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Your sexuality is not binary; rather, it can be expressed on a scale. You can learn about how homosexual or heterosexual you are by taking the Kinsey Scale Test. Bisexual, gay, lesbian, and straight individuals can all take this test to gain more insight into their sexuality.
The Kinsey Scale Test is a heterosexual-homosexual rating scale that seeks to quantify how homosexual and heterosexual you are through a series of evaluations.
One key component of the Kinsey Scale is your sexual history. In fact, this is almost solely how the original team used the scale.
Once your sexual history is taken into account, interview answers, questions, and responses to certain sexual stimuli can also be taken into account. When this is done, you will be assigned a number from 0 to 6.
Being assigned 0 shows you are solely heterosexual, while a 6 is solely homosexual. A 3 indicates a balance of the two and often indicates you are bisexual. 1, 2, 4, and 5 could also signify some level of bisexuality.
If you do not have a sexual history, you might be given an X for no sexual contact.
The Kinsey Scale Test is based on research done by psychologists Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy, and Clyde Martin.
However, it was primarily the creation of Alfred Kinsey who is still referred to as a sexual research revolutionary. Kinsey believed that most of life is not binary and rather exists on a spectrum (life is not black and white, but had shades of gray).
The same is true with human sexuality. Kinsey disproved the idea that sexual orientation is binary. He showed there are degrees of homosexuality and heterosexuality, too.
The Kinsey scale takes your sexual history, personal preferences, sexual response to stimuli, among other factors to determine how homosexual or heterosexual you are. You will be assigned a number 0 through 6 depending on your response.
Each number represents a different level of homosexuality and heterosexuality:
X: asexual, no prior sexual experience, not interested in developing sexual relationships.
0: Only attracted to the opposite sex; heterosexual.
1: Mostly heterosexual, but could be slightly open to having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex. Maybe slightly attracted to those of the same sex.
2: Still primarily heterosexual, but more open to having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex. May have previously had a same-sex relationship.
3: Equally attracted to people of the same sex and the opposite sex.
4: Still primarily homosexual, but more open to having a sexual relationship with someone of the opposite sex. May have previously had a heterosexual relationship.
5. Mostly homosexual, but could be slightly open to having a sexual relationship with someone of the opposite sex. May be slightly attracted to those of the opposite sex.
6: Only attracted to people of the same sex; solely open to homosexual relationships.
The Kinsey Scale Test is still quite accurate, but it has major limitations. Current-day sexual experts recognize that the scale plays a key role in understanding human behavior. It is relatively simplistic and only uses one axis.
Other sexual identity tests use multiple axioms and offer more in-depth results (such as the Storms Sexuality Axis test).
Nonetheless, the Kinsey Scale Test has allowed Kinsey and his team to gain important information about the nature of human sexuality.
For instance, he recognized that 37% of men experience homosexual tendencies before turning 45. And, the individuals who took the assessment agreed with Kinsey’s findings.
Therefore, it is not as accurate as some of the more modern sexuality tests, but it is useful to this day.
Although the Kinsey Scale Test can be extremely useful, it does have some key limitations.
Therefore, take the following considerations into account when deciding which sexuality test you should take:
While Kinsey believed most elements of human identity exist in a binary, he overlooked the existence of a gender binary when designing this test.
Transgender people can take the Kinsey test, but it will not be as accurate. The same is true for intersex, three-spirited, and individuals who are not cisgender.
When assigning the testers a number, Kinsey bases the assignment on many factors, including sexual attractions and activity. However, Kinsey is wrong to equate the two.
One can be attracted to someone of the opposite sex, but uncomfortable with performing activities with them. Or, you could be bisexual but only find pleasure in performing sexual acts with men.
Your personal identity does not play a role in the test results. It could make the test more objective, but also overlooks the personal preferences you know you have.
Keep in mind that there is no distinction between sexual attraction, identity, and activity in this test.
Notice how the opposite ends of the scale are homosexuality and heterosexuality. The middle values also imply the two are opposites.
If you take Kinsey’s logic, then those who describe themselves as more homosexual than you also cannot be more heterosexual than you.
However, homosexuality, heterosexuality, and bisexuality are all distinct constructs, even if they seem interrelated.
A higher score on homosexual tendencies should not automatically mean that person scores low on heterosexual tendencies. But, that is the incorrect logic the Kinsey test uses.
While Kinsey did try to include multiple sexualities, his test is not suitable for those outside the homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual categories.
You may struggle to take this test if you are pansexual, demisexual, cupiosexual, libidoist asexual, and so on.
You may still benefit from taking this test, but it will not be as comprehensive and definitive as it is for those that are heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual.
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