Opinions on the Kinsey Scale?

As a psychology graduate, I will say some things can't be fully explained by science (at this time? maybe in the future, maybe never). There are a lot more variables than a set of questions on a survey can identify. That being said, the Kinsey scale is a tool/model and tools/models can be useful.

 

I got a 2 on the Kinsey and a 3 on the Klein - 12% homosexual with some heterosexuality on the Multidimensional Scale of Sexuality (MSS) - I like what JT said above - and per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scales_of_sexual_orientation, "Researchers intending to measure sexual orientation can use different scales and measurements but as stated above, there is no scale which is fully satisfactory. Problems arise because the scales are based on the subject's answers and opinions about themselves, which could be biased. It is difficult to get a sincere answer from all participants."

 

I have no idea where I'd put myself. Maybe a 3? But my attraction to men & women definitely isn't the same thing. I don't think I've ever had romantic feelings towards a woman. Obsession maybe, lust for sure. But not love in the normal sense of the word. Sometimes I think I am more attracted to women, but I think actually its just that more women tick the boxes and not many men do. 95% of my sexual partners have been women, but I guess it'd probably be something around even between sex with men/women. I've only been with one guy in the last 6 years and prior to that, only 2 other boyfriends when I was in my teens. On balance I probably get on better with men. My tastes in porn is mostly lesbian or solo female but I occasionally watch straight porn or threesome stuff (done right I like it, but there's way too much horrible stuff out there). I am a big fan of giving pleasure and maybe that is what has driven me towards seeking female partners? But all being well and if nothing changes, I will remain in a heterosexual relationship going forward and most likely forget about that side of my sexuality. Where does that put me on the scale?

 

It’s a tool, which probably has its uses for research purposes, but also has its limitations. I can see that it might work for cis people, if they fit between the two extremes on the scale or are asexual.
Then again, as @JT1999 mentioned, the attraction towards males and females may be of a different kind, which this scale doesn’t accommodate for.
I’m also not sure how this scale would work with a genderqueer or a trans person, considering that for some of them their sexuality changed after accepting their identity and/or transitioning.

 

Kinsey's work is also very old, from a time when there was barely any literature or study into the difference between gender and biological sex.

If you're cisgender and fall at one end of the scale or the other then its probably a pretty useful model. For me I don't find it useful. I've never really felt comfortable calling myself bisexual but I can't find anything that fits better. I'm sure my mum would have a word for it, maybe I should ask her

 

Hi Loz, I hadn't heard of the Kinsey scale until now. I've just tried a free test online but got completely confused! Obviously I have had relationships - and a great number of close connections - with people of the same gender, but those would have been classed as the opposite gender up until four years ago.. I'm not sure the test worked for a late blooming trans woman such as I!

Beth x

 

Is this the IDR labs test? This one seems very basic. Only 7 questions.

 

I understand it as self deciding, I never took a test, but say I'm 6 as far as I'm concerned and that's all that matters. Most of the scale is bisexual and I think a lot more bisexuals irl, but they ignore the same sex attractions and pretend to be fully straight. Society tells them to ignore, hide and be ashamed of same sex attractions and they comply, they can have opposite sex relationships and just go with it. Everyone assumes they're straight, but they're actually K1-5. Wish we all got educated on this in school so everyone understood it, but our haters won't allow it and would say it's brainwashing into being bi and gay with "ideologies" like they claim schools are doing now. To them knowledge of reality is a bad thing, so sad and we suffer for it.

 

Kinsey broke ground with this concept and metric. It's something that needed to be looked at.

His work has been faulted for being sloppy and not meeting the research standards they'd use today. I've read about Kinsey and maybe even seen TV programs about him and he was sort of a weird guy. LOL. But there is definitely a continuum and it was a start in trying to place people on it since people might want to know about themselves and other people (who don't need to know) are nosy about other people's sexualities. I could see it being helpful to mental health providers working with a person if they keep in mind that it's not exact and can shift.

 

I think most people are familiar with online 'tests' which which are very limited. I think professional researchers originally asked a lot more. Also the wording is confusing on many of them and if you're in denial or have ocd or some combination of both they won't help.

I totally agree, and its also difficult to self assess feelings when you're already confused or unsure. A beautiful woman can evoke excitement in all genders and sexes, and that excitement can be mistaken for arousal.

 

We need to remember that the Kinsey scale was developed over 70 years ago. It was pioneering when it was first introduced in the 1940's, as it challenged the prevailing idea that sexual orientation is a strict binary between heterosexual and homosexual. It promoted the idea that sexual orientation exists on a continuum rather than being confined to rigid categories (including Kinsey 0 and Kinsey 6) and it remains a useful tool for self-reflection and understanding. Having said that, it should be seen as just one of many possible ways to understand our sexual orientation.

Each person's sexuality is unique and can encompass a wide range of attractions and behaviours that may change and evolve over time. I think it's better to look at our predominant and enduring sense of attraction over that period of time to gain the most clarity.

Ultimately, we need to respect individuals' self-identified orientations and understand that their experiences may not neatly fit into any predefined scale or label.

 

I couldn't have said it better myself! ^

The Kinsey Scale can be a good starting point in such conversations, but it's not the end all - be all.

 

A hot dude can evoke excitement in all genders and sexes, and that excitement can be mistaken for arousal.

 

I think the Kinsley scale can roughly estimate what someone's sexuality is for cis and binary gendered people, but that it tells more about your sexual preference than your romantic preference. I took the test and got Kinsey 5: mostly homosexual with slightly heterosexual tendencies. I identify myself as a biromantic homosexual which mean that I can experience romantic attraction to both genders and sexual attraction to same sex (women). I believe there is possible for a few people to be 100% heterosexual or homosexual and that the bisexual spectrum is big. It's because situational sexuality, "gay for stay" etc. is a thing. At the same time it's not wrong to say 90-95% of the people in the world is cis-hetero because almost everyone are cis and the vast majority are mostly straight. Most straight people are probably only heterosexual in normal circumstances, but may only be open to participate in a homosexual activity in specific circumstances like prison, but is very unlikely to do it because they are unlikely to end up in prison in the first place. A 100% heterosexual person would find it disgusting to have sex with the same-sex and therefor not participate. A 99% heterosexual person may like the opposite sex, but still not be disgusted by the same sex and still enjoy some aspect of it if there is none of the opposite sex available. The prison, boarding school and military phenomena may be one of the reason some people think everyone is a little bi, when that's not the case. If I was in an all-women community I would date women like how I want to do now. If I was in a society where everyone else were men, I would stay single if I could because I wouldn't be motivated entering a relationship with someone I'm not physically attracted to.

The "split attraction model" which distinguish between sexual, sensual/physical, romantic, platonic and aesthetic attraction is more accurate, in my opinion. It differs between more kinds of attractions and shows more nuances. I think it's difficult to answer the questions related to the Kinsley scale because my romantic and sexual attraction doesn't align completely. The questions are often unclear. E.g. "do you experience attraction to men and women?" I think "what type of attraction are you asking about?"

 

I came out a 4, but I think it's because I was considering my entire history. Another test asks only about your past two weeks, and I'm squarely in the homosexual box

 

It's really not that scientific and you really can't treat sexual orientation like an American Bandstand score. I think it is more for polling, research studies and for other people. For what it's worth, I'm a