Class #19 Can sexual orientation be changed?

Question 1

What did Sigmund Frued beleive?

Answer 1

Homosexuality was a perversion
(arrested development) that
could not be changed in most
individuals.
That everyone at thir core was inheratanlty heterosexual.

Question 2

According to Freud (1856-1939) homosexuality was perversion:

Answer 2

change in development where an individual is blocked from being heterosexual.

Question 3

Freud did not d=think homosexuality was a disease but a _____________

Answer 3

stall in development

Question 4

What is the Fruedian psychoanalytic theory?

Answer 4

Homosexuality was a perversion
(arrested development) that
could not be changed in most
individuals.
That everyone at thir core was inheratanlty heterosexual.

Question 5

Who were the notable American psychoanalytics?

Answer 5

Irving Bieber,Charles Socarides, and Joseph Nicolosi

Question 6

What is the AMERICAN psychoanalytic theroy?

Answer 6

-Homosexuals are diseased (mentally ill) but curable.
-Neurosis (redirected libido).
-Fear of female genitals which symbolize castration
-Attractions to women repressed and libido redirected to men

Question 7

What are some ways introduced in the lecture that have been done to change an individual’s sexual orientation?

Answer 7

-Brain lobotomies
-Castration & Transplantation Hormonal Treatments.
-Aversion therapies.
-Orgasmic reconditioning therapy.
-Psychoanalysis.
-Reparative/conversion therapy.

Question 8

What was the point of lobotomies?

Answer 8

To create lesions in the brain that would modify the direction of sexual attraction.

Question 9

What were the results of lobotomies?

Answer 9

-Apathy
-death
-passivness
-destruction of the ventromedial nuclus.
-Libido decreases.
—->BUT NO CHANGE IN SEXUAL ORIENTATION!

Question 10

Who was Alan Turning?

Answer 10

He was the father of computer science. He was arrested for homosexuality. He underwent castration.
After his casteration, the strength of his libido was altered.
Killed himself.

Question 11

What did the casturation mean?

Answer 11

Removal of testosterone:
* Orchiectomies (removal of testes)
* Chemical castration (use of drugs to stop hormone production)
* Transplantation of testicles (put a dead heterosexual guy’s testicles on the gay guy).

Question 12

what did hormonal treatments for male homosexuality entail?

Answer 12

Addition of testosterone:
* Testosterone injections

Question 13

What was the outcome of Castration & Transplantation
Hormonal Treatments?

Answer 13

altered/lessened libido but NO CHANGE IN SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR SEXUAL FEELINGS!

Question 14

What did aversion therapies consist of?

Answer 14

Aversion therapies consisted of Aversive (punishing) stimuli paired fantasies or images of the same sex.
(When a photo of the same sex was applied, punishing stimuli was employed).

Question 15

What kind of punishments were used for aversion therapy?

Answer 15

Electric shocks, apomorphine, carbon dioxide.

Question 16

What was the goal of aversion therapy?

Answer 16

This “punishment” would reorient individual away
from homosexual interest and toward heterosexual interest

Question 17

What is orgasmic reconditioning therapy?

Answer 17

Rewarding stimuli paired with fantasies or images of the oppisite sex.

-> Homosexual individual masturbates to fantasies or images of the same sex. As soon as they are about to orgasm (reward), the images/fantasies are switched over to the oppisite sex.

Question 18

Why did the study on orgasm reconditioning therapy suck?

Answer 18

-Only four participants. Technically only 2 were viable participants since one was he was hebaphlic (attracted to puberty boy 11-14). The other one was bisexual so that didnt work either.
So technically we only had particpant 2+3 who were homosexual.
-results were probably due to random variation.

Question 19

What is Psychoanalysis?

Answer 19

-Expose the cause of the neurosis
(redirected libido) and work through the
unconscious anxieties through protracted
psychotherapy (“talk therapy”).
-Practicing gender-typical activities
-form a close non-sexual relationship with a same-sex therapist.

Question 21

What is the poi t of practicing gender typical activities in psychoanalysis?

Answer 21

decrease fear and add masculinity.

Question 22

What is entailed in Reparative/conversion therapy?

Answer 22

Sexual reorientation therapy with
explicit religious teaching.

Question 23

According to the teachings of Reparative/conversion therapy,

Answer 23

-Individuals can experience same-sex
attractions, without being homosexual. (you are only homosexual if you “DO.”)
-Individuals are homosexual only if they engage in homosexual behavior.
Everyone is “inheritantly heterosexual thats why some call it reparative therapy.

Question 24

What is a quote presented in the slides representing conversion therapy?

Answer 24

“I feel like a heterosexual who is not heterosexually active”

Question 25

Does disorder parenting styles cause homosexuality?

Answer 25

Studies have failed to find any relationship between parental
styles and the development of homosexuality

Question 26

Do distant fathers cause homosexuality in
their sons?

Answer 26

Well actually, no. Studies have shown the
opposite direction of causality. Emotionally distant
relationships between fathers and their homosexual sons was
related to the son’s sexatypical behavior. The father was distant BECAUSE of the homosexual behavior that the child was radiating.

Question 27

Psychoanalysis - Outcomes?

Answer 27

-NO evidence that psychotherapeutic interventions are effective
in changing sexual orientation.
-Sexual behavior and sexual orientation identity change, but
sexual feelings/orientation DO NOT!!!

Question 28

What do some individuals take from psychoanalysis?

Answer 28

-Psychological damage
-physical damage (electric shock)
-some report positive outcomes.

Question 29

What did some of the individuals who had a positive expereince with psychoanalysis say?

Answer 29

These individuals claimed that it is unethical to force individuals who
are unhappy with their same-sex attractions into accepting an LBG- affirmative identity.

“It’s so nice to be at peace. . . . I don’t feel controlled by it, and I carry
on other stuff in my life now”

“I came to understand that I have a choice as to how I behave. Before
therapy, I was frightened. After therapy, I am confident and able to
recognize my choices and choose according to what I feel is right.