Independent Study Information and Application Form for Fall of 2026—revised August 22, 2026
Studies on Sexuality: Research Opportunities for Undergraduates for Fall 2026
Professor Charlene Muehlenhard’s Lab
charlene@ku.edu; voice-mail: 785-864-9860
OVERVIEW:
Professor Muehlenhard and her students are seeking students interested in participating in research groups for fall of 2026.
Research assistants (RAs) help with studies in various ways. For a new study, RAs help design the study; once we have data, RAs help identify themes in the data. RAs attend weekly research group meetings; between meetings, tasks can be done at the RAs’ convenience. The total time commitment would not exceed 9 hours a week.
Students can participate as volunteers or can enroll for credit (for 3, 2, or 1 credits in PSYC 480, Indep Study; in WGSS 498, Indep Study; or, if data analysis is involved, in PSYC 481, Research Practicum). Recent graduates can also volunteer. Sometimes, students participate during one semester and officially enroll the next semester.
Students of all majors and minors are welcome. Students of all sexual orientations and genders are welcome.
To apply, email the information below to me at charlene@ku.edu Mention “RESEARCH APPLICATION” in the subject line. Applications will be read by me and the grad student(s) in whose group(s) you express interest. We will let you know.
Research Groups for Fall Semester 2026
For the fall of 2026, there will be three research groups:
• Tuesdays, 4:00–5:45 pm; Lori Lentenbrink's group on faking orgasms
• Wednesdays, 5:05–6:45 pm, Chloe Grabanski's group on customizable pornography
• Thursdays, 2:00–3:50 pm, a new study on sexuality, maybe on the gray area between consent and coercion
None of the groups have met yet this semester. All three will meet during Week 2 for the first time.
See below for details and information on how to apply.
1 or 2 openings
Tuesdays, 4:00–5:45 pm; Lori Lentenbrink's group on faking orgasms and the gendered orgasm gap
This group will probably be held 4:00-5:45 pm on Tuesdays.
Lori's study is about people's experiences with faking (or pretending) orgasm and the orgasm gap. Previously, our lab studied college students’ experiences with pretending orgasms. In that study, we found that 50% of the women and 25% of the men had pretended (Muehlenhard & Shippee, 2010, Journal of Sex Research).
In the present study, we have collected data from about 370 sexually active PSYC 104 students. We have tentatively coded participants’ responses to questions about why they either faked or did not fake. For those who did not fake, we also asked them if they had ever considered faking. This fall, we will be doing a more thorough coding, such as separating reasons for not orgasming from reasons for faking. We will also code their explanations about whether they had ever considered faking.
Participants will also help with / get to see how the quantitative and qualitative data are summarized in the results section and discuss the implications of our findings.
We plan to meet in Fraser Hall.
Probably full; 1 opening at most
Wednesdays, 5:05–6:45 pm, Chloe Grabanski's group on customizable pornography
Chloe Grabanski is doing a thematic analysis of individuals' requests for customizable pornography. “Customizable pornography” can be defined as sexualized content that individuals request from creators for a fee.
Research assistants will work mostly on coding online requests. Last spring, the research group created tentative coding categories; this fall, we will finish simplifying those categories and then will actually code individuals' requests. For example:
Did they request to be humiliated or dominated by the content creator (i.e., were they willing to pay money for someone to humiliate them or to tell them what to do)?
Did they request to engage in roleplay; if so, what did they want to roleplay?
Did they request to receive items from the content creator; if so, what kinds of items did they want to receive?
How much were they willing to pay?
Other aspects of the requests, such as whether they mentioned race.
Other tasks could include finding relevant research articles (e.g., research articles on pornography, gig economies, etc.) and discussing collecting survey data related to parasocial relationships among those who follow or support the content created by online sex workers.
The group will meet in person in Fraser Hall. The group will start at 5:05 pm; after 5:00 pm, students can drive onto campus and park in the lot behind Fraser Hall.
2 to 4 openings
Thursdays, 2:00–3:50 pm, a new study on a topic related to sexuality, maybe on the gray area between consent and coercion.
This study will be the basis for the honors thesis of Human Sexuality major Sadie Borenstein and perhaps another student also working on an honors thesis.
The study will be about sexuality; the exact topic is still to be determined. It might focus on the gray area between consent and coercion.
This is a NEW study. It is an opportunity to be involved with a study from the beginning.
Research assistants will help with
• deciding on the research question;
• searching for relevant literature;
• writing a survey, which we will put into Qualtrics;
• writing the consent form and the IRB application; and
• posting the survey online.
If we can gather by the end of the semester, research assistants will help with preliminary analyses.
Don't worry if you do not already know how to do these things; we will go over it during group meetings.
We plan to meet in Fraser Hall.
________________________________________________________________
TO APPLY, email the following information to Prof. Muehlenhard at charlene@ku.edu. Mention “RESEARCH APPLICATION” in the subject line.
1. Your name:
2. Your email address (and phone number if applicable):
3. Your major (students from any major are welcome):
4. You can participate for course credit, or you can volunteer without registering. Which do you prefer?
• PSYC 480 Indep Study
• PSYC 481 Research Practicum
• WGSS 498 Indep Study
• Volunteering
5. Which study or studies are you applying to? If you are interested in and can attend more than one group, indicate if you have a preference.
6. In a paragraph or two, explain (a) why you would like to work with us and (b) your background and skills. (FYI, no previous research experience is required. Students from any major are welcome.)
7. Include some evidence of your academic performance. This could be your GPA, OR a copy of your Degree Progress Report emailed as a pdf attachment, OR anything that seems reasonable to you.
8. Any questions or comments?
9. Email the information above to Prof. Muehlenhard at charlene@ku.edu. Mention “RESEARCH APPLICATION” in the subject line.