Sexual orientation

Question 1

Sexual orientation

Answer 1

A person’s erotic and emotional orientation towards members of his or her gender or members of the other gender

Question 2

Homosexual

Answer 2

A person whose sexual orientation is towards members of the same gender

Question 3

Heterosexual

Answer 3

A person whose sexual orientation is toward members of the other gender

Question 4

Bisexual

Answer 4

A person whose sexual orientation is toward both men and women

Question 5

Sexual orientation definitions

Answer 5

Lesbian: a woman whose sexual orientation is toward other women
Queer: a self-label used by some LGB’s, as well as by some heterosexuals who prefer unusual sexual practices
LGB: lesbians, gays and bisexuals

Question 6

LGB development

Answer 6

Scientists do not have exact answers to the question of when sexual orientation is determined
Milestones in LGB development do not necessarily occur in the same order for all
- experiencing same-gender attraction
- having a same gender sexual experience
- identifying as LGB
–> later in lesbians than gays

Question 7

Coming out

Answer 7

The process of acknowledging to oneself, and then to others, that one is gay or lesbian
- whether a person experiences acceptance or rejection can be critical to self-esteem and mental health
- peer harassment can be intense and has been linked to suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts

Question 8

Sexual fluidity

Answer 8

Chnges over time in sexual attraction, identity or behavior

Question 9

Sexual identity

Answer 9

One’s self-identity as homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, queer or something else

Question 10

Sin view

Answer 10

Homosexuality, like other mental illnesses, was viewed as a sin or heresy

Question 11

Medical model

Answer 11

Homosexuality and mental disturbance were viewed as a sickness or illness
DSM until 1973
ICD until 1992

Question 12

Sexual orientation and mental health

Answer 12

• population studies found somewhat higher rates f depression, suicide attempts and PTSD among gays and lesbians than among heterosexuals
• minority stress model
• positive psychology

Question 13

Minority stress model

Answer 13

Stigma, prejudice, and discrimination create a stressful social environment that causes mental health problems

Question 14

Positive psychology

Answer 14

A focus on people’s resilience and factors that contribute to it
- most LGB persons display resilience in the face of stigma

Question 15

Conversion therapy

Answer 15

Treatment designed to turn LGBs intro heterosexuals
- latest versions come not from trained psychologists
- have been around for more than 100 years
Based on homosexuality needs to be cured
Methods: electrical shocks while watching nude men, castration, brain surgery
- Effect: LGb = LGB, but with guilt

Question 16

Early psychological theories about sexuality

Answer 16

Freud argued that humans are polymorphously perverse: humans can derive pleasure from almost anything
- everyone is inherently bisexual, possessing the capacity to develop an attraction to men or women

Question 17

Genetic factors for sexuality

Answer 17

• the concordance is substantially higher for identical twins 52% than for non-identical twins 22% which argues in favor of a genetic contribution to sexual orientation
• however, the concordance rate was far from 100%
• multiple genes may contribute to sexual orientation
• research is still in its infancy
  -> there is a genetic contribution, but other factors play a role as well

Question 18

Prenatal factors for sexuality

Answer 18

Fraternal birth order effect: gay men are more likely to have a late birth order and to have more older brothers (not sisters)
–> hypothesis: with each successive pregnancy with a male fetus, the mother forms more antibodies against a protein produced by a gene on the Y chromosome (not found for lesbians)
- lower 2D:4D finger lenght ration may reflect more prenatal androgen exposure in lesbians
- gay men and lasbians are more likely to be left-handed, suggesting a hormonal effect
- epigenetic factors may make fetus more or less sensitive to androgens

Question 19

Brain factors for sexuality

Answer 19

• there are no well documented anatomical brain differences
• modern functional brain scanning methods show that lesbians are turned on by women’s pheromones and gay men are turned on by men’s pheromones

Question 20

Hormonal imbalance in sexuality

Answer 20

• research has not found any hormonal differences
• attempts to cure male homosexuality by administering testosterone failed - and seemed to result in even more homosexual behavior than usual

Question 21

Learning theory for sexuality

Answer 21

• people are born sexual, not gay or straight
• idea that rewards and punishments shape the individuals behavior
• homo- and heterosexuality is a learned behavior
• evidence is mixed on this explanation of sexual orientation
  –> the great majority of children growing up with a gay or lesbian parent are heterosexual

Question 22

Sociological theory for sexuality

Answer 22

• empphasized the effects of labeling in explaining homosexuality
• being labeled homosexual may become a self-fulfilling prophecy
• rigidity if gender roles may contribute

Question 23

Differences in sexuality between men and women

Answer 23

• women are more likely to be bisexual
• women show more flexibility or change over time in their sexual orientation
• seperate theories are needed to explain the development of sexual orientation in men and women

Question 24

Sexual orientation in multicultural perspective

Answer 24

The definition of homosexuality is set by culture:
- Mexico: anal sex, in which the receptive role is considered unmanly, feminine and homosexual versus the inserting role, which is masculine, not labeled homosexual and no stigma involved
- societies differ in the level of acceptance
- ethnic minority LGB have double minority status