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Human Sexuality PSYC 350 > Sexual/Affectional Orientations & Diversity > Flashcards

Sexual/Affectional Orientations & Diversity Flashcards

1
Q

Orientation as a compass (previously seen as)?

A

Points in the direction(s) of attraction and attachment
- Sexual orientation
- Affectional orientation

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2
Q

Sexual orientation is limited because…

A
  • Emphasised/privileges the sexual component
  • Usually categorised by the gender binary
  • An interaction: You gender/sex = the gender/sex of the person you find sexually attractive
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3
Q

Back to Sexual Configurations Theory - Number of different axes?

A
  • Your gender/sex
  • Gender/sex of others
    • What are you attracted to? Is it genitals, body frame, social identity, interactions, masculinity/feminity?
  • Age
  • Partner number
  • Type of sexual activity
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4
Q

But is sexual orientation always sexual?

A

Not necessarily

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5
Q

Eroticism?

A
  • Eroticism refers to aspects of sexuality tied to bodily pleasure. Thins that evoke sexual interest, are arousing (regardless of desire).
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6
Q

Nurturance?

A
  • Nurturance refers to warm loving feelings and closeness (think attachment).
  • Nurturance and love are not synonymous. Nurturance implies a connection, whereas love implies a deep affective connection.
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7
Q

Affectional Orientation: Eroticism + Nurturance?

A
  • Nurturance and eroticism can be distinct you can feel one without the other AND they can co-occur.
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8
Q

Sexual Configurations Theory (SCT)?
- Sexual configuration is comprised of 2 domains, name them

A
  1. Partner Sexuality, Gender/sex, Partner number, Sexual parameter
  2. Solitary Sexuality
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9
Q

Sexual Configurations Theory (SCT)?
- Partnered sexuality has 3 domains (eroticism and nurturance are built in)

A
  1. Gender/Sex Sexuality
  2. Partner Number Sexuality
    - Connecred to identities (e.g., lesbian, straight, pan, gay, poly) -> identities are names given to some configurations
  3. Sexual Parameter
    - Other sexual parameters may may include: sexual activity, kinks
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10
Q

Is sexual/affectional orientation stable over time?
Identity Labels:

A
  • Has personal significance to the individual.
  • Research suggests that identity can change over time.
  • Partner identify changes can influence your own identity.
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11
Q

Is sexual/affectional orientation stable over time?
Eroticism:

A
  • Fluidity
  • Evidence from multi-wave studies that sexual interests can change over time; hoverer, this is predominately among people with non-exclusive sexual attractions
  • Family diary studies reveal variability in strength of reotic attraction day-to-day
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12
Q

Is sexual/affectional orientation stable over time?
Nurturance:

A
  • Much less research on this aspect, though there is reason to believe that this too could change over time consistent with SCT
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13
Q

Data from a large US study of young adults shows how sexual orientation identity and attraction changes from ages 18-24 (wave 3) to ages 24-34 (wave 4), with bisexuality showing the least stability across waves.
- Of the people who identified as bisexual at wave 3, 80% changed their label at wave 4

Results demonstrate?

A

Especially among those who have a sexual identity that is not-exclusively attractive to one gender/sex tend to show more fluidity
-> sexual attraction can change

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14
Q

How do sexual/affectional orientations develop?

A
  • It is complex and no one theory can explain all variability!
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15
Q

The Failure of Psychosocial Theories (ZERO SUPPORT)
Psychodynamic perspective?

A
  • No evidence gay men have hostile or absent fathers, or over-protective mothers
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16
Q

The Failure of Psychosocial Theories (ZERO SUPPORT)
Social learning perspective (~30 years ago)?

A
  • Idea that early rewarding sexual experience with the same-gender/sex increase likelihood of same-gender/sex orientation
    • Does this seem plausible? …no
  • But many, who go to single gender/sex boarding schools and have early sexual experience with classmates do not go on to be gay or lesbian
    • Behaviour does not equal orientation
  • In animal models, it is difficult to condition sexual preference for males of females
    • Think back to learning models!
17
Q

The Failure of Psychosocial Theories (ZERO SUPPORT)
Socialisation (~40-50 years ago)?

A
  • No evidence that people with different sexual attractions are socialised differently from their heterosexual counterparts
18
Q

Biological Theories (all research is based on man-to-man sexuality)

Concerns and potential benefits?

A
  • Concerns around motivations to investigate biological underpinnings pf sexual orientation
    • If they find a “gay gene” will this be used to harm SGD people?
  • Biological theories can also do a lot of good for SGD peoples, where they provide strong evidence that this is not a “choice”
19
Q

Biological Theories
- Rates of same gander/sex attraction are relatively stable over time and across cultures (4-5% prevalence)
- Two most consistent findings that support a biological component based on meta-anlyses:

A
  1. Concordance rater among twins (50-60% heritability) much higher than many other genital components
  2. Fraternal birth order
20
Q

Birth order: A meta-analysis showed each additional older brother increase a male’s odds of being gay by 47%.

A
  • Brain development in utero is affected by a maternal immune response to androgens that are present during fatal development, then affect subsequent pregnancies
21
Q

Is it possible to change sexual/affectional orientation? Reparative Therapy - One controversial study of 200 adults reported some people claimed sexual orientation change, but…

A
  • Many who report change were likely deceiving themselves
    • Some were successful at adopting a heterosexual identity and lifestyle and stopped engaging in same gender/sex behaviour
      • However, the majority still experience same gender/sex attractions

10 years after publishing this paper, Spitzer Reassesses apologised for making unfounded claims

22
Q

Current Stance on Reparative Therapy?

A
  • It is ineffective at altering sexual attraction
  • It has negative impacts on mental health
  • Professional mental health associations oppose it
  • Banned in BC
  • Human rights violation
23
Q

Minority Stress & SGD people
- Virginia Brooks (1981), Authored “Minority stress & lesbian women” (received no credit bc of her social position)
- Allan Myers (2003), credited for minority stress theory (bc of social power and privilege)

A
  • Stressors embedded within the social position of SGD individuals (i.e., stigma, prejudice, discrimination) -> contribute to health-related conditions and lower well-being
24
Q

What are microaggressions?

A
  • Everyday verbal, nonverbal and environmental slights, snubs, or insults.
  • Can be intentional or unintentional
  • That communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target person on the basis of marginalised group membership
  • COMMON on university campuses
  • Linked with poorer mental; and physical health and academic performance (similar to microaggressions)
25
Q

Directed to an individual
Microinvalidations & Micro insults?

A

Microinvalidations:
- Invalidate a person’s lived experience
- “It’s just a phase” “I’m not homophobic because I have a gay/lesbian friend”

Micro insults:
- More overt
- “It’s a sin” “act less lesbian/gay/queer” “I would never have known you were SGM” “this is my friend x, they are gay’

26
Q

Microaggressions Encountered in the Environment?

A
  • Not necessarily directed towards a person
  • “That’s so gay” “no home”
  • Receiving information specific to heterosexual people

Human Sexuality PSYC 350 (11 decks)

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