May 31, 1983

The economic summit ended on a hopeful note, with the seven world leaders ''now clearly seeing signs of recovery.'' Without being specific, the final communique called for steps to reduce inflation, interest rates and budget deficits. In a tradeoff, the leaders agreed to the possibility of a conference on monetary changes, a French goal, and said budget deficits should be cut through lower expenditures, the Reagan view. (Page A1.)

Sexologists are struggling to enhance the scientific credibility and public acceptance of their research at a time when sexual studies and sex education in this country are under increasing attack. This became clear last week when more than 1,000 sexologists convened here for the sixth World Congress of Sexology, billed as the largest gathering of sexologists ever held. Speakers and panel chairmen repeatedly lamented that their field is suffering from a conservative political backlash that often portrays sex research and education as little more than pornography and sex therapy as almost illicit. The organizers tried unsuccessfully to get official welcoming messages from the White House and the Mayor's office, ordinarily a routine courtesy, but neither political office would oblige. ''They said it was inappropriate,'' complained William A. Grantzig, president of the organizing committee. ''This is not porn city. Some of the talks are even boring.''

After three days of negotiations at the ninth annual economic summit conference, a profound gridlock over economic policy is apparent. The leaders of the major industrial nations came here to deal with one overriding issue: how to sustain economic recovery but avoid a new outburst of inflation. They will depart on Tuesday having agreed to maintain economic recovery, to reduce inflation, interest rates and unemployment and to ''roll back'' protectionism - but generally without specific proposals to accomplish these goals. As Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Britain, who left Sunday night, ruefully conceded, ''We all condemn protectionism, but almost every country practices a certain amount.''

The officers who patrol the highways here know well that there are four holidays more ominous than all the rest - Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day and the Christmas-New Year's period. ''Christmas you get drunks,'' said James McGarry, a Suffolk County highway patrol officer who has worked the Long Island Expressway for more than a decade. The Fourth of July has the overheaters. The Labor Day rush-hour crowd is cranky. ''It's the end of the season,'' Patrolman McGarry said, ''and everyone thinks he can make it home in an hour and a half.''

The Soviet Union's rigidly centralized economy is likely to muddle through the 1980's at a low growth rate but without danger of collapse, according to a Central Intelligence Agency analysis released today. At the same time, the agency said there appears to be little chance the Kremlin will undertake the kind of radical reforms that could unfetter economic decision making and improve the lot of Soviet consumers. While the average growth in the gross national product could reach as high as 2 percent, an improved economic performance is not expected without major policy changes.