Final answer:
Alfred Kinsey introduced the Kinsey scale which represents sexual orientation as a continuum rather than a strict dichotomy, rejecting the idea of exclusive heterosexuality or homosexuality and recognizing a more nuanced and varied understanding of human sexuality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alfred Kinsey, a prominent sex researcher, is known for pioneering the understanding of human sexuality as a spectrum. Contrary to the binary framework of straight and gay, Kinsey introduced the idea that human sexuality is vast and varied. In his groundbreaking work, Kinsey used a seven-point scale, known as the Kinsey scale, to represent sexual orientation as a continuum from exclusively heterosexual (0) to exclusively homosexual (6), with individuals potentially falling anywhere along the scale.
Kinsey’s work signified a major shift in the study of sexual behavior, suggesting that people are not simply categorized into gay or straight, but may experience degrees of attraction to different genders. His scale acknowledges that individual sexual orientation can be fluid and that societal norms, such as heteronormativity, should not define the complexity of human sexual experience. Kinsey’s concept of sexual continuum has been influential in evolving the discourse surrounding sexuality and provided a more nuanced understanding of sexual orientation beyond the traditional categories.
In trying to define what a homosexual is, Kinsey rejected the simplistic binary notion that a person is either exclusively heterosexual or homosexual (option a). He believed that such categorization does not account for the diversity and variability of human sexual experience, which is why he asserted that sexuality is more appropriately viewed on a continuum.