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Kinsey focuses on reproduction, relationships The institute studies one way humans interact through emoji and relationship research. By Joey Bowling jjobowl@iu.edu | @joeybowling8
Researchers from across the globe come to the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction to better understand how people talk to each other and the different types of relationships people have. It was originally founded by Alfred Kinsey, a pioneering biologist and sexologist, in 1947 as the Institute for Sex Research. It has facilitated studies on sexual health, love and relationships, according to its website. As the institute began to w grow, it branched out to different topics such as relationships during cancer treatments and how emojis are used in online dating. IU’s first chancellor, Herman B Wells, fought for academic free-
dom and the institute, according to the Kinsey website. He was one of its biggest proponents and felt the knowledge gained from its research would propel the world forward. “The university believes that the human race has been able to make progress because individuals have been free to investigate all aspects of life,” Wells said after the institute published a book discussing female sexuality. One of Kinsey’s and two other researchers findings while at the Kinsey Institute was the heterosexual-homosexual rating scale, also known as the Kinsey Scale, which helps categorize the sexual history of an individual. The scale was first published in “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.” The books “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male” and “Sexual
Behavior in the Human Female” are considered to be two of the most influential scientific books published in the 20th century, according to the Kinsey website. Amanda Gesselman, a Kinsey research scientist, said some of her research focuses on how relationships work during breast cancer treatment and ways a partner can help facilitate recovery. She said she and her co-researcher Justin Garcia studied how partners can help with posttraumatic stress and other areas of breast cancer recovery. She said another research project she recently finished was on emojis and how people use them to talk to each other. “Emojis are treated as this silly thing you put on Instagram or whatever, but over the last two
years we’ve been thinking of them in terms of how people use them in online dating,” Gesselman said. Gesselman said emojis are used as a way to display yourself quickly, as research shows people who send short messages on dating websites gain more attention or responses. “That means that people have to form connections and advertise themselves in one to two sentences,” Gesselman said. She said a lot of research conducted at the Kinsey Institute is focused on better educating the world on reproductive health and sexuality. “Everything we do is focused on not only educating but trying to advance wellness or well-being,” Gesselman said. “Everything we do is focused on how can we make things better.” ILLUSTRATION BY MADELYN POWERS | IDS
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