Volunteer bias, sexuality, and personality

Participants were recruited either for a study of sexual attitudes and behavior or for a study of attitudes and behavior without mention of sexuality. Both groups answered questions about their sexual behavior and completed the Self-Monitoring Scale, the Balanced F Scale, and the Social Responsibility Scale. No differences were found as a function of recruitment technique in the mean reports of subjects' sexual behavior, but substantial differences were found in some of the relationships between these personality variables and sexual behavior reports as a function of recruitment technique; the correlation between the balanced F Scale score and masturbation frequency for females was +0.61 for those recruited for a study of sexual behavior and -0.61 for those recruited for a study of general attitudes and behavior. In both groups, larger correlations were found between female sexual behavior and personality than between male sexual behavior and personality. In all groups, the Self-Monitoring Scale was significantly correlated with masturbation frequency. The results are discussed in terms of self-selection bias and self-presentation bias, both of which may affect research on sexuality.