BEHAVIOR: But Should We Believe It?

Fascinating, surprising -- even shocking. But accurate? With any survey, there is a risk that respondents will exaggerate, omit facts or otherwise fail to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Especially on sensitive subjects like sexual behavior. There is also the risk that the sample will not represent a fair cross section. Both of these problems have plagued earlier sex surveys, including the landmark reports issued by Alfred Kinsey in the 1940s and '50s. The team from the University of Chicago that produced the new study was determined to do better.

Kinsey thought he'd never get a random...