Abstract
Sexpert, an expert computer program designed to counsel couples on their sexual relationships, was evaluated. Eighty-one heterosexual couples were assigned to one of three experimental manipulations (Sexpert, video, and self-help book) or a control condition. Daily sexual behavior monitoring forms and structured retrospective reports served as measures of baseline and post-manipulation behavior. Daily monitoring of sexual behavior failed to show significant changes occurring after the manipulations. However, retrospective data concerning the postmanipulation period show that compared with the control, the Sexpert, video, and book manipulations had a significant positive impact on couples’ sexual behavior, communication, and learning about sexuality. Sexpert, video, and book were similarly evaluated, except that Sexpert was evaluated as more engaging. In addition, subjects retrospectively reported positive changes in communication, relationship satisfaction, and sexual behavior during the baseline period. This suggests that daily behavioral monitoring is intrusive and may confound the variables measured by it.
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Preparation of this article was supported in part by funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to Eric P. Ochs. The research described in this study was found acceptable by the appropriate university ethical review committees. This study conforms to APA ethical guidelines, including Principle 10 concerning the treatment of human subjects. We wish to thank Louise Paré, Reneé Cosgrove, Christina Sorentino, and Jimmy Collett for their help with this study.
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Ochs, E.P., Meana, M., Mah, K. et al. The effects of exposure to different sources of sexual information on sexual behavior: Comparing a “sex-expert system” to other educational material. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 25, 189–194 (1993). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03204493
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03204493