What Is the Kinsey Scale?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOrigins of the Kinsey ScaleHow It WorksLimitationsImpact

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Origins of the Kinsey Scale

How It Works

Limitations

Impact

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Although it has a number of limitations, the Kinsey Scale was groundbreaking when it was initially published because it was the first scientific scale to suggest that humansexualityand sexual attraction are a continuum and not limited to solely heterosexual or homosexual orientations.

This article discusses the origins of the Kinsey scale, what the scale tells you, and how it works. It also explains the limitations of the scale and its impact on the study ofhuman sexual orientation.

What Determines Sexual Attraction, Exactly?

Meanwhile, of the women he interviewed, 13% had a same-sex experience.This research made it clear that human sexuality couldn’t be defined as exclusively heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual.

As a result, Kinsey and his colleagues created the Kinsey Scale, which classifies people into eight categories that represent a spectrum of human sexual orientation.

What Does It Mean to Be Bi-Curious?

How the Kinsey Scale Works

TheKinsey Scale rangesfrom 0 to 6 and includes an additional category labeled “X.” Here are the various ratings and their definitions:

Using the Kinsey ScaleInstead, to use the Kinsey Scale, you simply assign yourself to the category that best defines you. However, the Scale has many limitations that may make it impossible to feel if one of the categories accurately sums up your sexual preferences.

Using the Kinsey Scale

Instead, to use the Kinsey Scale, you simply assign yourself to the category that best defines you. However, the Scale has many limitations that may make it impossible to feel if one of the categories accurately sums up your sexual preferences.

In addition, sexuality often changes over time, so even if you assign yourself a category on the Scale now, you may find another category that fits you better in the future.

What to Know About Sexual Orientation

Limitations of the Kinsey Scale

It Doesn’t Account for All Sexualities

It Assumes Heterosexuality and Homosexuality Are Opposites

The Kinsey Scale is structured so that homosexuality and heterosexuality are inversely related. Thus, according to the Scale, the more someone identifies as heterosexual, the less they identify as homosexual and vice versa.

However, studies show opposite-sex and same-sex attraction are not related to one another but are experienced separately. As a result, homosexuality, bisexuality, and heterosexuality should be considered independent constructs.

It Conflates Sexual Behavior and Attraction

The Scale categorizes people based on sexual behavior and attraction, but these are two different things that often don’t correspond.

For example, a man might be attracted to both men and women but only engage in sexual behavior with women.

Moreover, the Scale doesn’t account for a third category: sexual identity, or the label an individual uses for their sexual orientation. For instance, the man in the above example may refer to himself as heterosexual, even though he clearly experiences some homosexual attraction.

It Assumes Gender Is Binary

The Scale also works off the assumption that people identify as either men or women, while completely overlooking the existence of trans,intersex, or othergender identities, further limiting who the Scale can be applied to.

Impact of the Kinsey Scale and Alternative Scales

Despite its limitations, the Kinsey Scale has been highly influential. When it initially came out in 1948, homosexuality was outlawed in every state in America due to sodomy laws and the American Psychiatric Association’sDiagnostic and Statistical Manualincluded homosexuality as a mental health disorder.

Kinsey introduced an entirely new way of thinking about sexuality and what’s “normal” into this environment, paving the way for further research and changing perceptions about homosexuality and the range of human sexual experiences.

It Birthed New Scales

According to a 2012 study, the Kinsey Scale has found new life online despite the proliferation of more inclusive scales. For those questioning their sexual identity, the versions of the Kinsey Scale that are available across the internet help them better understand and explore their sexuality.

The study concluded that for those attempting to define their sexual identity beyond homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual orientations, the Scale helps expand their ideas of how they can define themselves. The Scaler also enables them to choose different placements on the Scale over time as their understanding of their sexual identity shifts.

