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Ventresca C, Martschenko DO, Wedow R, Civelek M, Tabery J, Carlson J, Parker SCJ, Ramos PS. The methodological and ethical concerns of genetic studies of same-sex sexual behavior. Am J Hum Genet 2024:S0002-9297(24)00293-3. [PMID: 39255798 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Same-sex sexual behavior has long interested genetics researchers in part because, while there is evidence of heritability, the trait as typically defined is associated with fewer offspring. Investigations of this phenomenon began in the 1990s with linkage studies and continue today with the advent of genome-wide association studies. As this body of research grows, so does critical scientific and ethical review of it. Here, we provide a targeted overview of existing genetics studies on same-sex sexual behavior, highlight the ethical and scientific considerations of this nascent field, and provide recommendations developed by the authors to enhance social and ethical responsibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Ventresca
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA.
| | - Daphne O Martschenko
- Center for Biomedical Ethics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Robbee Wedow
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; AnalytiXIN, Indianapolis, IN 46259, USA; Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Statistics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Mete Civelek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA; Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - James Tabery
- Department of Philosophy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jedidiah Carlson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Stephen C J Parker
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA
| | - Paula S Ramos
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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2
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Fan R. Genetic Enhancement, Human Rights, and Regioglobal Bioethics. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AND PHILOSOPHY 2024:jhae029. [PMID: 38960386 DOI: 10.1093/jmp/jhae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
This article examines the cross-cultural bioethical concerns stemming from the potential use of CRISPR-Cas9 for genetic enhancement projects. It emphasizes the need to differentiate between basic and non-basic human rights when considering genetic enhancement, as recent international declarations lack this distinction. Basic rights possess a universal nature and are applicable across cultures, while non-basic rights are culturally specific and should be determined within respective regions. To illustrate this, the study explores the acceptance or rejection of non-basic rights related to genetic enhancement in two distinct cultural categories: Type-A and Type-B cultures. Type-A cultures predominantly adhere to a liberal moral framework, while Type-B cultures are rooted in Confucian morality. Additionally, the article argues for two basic rights in genetic enhancement: the right to be free from bodily harm and the right to be free from deception. These rights differ from non-basic rights and should be universally upheld in all cultures. By analyzing a hypothetical case and drawing parallels with the He Jiankui incident, the article investigates the violation of these two basic rights in each scenario, regardless of cultural context. Consequently, both cases should be unequivocally rejected in both Type-A and Type-B cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiping Fan
- City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PRC
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3
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Oginni OA, Alanko K, Jern P, Rijsdijk FV. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Sexual Orientation: Moderation by Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Early-Life Adversity. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1763-1776. [PMID: 38155338 PMCID: PMC11106125 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02761-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Existing evidence indicates genetic and non-genetic influences on sexual orientation; however, the possibility of gene-environment interplay has not been previously formally tested despite theories indicating this. Using a Finnish twin cohort, this study investigated whether childhood gender nonconformity and early-life adversities independently moderated individual differences in sexual orientation and childhood gender nonconformity, the relationship between them, and the etiological bases of the proposed moderation effects. Sexual orientation, childhood gender nonconformity, and early-life adversities were assessed using standard questionnaires. Structural equation twin model fitting was carried out using OpenMx. Childhood gender nonconformity was significantly associated with reduced phenotypic variance in sexual orientation (β = - 0.14, 95% CI - 0.27, - 0.01). A breakdown of the underlying influences of this moderation effect showed that this was mostly due to moderation of individual-specific environmental influences which significantly decreased as childhood gender nonconformity increased (βE = - 0.38; 95% CI - 0.52, - 0.001) while additive genetic influences were not significantly moderated (βA = 0.05; 95% CI - 0.30, 0.27). We also observed that the relationship between sexual orientation and childhood gender nonconformity was stronger at higher levels of childhood gender nonconformity (β = 0.10, 95% CI 0.05, 0.14); however, significance of the underlying genetic and environmental influences on this relationship could not be established in this sample. The findings indicate that beyond a correlation of their genetic and individual-specific environmental influences, childhood gender nonconformity is further significantly associated with reduced individual-specific influences on sexual orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olakunle Ayokunmi Oginni
- The Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Denmark Hill, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
- Department of Mental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neuroscience, Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Katarina Alanko
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Patrick Jern
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Frühling Vesta Rijsdijk
- The Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Denmark Hill, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Anton de Kom University, Paramaribo, Suriname
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4
