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I
THE AGGIE PLAYERS
Present
THE PETRIFIED FOREST
Forum Theatre 8 P.M.
November 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22
Tickets on sale now
MSC Box Office 845-2916
Student 1.50 1.75 2.00
Non-Student 2.00 2.25 2.50
healer
1.00
c Circle
PRESENTS
THE
IN CONCERT
WHEN NOV. 19, 6:30
WHERE ALL FAITHS CHAPEL
ENJOY AN EVENING OF
Comedy and Music
When
STAGECENTER
Presents
The AN®
DSOUSF
November 20, 21, 22
8:00 P.M.
3100 S. College
ADULTS $2.50 STUDENTS $1.50
Oft
m/c
DrUEbie Austin
xftorttey, legal aottpritu
diplomat, mtt[oress
Will speak- cti :
\Voiijcij
fhe. Crisis Tvotfiurs:
November Z1 8'Oo PH
H$C ftafiroonx
6patt6orcA by 5ah^r^Hab
FREE
TUESDAY, NOV. 18, 1975
Page 3
Petting study could dispel myths
By DOUGLAS KIRK
Battalion Staff Writer
&
Graduate Psychology Student
Why would anyone want to en
gage in breast-petting research?
After all, isn’t breast-petting a
rather personal subject that ex
perimenters ought to leave well
enough alone?
Perhaps, but had researchers ig
nored all personal topics in the past,
man would know very little about
himself today. As it is, research
about petting, dating and sex can
help rid society of myths that have
plagued people for years.
As this study has indicated, a very
large majority of males and females
at college age engage in and enjoy
breast-petting. Despite present en
joyment however, a tenth of the
males and near half the females felt
the activity was immoral before
their first experience. After the first
experience, many changed their at
titude toward petting, though a sig
nificant number felt guilty. In
creased experience changed the at
titude further, teaching some males
when the activity was appropriate
and showing some females that sin
cerity was not always within the
male’s intentions. For some males,
the activity “got old’.
degree of fondling? Certainly we
could guess, but there would be no
empirical evidence without re
search.
But the real issue is why breast
petting and when is it considered
permissible? The only way to know
is to ask those involved.
What did the respondents think
of the breast-petting research (a 70
item questionnaire which took an
average of 31 minutes to complete
during the week before finals)?
When asked if they thought
breast-petting was a subject that
ought to be investigated with sur
veys, 48 per cent of the females said
yes. About half of the males agreed
(46 per cent).
Thf
The affirmative opinion could be
summarized as one male expressed
it, “Strength through knowledge,”
or, “Everyone has questions about it
and should have factual answers for
their questions.” A male who felt
the survey was out-of-place wrote,
“What difference does it make in
the long run? Why not devote time
and money on a topic that will do
somebody (anybody) some good be
sides a bunch of . . . S.O.B.’s.”
A study of this nature allows com-
parison of male and female attitudes
toward the joint venture and has re
vealed that there are only minor dif
ferences in many cases. In one area,
there was disagreement as to the na
ture and extent of the first experi
ence, with males perceiving more
extensive activity and more intense
enjoyment.
If it weren’t for questionnaires,
would we ever know that in two and
three-quarter years, 100 females
engaged in 6134 separate breast
petting experiences? Would it be
possible to know that the activity is
common and extensive in terms of
Supporting the idea of research
on breast-petting, one girl wrote,
“It is a touchy subject — also the
American male has a breast obses
sion and I think it would be interest
ing to find out why.”
Another female wrote, “I’d like to
learn how other people answer —
especially guys. ” Opposing her view
was a girl who replied, “I don’t think
something as personal as a way of
expressing feeling towards a person
should be exploited.’’
Some respondents tended to
question the significance of the
study, but most agreed that the sub
ject was interesting.
Fifty-three per cent of the
females felt there was something to
be gained from the research and 53
per cent of the males agreed.
In general, those who stated they
felt nothing could be gained from
the research also failed to see the
relevancy or applicability of the
knowledge to human sexuality and
its effect on most humans in one way
or another.
