Spun off from the women and sexual submissiveness thread. Part of the study discussed was self-reported. I've also been in discussions where self-report studies were dismissed as worthless.

So, how valid do you think self-reporting studies are as evidence? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

EDIT:misread

edited 3rd Mar '11 9:44:19 AM by Tzetze

From what I have seen it depends. People tend to lie to themselves to a varying degree that correlates with depression but at the same time people disassociate relatively easily when dealing with people that they have defined as functions. For example, I could never get a friend to tell me that he had a rip romping night of drugs anal sex and self flagellation but a man will just offer that information to his doctor apropos of very little.

EDIT: Answering from the sub thread on self deception. How truthful you are with yourself correlates directly with how depressed you are. All things being equal moderate depression gives you a very clear view of reality. People who are more self deceptive tend to be more positive in their outlook on life and more capable of succeeding. So self deception would if anything skew the sexual satisfaction score up not down.

edited 3rd Mar '11 9:48:41 AM by Shrimpus