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Lee IC. On the Concordance of Romantic and Sexual Feelings and Identity Among University Students in Taiwan. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1915-1925. [PMID: 38536513 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02843-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The degree to which romantic and sexual feelings correspond to one's sexual identity may signify how a person comes to embrace a specific sexual identity. People who endorse an essentialist perspective may expect to see a high degree of concordance between feelings and identity, and a lack of concordance may be associated with negative consequences. People who endorse a social constructionist perspective may view sexual identity as constructed in situ; a lack of concordance is inevitable and may not be associated with negative consequences. This research tests the levels of concordance of feelings and identity by comparing those with and without romantic and sexual feelings using risk ratios and odds ratios. A representative sample of college students in Taiwan was recruited (N = 3882, with 2440 females and 2988 who identified as heterosexual). The findings suggest that (1) people's romantic and sexual feelings largely correspond to their sexual identity, with all risk ratios and odds ratios higher than 1; (2) the concordance was at its lowest level among those with different-sex feelings; (3) gender differences in concordance were trivial; (4) individuals who were questioning their identity were the least clear about what they expect and want in intimate relationships; and (5) no general negative consequences in intimate relationships were observed among discordant/branched individuals. Implications regarding romantic and sexual feelings, sexual identity, and intimate relationships are further discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Ching Lee
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
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5
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Song S, Zhang J. Genetic variants underlying human bisexual behavior are reproductively advantageous. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj6958. [PMID: 38170769 PMCID: PMC10796114 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj6958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Because human same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) is heritable and leads to fewer offspring, how SSB-associated alleles have persisted and whether they will remain in human populations are of interest. Using the UK Biobank, we address these questions separately for bisexual behavior (BSB) and exclusive SSB (eSSB) after confirming their genetic distinction. We discover that male BSB is genetically positively correlated with the number of offspring. This unexpected phenomenon is attributable to the horizontal pleiotropy of male risk-taking behavior-associated alleles because male risk-taking behavior is genetically positively correlated with both BSB and the number of offspring and because genetically controlling male risk-taking behavior abolishes the genetic correlation between male BSB and the number of offspring. By contrast, eSSB is genetically negatively correlated with the number of offspring. Our results suggest that male BSB-associated alleles are likely reproductively advantageous, which may explain their past persistence and predict their future maintenance, and that eSSB-associated alleles are likely being selected against at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siliang Song
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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6
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Zahran A, Skorska MN, Coome LA, VanderLaan DP. Recalled Childhood Separation Anxiety in Relation to Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity in Thailand. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023:1-11. [PMID: 38016032 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2279238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Same-sex sexual attraction is an evolutionary paradox. It is influenced by genes but also associated with reduced reproduction. An altruistic disposition toward kin could increase relatives' reproduction, thus addressing this paradox. Developmentally, such a disposition may manifest as anxiety during separation from kin. This hypothesis has been supported among androphilic (i.e. sexually attracted to males) males, but few similar studies of gynephilic (i.e. sexually attracted to females) females exist. We examined recalled childhood separation anxiety in Thailand and employed the largest and most sexually and gender-diverse sample to date (N = 1403). Among heterosexuals, men recalled less concern for parents' and siblings' well-being during separation than women. Androphilic males evidenced elevated concern for parents' and siblings' well-being during separation, and transfeminine androphilic males known as sao praphet song reported heightened anxiety when separated from parents. Among females, transmasculine gynephilic females known as toms recalled less concern about parents' well-being during separation than feminine females who are attracted to toms and known as dees. Bisexual women recalled less anxiety when separated from parents than dees and lesbian and heterosexual women. These findings suggest a disposition toward heightened kin-directed altruism is evident in childhood among androphilic males, but not gynephilic females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adhm Zahran
- Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga
| | - Malvina N Skorska
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
| | | | - Doug P VanderLaan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
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7
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VanderLaan DP, Skorska MN, Peragine DE, Coome LA. Carving the Biodevelopment of Same-Sex Sexual Orientation at Its Joints. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:2939-2962. [PMID: 35960401 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02360-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sexual orientation is a core aspect of human experience and understanding its development is fundamental to psychology as a scientific discipline. Biological perspectives have played an important role in uncovering the processes that contribute to sexual orientation development. Research in this field has relied on a variety of populations, including community, clinical, and cross-cultural samples, and has commonly focused on female gynephilia (i.e., female sexual attraction to adult females) and male androphilia (i.e., male sexual attraction to adult males). Genetic, hormonal, and immunological processes all appear to influence sexual orientation. Consistent with biological perspectives, there are sexual orientation differences in brain development and evidence indicates that similar biological influences apply across cultures. An outstanding question in the field is whether the hypothesized biological influences are all part of the same process or represent different developmental pathways leading to same-sex sexual orientation. Some studies indicate that same-sex sexually oriented people can be divided into subgroups who likely experienced different biological influences. Consideration of gender expression in addition to sexual orientation might help delineate such subgroups. Thus, future research on the possible existence of such subgroups could prove to be valuable for uncovering the biological development of sexual orientation. Recommendations for such future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doug P VanderLaan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Malvina N Skorska
