Sexual orientation Flashcards
(28 cards)
Sexual orientation
A person’s erotic and emotional orientation towards members of his or her gender or members of the other gender
Homosexual
A person whose sexual orientation is towards members of the same gender
Heterosexual
A person whose sexual orientation is toward members of the other gender
Bisexual
A person whose sexual orientation is toward both men and women
Sexual orientation definitions
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
LGB development
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
Coming out
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
Sexual fluidity
Chnges over time in sexual attraction, identity or behavior
Sexual identity
One’s self-identity as homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, queer or something else
Sin view
Homosexuality, like other mental illnesses, was viewed as a sin or heresy
Medical model
Homosexuality and mental disturbance were viewed as a sickness or illness
DSM until 1973
ICD until 1992
Sexual orientation and mental health
- population studies found somewhat higher rates f depression, suicide attempts and PTSD among gays and lesbians than among heterosexuals
- minority stress model
- positive psychology
Minority stress model
Stigma, prejudice, and discrimination create a stressful social environment that causes mental health problems
Positive psychology
A focus on people’s resilience and factors that contribute to it
- most LGB persons display resilience in the face of stigma
Conversion therapy
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
Early psychological theories about sexuality
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
Genetic factors for sexuality
- 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
Prenatal factors for sexuality
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
Brain factors for sexuality
- 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
Hormonal imbalance in sexuality
- 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
Learning theory for sexuality
- 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
Sociological theory for sexuality
- Reiss
- empphasized the effects of labeling in explaining homosexuality
- being labeled homosexual may become a self-fulfilling prophecy
- rigidity if gender roles may contribute
Differences in sexuality between men and women
- 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
Sexual orientation in multicultural perspective
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
