Kinsey Scal
🛑 ALL INFORMATION CLICK HERE 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
Kinsey Scal
Verywell Mind's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Ⓒ 2022 Dotdash Media, Inc. — All rights reserved
Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more .
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Verywell Loved: Enduring Stigma Keeps Things Complicated for Bisexual Men
What Does It Mean to Be Heteroflexible?
Eating Disorders in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People
Glossary of Must-Know Sexual Identity Terms
What Is the Difference Between Gender and Sexuality?
Sexual Minority Women Face Greater Barriers to Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment
Florida Set to Pass “Don’t Say Gay” Bill
The Oedipus Complex: One of Freud's Most Controversial Ideas
What Is the Impact of Sexual Media on Mental Health?
Sexual Minority Meaning and Characteristics
Verywell Mind's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Ⓒ 2022 Dotdash Media, Inc. — All rights reserved
Verywell Mind is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
Cynthia Vinney is a freelance writer who specializes in psychology and media psychology.
Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in consumer-oriented health and wellness content. He keeps a DSM-5 on hand just in case.
Javier Zayas Photography / Getty Images
The Kinsey Scale was created by pioneering sex researcher Alfred Kinsey and his colleagues Wardell Pomeroy and Clyde Martin, who called it the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale. It was first introduced in their book Sexual Behavior in the Human Male in 1948.
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 human sexuality and 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 of human sexual orientation .
Kinsey, a biologist, and his team studied human sexual behavior, preferences, thoughts, and feelings by interviewing thousands of people, with Kinsey alone conducting 8,000 interviews. 1
Kinsey found that 37% of the men he interviewed had a same-sex experience sometime between adolescence and old age, a rate that jumped to 50% for unmarried men by the age of 35. 2
Meanwhile, of the women he interviewed, 13% had a same-sex experience. 3 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.
The Kinsey Scale ranges from 0 to 6 and includes an additional category labeled "X." Here are the various ratings and their definitions:
Kinsey and his colleagues used the scale to categorize the individuals they interviewed. Consequently, no official Kinsey "test" exists to go with the scale, even though such tests have been created by others and many can be found online.
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.
While the Kinsey Scale changed perceptions of human sexuality, it didn't fully capture the complexity and nuance of sexual behavior and attraction. Based on current understandings of sexuality, the scale is limited by the following listed below.
The entirety of human sexuality isn't encompassed by the Scale's heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and asexual categories. Today, people identify as pansexual , demisexual , and many other orientations that make up a rich tapestry of sexual behavior and attraction.
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. 4
The Scale categorizes people based on sexual behavior and attraction , but these are two different things that often don't correspond. 5
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.
Ultimately, his sexual behavior, attraction, and identity don't match up and therefore can't be accurately captured by the categories on the Kinsey Scale.
The Scale also works off the assumption that people identify as either men or women, while completely overlooking the existence of trans, intersex , or other gender identities , further limiting who the Scale can be applied to.
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's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual included 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.
Today, there are more than 200 scales that measure sexual orientation. Two that provide a more comprehensive picture of human sexuality, specifically mentioned by the Kinsey Institute , are the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid and the Storms Sexuality Axis.
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. 7
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.
Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life.
There was an error. Please try again.
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
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
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
There was an error. Please try again.
Tests
Types
Articles
News
Members
Search
This test is also available in the following languages:
Dr. Alfred Kinsey, Dr. Wardell Pomeroy, and Dr. Clyde Martin developed the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale, also known as the “The Kinsey Scale,” in order to account for research findings that showed that people did not fit into exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories.
The Kinsey team interviewed thousands of people about their sexual histories. Research showed that sexual behavior, thoughts, and feelings towards the same or opposite sex were not always consistent across time.
Where do you think you fall on the Kinsey scale? Find out below.
Both men and women.
Mostly people of the opposite sex from mine.
Mostly people of the same sex as mine.
Only people of the opposite sex from mine.
Only people of the same sex as mine.
NEXT
BACK
The IDR-KST© is the property of IDR Labs International. The original research was provided by Dr. Alfred Kinsey, Dr. Wardell Pomeroy, and Dr. Clyde Mart.
The Kinsey Scale is a widely used index and instrument for measuring heterosexual and homosexual behavior. The Kinsey Scale does not address all possible sexual identities and does not purport to accommodate respondents who identify as non-binary. Contrary to popular belief, Kinsey was not a behaviorist, but granted that sexuality is much broader than simply lived behavior. The Kinsey Scale is dated, yet remains popular in many contexts. The original Kinsey Reports, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior of the Human Female (1953), are broadly agreed to be historically significant.
