ABSTRACT
Although many research questions in sexual science have to do with behavior, some sexuality research is focused on people's judgments or decisions. In these cases, there is frequently an emphasis on why people make the choices that they do or the factors influencing those decisions. Examples include studies of mate selection criteria, the conditions under which a condom would be used, decisions as to whether sexual activity would take place within a dating context, or the contextual factors influencing likelihood of engaging in extramarital sex. Note that although each of these examples involves behavior, the focus of study in each is decision making. Similar to studies focused on sexual behavior, the norm in these cases is to directly ask respondents about motives or the stimuli influencing their decisions, and the resulting responses are taken at face value.