In addition, the online forums associated with these scales offer an opportunity to discuss their perceptions of their sexuality and find affirmation as they decide which sexual identity fits them best.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bullough VL.Alfred Kinsey and the Kinsey report: historical overview and lasting contributions.J Sex Res. 1998;35(2):127-131. doi:10.1080/00224499809551925Kinsey AC, Pomeroy WR, Martin CE.Sexual behavior in the human male.Am J Public Health. 2003;93(6):894-898. doi:10.2105/ajph.93.6.894Kinsey Institute.Diversity of sexual orientation,Zietsch BP, Sidari MJ.The Kinsey scale is ill-suited to most sexuality research because it does not measure a single construct.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(44):27080-27080. doi:10.1073/pnas.2015820117Putka S.Is the Kinsey scale of sexual behavior still valid?Discover Magazine.Storms MD.Theories of sexual orientation.J Pers Soc Psychol. 1980;38(5):783-792. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.38.5.783Drucker DJ.Marking sexuality from 0–6: the Kinsey scale in online culture.Sex Cult. 2012;16(3):241-262. doi:10.1007/s12119-011-9122-1

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bullough VL.Alfred Kinsey and the Kinsey report: historical overview and lasting contributions.J Sex Res. 1998;35(2):127-131. doi:10.1080/00224499809551925Kinsey AC, Pomeroy WR, Martin CE.Sexual behavior in the human male.Am J Public Health. 2003;93(6):894-898. doi:10.2105/ajph.93.6.894Kinsey Institute.Diversity of sexual orientation,Zietsch BP, Sidari MJ.The Kinsey scale is ill-suited to most sexuality research because it does not measure a single construct.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(44):27080-27080. doi:10.1073/pnas.2015820117Putka S.Is the Kinsey scale of sexual behavior still valid?Discover Magazine.Storms MD.Theories of sexual orientation.J Pers Soc Psychol. 1980;38(5):783-792. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.38.5.783Drucker DJ.Marking sexuality from 0–6: the Kinsey scale in online culture.Sex Cult. 2012;16(3):241-262. doi:10.1007/s12119-011-9122-1

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bullough VL.Alfred Kinsey and the Kinsey report: historical overview and lasting contributions.J Sex Res. 1998;35(2):127-131. doi:10.1080/00224499809551925Kinsey AC, Pomeroy WR, Martin CE.Sexual behavior in the human male.Am J Public Health. 2003;93(6):894-898. doi:10.2105/ajph.93.6.894Kinsey Institute.Diversity of sexual orientation,Zietsch BP, Sidari MJ.The Kinsey scale is ill-suited to most sexuality research because it does not measure a single construct.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(44):27080-27080. doi:10.1073/pnas.2015820117Putka S.Is the Kinsey scale of sexual behavior still valid?Discover Magazine.Storms MD.Theories of sexual orientation.J Pers Soc Psychol. 1980;38(5):783-792. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.38.5.783Drucker DJ.Marking sexuality from 0–6: the Kinsey scale in online culture.Sex Cult. 2012;16(3):241-262. doi:10.1007/s12119-011-9122-1

Bullough VL.Alfred Kinsey and the Kinsey report: historical overview and lasting contributions.J Sex Res. 1998;35(2):127-131. doi:10.1080/00224499809551925

Kinsey AC, Pomeroy WR, Martin CE.Sexual behavior in the human male.Am J Public Health. 2003;93(6):894-898. doi:10.2105/ajph.93.6.894

Kinsey Institute.Diversity of sexual orientation,

Zietsch BP, Sidari MJ.The Kinsey scale is ill-suited to most sexuality research because it does not measure a single construct.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(44):27080-27080. doi:10.1073/pnas.2015820117

Putka S.Is the Kinsey scale of sexual behavior still valid?Discover Magazine.

Storms MD.Theories of sexual orientation.J Pers Soc Psychol. 1980;38(5):783-792. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.38.5.783

Drucker DJ.Marking sexuality from 0–6: the Kinsey scale in online culture.Sex Cult. 2012;16(3):241-262. doi:10.1007/s12119-011-9122-1

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