Although all are designed to measure heterosexual and homosexual behavior, the IDR-KST© should not be confused with other “Kinsey Scale Tests,” as authored by alternative research organizations. However, all are professionally-designed personality tests (or inventories) meant for measuring heterosexual and homosexual behavior in relation to gender roles in the Western world. The IDR-KST© is the property of IDR Labs International. The original research was provided by Dr. Alfred Kinsey, Dr. Wardell Pomeroy, and Dr. Clyde Mart. The authors of this online personality test are certified in the use of multiple personality tests and have worked professionally with typology and personality testing. The results of our online Kinsey Scale personality test are provided "as-is", and should not be construed as providing professional or certified advice of any kind. For more on our online personality test, please consult our Terms of Service .
1. Free. This free online Kinsey Scale test is delivered to you free of charge and will allow you to obtain your score on the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale, otherwise known as the Kinsey Scale.
2. Tested in several countries. The parameters utilized in the Kinsey Scale test have been used with success in several different regions, including the USA, Canada, and several European countries.
3. Statistical controls. Test scores are logged into an anonymized database. Statistical analysis of the test is conducted to ensure maximum accuracy and validity of the test scores.
4. Made by professionals. The authors of this free online personality test are certified in the use of different personality tests and have worked professionally with typology and personality testing.
About
Research
Collections
Education + outreach
News + Events
Sex FAQs
Support Kinsey
Home
Research
The Kinsey Scale
The Kinsey Scale
Drs. Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy, and Clyde Martin developed the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale—more commonly known as “The Kinsey Scale.” First published in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948), the scale accounted for research findings that showed people did not fit into exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories.
Creating the scale
The Kinsey team interviewed thousands of people about their sexual histories. Research showed that sexual behavior, thoughts, and feelings towards the same or opposite sex were not always consistent across time. Instead of assigning people to three categories—heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual—the team used a seven-point scale. It ranges from 0 to 6 with an additional category of “X.”
Selected references about the Kinsey Scale
University of Illinois at Springfield, Student Affairs Office. (2009). Continuum of Human Sexuality . [A short non-technical discussion of sexual orientation and the Kinsey Scale.]
Diamond, Milton. (1993). Homosexuality and bisexuality in different populations. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 22(4), 291–310. [Uses Kinsey Scale to standardize and measure later studies’ findings.]
Hansen, Charles E., and Evans, A. (1985). Bisexuality reconsidered: An idea in pursuit of a definition. Journal of Homosexuality , 11(1–2), 1–6. [Provides critique of Kinsey Scale and calls for other measures for bisexuality.]
Kinsey, Alfred C. et al. (1948/1998). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male . Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; Bloomington: Indiana U. Press. [First publication of Kinsey’s Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale. Discusses Kinsey Scale, pp. 636–659.]
Kinsey, Alfred C. et al. (1953/1998). Sexual Behavior in the Human Female . Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; Bloomington: Indiana U. Press. [Discusses the Kinsey Scale and presents comparisons of male and female data, pp. 468–475.]
McWhirter, David P., et al. (1990). Homosexuality/Heterosexuality: Concepts of Sexual Orientation . New York: Oxford University Press. [Based on symposium at The Kinsey Institute. Discusses sexual orientation and the current usefulness of the Kinsey Scale. Includes other scales proposed by contributors to this work. One such scale is the Coleman Model of Clinical Assessment of Sexual Orientation.]
Ross, Michael W. (1983). Femininity, masculinity, and sexual orientation: Some cross-cultural comparisons. Journal of Homosexuality , 9(1), 27–35. [Combines the Bem Scale with Kinsey Scale across different nationalities.]
Sell, Randall L. (1997). Defining and measuring sexual orientation: A review. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 26(6), 643–658. [Outlines Kinsey Scale, Klein Scale, and Shively/DeCecco Scale.]
Van Wyk, Paul H., and Geist, Chrisann S. (1984). Psychosocial development of heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual behavior. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 13(6), 505–544. [Adds a family development model to the Kinsey Scale.]
Selected references on other measures of sexual orientation
Chung, Y. Barry, and K
The Girl On The Train Nude Scenes
Yummy Cocks
Fingered Till Squirt