Arrington Psychology of Human Sexuality. 210 Chapter 9: Sexual Orientation - Sexual Orientation o Sexual Orientation- A distinct preference for sexual partners of aparticular sex in the presence of clear alternatives o Heterosexuality- attraction to members of the opposite sexo Homosexuality- attraction to members of the same sex o Bisexuality- attraction to people of either sex o Sexual orientation is viewed as a continuum - Prevalence of Homosexuality o About 3% to 7% of American men and about 1.5% to 4.5% ofAmerican women are homosexual or bisexualo More have same-sex sexual experiences or attraction on occasion - Defining Sexual Orientation: Another Look o Must look at more than behavior when characterizing people asheterosexual, homosexual, or bisexualo Sexual orientation definition- distinct preferences consistently madeafter adolescence in the presence of clear alternativeso The developmental pathway to homosexuality and bisexuality is muchmore diverse for women than men o More common for men to become aware of their sexual orientation ata young age before having the same-sex experience o It is common for women not to recognize their orientation until later Women are more likely to move back and forth betweenheterosexual and homosexual relationships o Bisexual identities tend to be less stable overtime - Asexuality o Asexuality- lifelong lack of sexual attraction to men or women Not on Kinsey’s scaleo Asexual individuals do experience sexual arousal to erotic stimuli andmasturbate; they just lack sexual attraction to other people - Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Roles o Gender identity- One’s subjective sense of being a man or a woman.This sense is usually acquired by age of 3 o Homosexuality and bisexuality are not the result of gender dysphoria o For most people masculinity and femininity are basic assumptions ofheterosexuality o Whether a person conforms or does not conform to genderstereotypes does not always predict sexual orientationo Gender rolw nonconformity during childhood is often, but NOTALWAYS, associated later with a homosexual orientation The Origins of Sexual Orientation- Psychoanalytic Explanations: Do Parents Play a Role? o Sigmund Freud1Arrington Psychology of Human Sexuality. 210  Believed that male homosexuality resulted when a boy had adomineering, rejecting mother and turned to his father for love,and later to men in general.  Female homosexuality developed when a girl loved her motherand identified with her father and became fixated at this stageo There is no evidence that sexual orientation results from childrenidentifying with a particular parent o Psychoanalytic explanations have not proven very useful in explainingthe origins of sexual orientation. - The Effects of Enviornment o If sexual orientation were a learned behavior, homosexuals would beexpected to have a good or rewarding experiences with same-sexindividuals and bad experiences with member of the opposite sex intheir early social experiences Data does not support this o Children raised by homosexual parents are equally as likely to grow upwith a heterosexual orientation as children raised by heterosexualparents - Biological Explanations o Genetic Factors  In identical twins the children are likely to have the samesexual orientation  Gay men are much more likely to have a close relative who isgay. Same is true for Lesbians o Brain Anatomy It was found that part of the hypothalamus (known to influencesexual behavior) was more than twice as large in heterosexuals It was also found that the Suprachiasmatic nucleus had twiceas many cells in homosexual men as in heterosexual men  A major fiber bundle that connects two halves of the brain was34% larger in homosexual men than in heterosexual men  There is a biological component of sexual orientation o Birth Order ( and the Prenatal Environment)  Each additional older biological brother (but not sister)increases the probability that the younger brother will behomosexual by about 33%  No birth order effect is observed in homosexual women Birth order effects are observed for many personalitycharacteristics, but not in families where children are adopted  Birth order effects in men are the result of the biologicalinfluences; a reaction of the mother’s immune system triggeredby the previous male fetuses It affects the sexual differentiation of the brain o Hormones ( and the Prenatal Environment) 2Arrington Psychology of Human Sexuality. 210  It is likely that hormones are the differences between the brainanatomy between heterosexual and homosexual men  Same-sex sexual behavior is observed in almost all species The levels of testosterone in adult men is the same inheterosexuals and homosexuals Giving hormones to adult homosexual men does not changetheir sexual orientation o Conclusion One’s sexual orientation is not destined by biology alone The twin study shows a strong biological component but sinceall of them did not have the same sexual orientation it leavesroom to believe that there in an environmental factor as well  Biological and social influences both contribute to thedevelopment of sexual orientation Being Homosexual- Being Homosexual o The term homosexual was first used by a Hungarian physicianin Germany o Most homosexuals prefer the term gay o Gay- the term generally used to refer to male homosexuals,although in some places it is used to refer to homosexuals ofeither sex o Lesbian- a female homosexual o Straights- a term used to describe heterosexual o The term queer was once regarded as derogatory nit now hasbeen used more in the homosexual community Seen as an umbrella term to refers to gays, lesbians,bisexuals, and transgendered individuals - History of Attitudes About Homosexuality o Pederasty- same-sex sexual behavior between adult men andboys. It was widely accepted as an alternative toheterosexuality in ancient Greeceo Plato praised homosexual relationships in his Symposiumo Same-sex marriage was legal among the upper-class during thetime of the Roman empire o Freud referred to homosexuals as perverts in his teaching o