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Diana E Peragine
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Lindsay A Coome
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
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8
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Clive J, Flintham E, Savolainen V. Same-sex sociosexual behaviour is widespread and heritable in male rhesus macaques. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1287-1301. [PMID: 37429903 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02111-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Numerous reports have documented the occurrence of same-sex sociosexual behaviour (SSB) across animal species. However, the distribution of the behaviour within a species needs to be studied to test hypotheses describing its evolution and maintenance, in particular whether the behaviour is heritable and can therefore evolve by natural selection. Here we collected detailed observations across 3 yr of social and mounting behaviour of 236 male semi-wild rhesus macaques, which we combined with a pedigree dating back to 1938, to show that SSB is both repeatable (19.35%) and heritable (6.4%). Demographic factors (age and group structure) explained SSB variation only marginally. Furthermore, we found a positive genetic correlation between same-sex mounter and mountee activities, indicating a common basis to different forms of SSB. Finally, we found no evidence of fitness costs to SSB, but show instead that the behaviour mediated coalitionary partnerships that have been linked to improved reproductive success. Together, our results demonstrate that SSB is frequent in rhesus macaques, can evolve, and is not costly, indicating that SSB may be a common feature of primate reproductive ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Clive
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Ewan Flintham
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Vincent Savolainen
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK.
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9
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Song S, Zhang J. Contraception ends the genetic maintenance of human same-sex sexual behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2303418120. [PMID: 37186855 PMCID: PMC10214190 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303418120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Because human same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) is heritable and leads to fewer offspring, it is puzzling why SSB-associated alleles have not been selectively purged. Current evidence supports the antagonistic pleiotropy hypothesis that SSB-associated alleles benefit individuals exclusively performing opposite-sex sexual behavior by increasing their number of sexual partners and consequently their number of offspring. However, by analyzing the UK Biobank, here, we show that having more sexual partners no longer predicts more offspring since the availability of oral contraceptives in the 1960s and that SSB is now genetically negatively correlated with the number of offspring, suggesting a loss of SSB's genetic maintenance in modern societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siliang Song
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - Jianzhi Zhang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109
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10
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Rosario M. Health Disparities by Sexual Orientation: Implications of Genetic and Environmental Explanations. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:600-604. [PMID: 36399067 PMCID: PMC10175091 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2144991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Xu and colleagues add to the growing research literature on the role of potential familial (i.e., genetic and shared environment) causes in sexual orientation and in the relation between sexual orientation and poor mental health, in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority individuals have poorer mental health than heterosexual individuals. I address several implications of the findings by Xu et al. and others. First, the nuance or complexity of genetics is considered, given the implications of genetics for health via a single gene, epistasis, or epigenetics. Second, I highlight the magnitude of the genetic relation between sexual orientation and psychopathology, suggesting some, but not all, sexual minority individuals may differ from heterosexual individuals on psychiatric vulnerability. In turn, this suggests that research should identify for whom or under what circumstances the relation holds. Third, I underscore the need for a within-subjects design, in which attention turns to differences among sexual minority individuals. Fourth, the need to reevaluate Minority Stress Theory, the predominant theory accounting for health disparities by sexual orientation, is addressed because of the implications of genetics for health. Fifth, I acknowledge the concern attached to genetic research for potentially compounding the stigmatization already experienced by sexual minority individuals. Nevertheless, this research is occurring and will likely increase in volume. It will inform understanding of sexual minority individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Rosario
- Department of Psychology, The City University of New York—The City College and Graduate Center, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, United States
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Song S, Zhang J. Contraception ends the genetic maintenance of human same-sex sexual behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.07.531528. [PMID: 36945440 PMCID: PMC10028871 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Because human same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) is heritable and leads to fewer offspring, it is puzzling why SSB-associated alleles have not been selectively purged. Current evidence supports the antagonistic pleiotropy hypothesis that SSB-associated alleles benefit individuals exclusively performing opposite-sex sexual behavior by increasing their number of sexual partners and consequently their number of offspring. However, here we show that having more sexual partners no longer predicts more offspring since the availability of oral contraceptives in the 1960s and that SSB is now negatively genetically correlated with the number of offspring, indicating a loss of SSB’s genetic maintenance in modern societies.
