Conclusion: The state of sexual theory

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Abstract
The final article provides an independent assessment of 39 theoretical perspectives, drawn mostly from the disciplines of biology, psychology, and sociology, that have been or could be used in sexuality research. For each theory, a set of suggested readings is provided, and the author rates each theory on a number of criteria for evaluating theory. Several problems that sexual scientists must confront in building better theories are mentioned. Two specific issues of central concern to the field are discussed at length. The first is the need for refinement of the theoretical concepts of sexual phenomena. Investigation of power dynamics within sexual relationships is used as one example of this. The second issue is the need to develop and test explanatory models that identify correlates of such sexual concepts. Here, a possible explanatory model of social script internalization is presented.

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