, it was never intended to be used in that way.
@Nickw Yes and you are correct. From my understanding they conducted a study of sexual behavior that revealed that human sexuality is complex and that it is not a black or white thing. That a lot of people didn’t fall into an an either this or that category. That sexuality was a spectrum.And there are a lot of shades of grey in between. Hence the scale. But many other studies, mentioned in this thread also attempted to understand sexuality or expand on these theories or add to them in some way to get better results I guess. My point is this, while these tests cannot give you a very accurate and precise understanding of your sexuality. They can at least give you a general idea of where your attractions lie at the moment you did the test.Off course all that depends also on people providing the right information. If you don’t then you will never even get anything out of it. That’s just my opinion from my understanding. I agree they are not a clear cut litmus test as you said and they should be taken as they say with a pinch of salt.