A significant 94 per cent of the
males and 88 per cent of the females
expressed the view that they wanted
to read the results of the study in
the newspaper.
Regarding ethics, some respon
dents felt the questionnaire should
not have been produced at all, al
though they were out-numbered in
opinion. As for publication, one re
spondent wrote, “I think publica
tion of this may be harmful to those
who do not engage in it but feel they
must because ‘everyone else does.
Naturally, comments of this na
ture concern the experimenter of
sex research. It is important to em
phasize to readers that the data pre
sented is based upon 200 volunteer
subjects and the opinions of these
respondents should not be allowed
to affect the reader any more than a
logical, mature consideration of any
idea. This is, after all, the nature
and purpose of education.
But is the study valid? Since sub
jects were volunteer and not ran
domly selected, wouldn’t there be a
tendency for people who enjoy
breast-petting to respond and those
who do not enjoy the activity to shy
away? Apparently the answer is no.
By examining the data it can be seen
that roughly half of the respondents
felt the subject should not be inves
tigated and that nothing could be
gained from this research. But, they
responded anyway, despite their
negative attitude. In addition, all
subjects gave information regarding
their attitude toward breast-petting
before and after they had had the
experience, which provides essen
tially two samples, a naive one and
an experienced one.
• - - - T;-;. „
: .. , v ' •
J . V * , V , ' •
-A
. z.?'
John Patrick, of the day student company
R-l, carries the company guide-on to Rice
stadium in Houston. Pledges from one to
one hundred dollars were made in support
Staff photo by Doug Freeman
of the 40 cadets who each ran three miles.
The money will be donated to the Rrazos
Valley Mental Retardation center for the
purchase of a tractor for their farm.
Marilyn Horne,
Soprano
Rudder Center Auditorium
8:00 P.M. Thurs. Nov. 20
Tickets - Regular 6.75,
5.70, 4.60
A&M Student 5.00, 4.50,
3.70
Tickets & information avail
able at MSC Box Office
845-2916.
/tep into the m/c circle
Presented by OPAS
Battalion
Classified
Call 845-2611
UNIVERSITY SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER!
7:15 & 9:15
CINEMA I
Ends Today — “Harold & Maude
Starts Tomorrow _
f 0 ' 0 "®!.,,. RICK WAKEMAN ..
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COMING SOON — YOUR CHANCE TO ENGAGE
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7:30 & 9:20
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ^
TOWN HALL K^)
PRESENTS
Linda Ronstadt
Bonfire Special Attraction
Wednesday Nov. 26, 1975 G. Rollie White Coliseum
Everyone must
buy a ticket.
Tickets
Reserved seats $4.50
General Admission
A&M Student/date $2.50
General Public $3.50
Tickets and information available at MSC Box Office, first floor of the Rudder Tower. Open 9-4 Monday-Friday.
845-2916. No cameras or recording equipment will be allowed.
Volunteer studies can always be
criticized as non-random samples,
but in the area of human sexuality, it
is difficult to find a better index of
behavior. A questionnaire of this
sort certainly could not be required
in the classroom, nor could subjects
be paid to submit information since
payment would attract a certain
type of respondent. Half the females
said that they answered the ques
tionnaire out of interest or curiosity
as did 37 per cent of the men.
Twenty-three per cent of the entire
sample responded to the question
naire at a request from a friend.
Honesty of responses can be
questioned, but surprisingly,
people have a very strong tendency
to tell the truth when a survey is
taken seriously and is anonymous.
One male wrote, “Modesty is as
sured through anonymous re
sponses.” Comparison of responses
across redundant questions for each
subject revealed no evidence of dis
honesty.
So, that is breast-petting, and this
concludes the report based on the
study carried out recently. It is
hoped that this research can provide
a step in the right direction in taking
some of the touchiness out of an
otherwise very touchy subject.
A WINNING COMBINATION
CHARLES THOMAS
Agency Manager
PROTECTIVE LIFE®
INSURANCE COMPANY
FOR INFORMATION CALL
THOMAS ASSOCIATES
520 University Dr . East
846-7714
lm Tfti;
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