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12
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Ali T, Ryali S, Upadhyay S, Swaminathan U, Patki S, Chaudhury S. Gender and sexual orientation of undergraduate medical students in India: A cross-sectional study. Ind Psychiatry J 2023; 32:142-149. [PMID: 37274584 PMCID: PMC10236688 DOI: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_115_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although the potential for alternate conceptions of gender roles and sexual orientations are diverse, it is by-and-large not well tolerated. This study explores the self-reported gender-roles and sexual orientations of Indian undergraduate medical students. Aim To study self-reported gender role and sexual orientation of undergraduate medical students in India. Method One hundred twenty volunteers were included in the study consisting of 60 males and 60 females. A questionnaire comprising of a sociodemographic proforma, Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), and Epstein Sexual Orientation Inventory (ESOI) were given to each participant. The scales were scored, tabulated, and statistically analyzed. Results The BSRI revealed that femininity was predominant in both female and male participants, at 68.33% and 55%, respectively. The ESOI revealed that females had significantly higher opposite-sex attraction than males. Though males had higher same-sex attraction than females, the difference was not statistically significant. Females also had a significantly higher sexual orientation range and a mean sexual orientation. Sexual drive was significantly higher in males. Significantly more females supported homosexuality and bisexuality as compared to males. Conclusion This study helps establish that gender roles can be non-conforming. It helps ascertain that while heterosexual orientation predominates, alternate sexual orientations also exist. It paves the way for future studies and explorations to alleviate public misconceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahoora Ali
- Department of Psychiatry, Dr D Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Dr D Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sumalatha Ryali
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, PES Institute of Medical Science and Research, Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Shiksha Upadhyay
- Department of Psychiatry, Rural Medical College, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni, Dist. Ahmedabad, Maharashtra, India
| | - Uma Swaminathan
- Department of Psychiatry, Rural Medical College, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni, Dist. Ahmedabad, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shivani Patki
- Department of Psychiatry, Rural Medical College, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni, Dist. Ahmedabad, Maharashtra, India
| | - Suprakash Chaudhury
- Department of Psychiatry, Dr D Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Dr D Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri Pune, Maharashtra, India
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13
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Schwartz GL, Jahn JL, Geller A. Policing sexuality: Sexual minority youth, police contact, and health inequity. SSM Popul Health 2022; 20:101292. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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14
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Austen E, Bonell S, Griffiths S. Fat is feminine: A qualitative study of how weight stigma is constructed among sexual minority men who use Grindr. Body Image 2022; 42:160-172. [PMID: 35738149 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Why is weight stigma so potent among sexual minority men? We propose that sexual minority men may be more vulnerable to weight stigma because of factors not captured by existing measures - for instance, men's perception of fatness as less masculine and/or more feminine. To investigate, we qualitatively examined how 17 sexual minority men (Mage = 28.52, SDage = 1.63, range: 18-49) described fatness in their discussions of body ideals and appearance pressures. We generated two themes: (i) Masculinity is a currency that fat men have less of and (ii) Fatness is stigmatized or fetishized. Participants described appearing masculine (i.e., lean, muscular) as particularly valuable within the gay community - opposingly, fatness was framed as unmasculine and undesirable. Fat men's treatment was understood as rarely divorced from their body size, either being stigmatized or fetishized because of their weight. Finally, being unattracted to fat men was constructed as a personal preference that ought not be criticised. These findings suggest the value of masculinity within the gay community may exacerbate weight stigma experiences and internalization among sexual minority men. Future research should account for the anticipated effects of fatness on men's masculinity and clarify whether sexual preferences and fetishization should be subsumed in weight stigma definitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Austen
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Sarah Bonell
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Scott Griffiths
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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15
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Rinaldi A. I was born this way: New research confirms that a mix of prenatal factors and genetic differences could explain human sexual orientation: New research confirms that a mix of prenatal factors and genetic differences could explain human sexual orientation. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e55290. [PMID: 35575021 PMCID: PMC9171406 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Homosexuality has been a constant throughout human evolution and civilization, and yet, science has been slow to look at the causes of sexual preferences.
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16
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Swift-Gallant A, Coome LA, Monks DA, VanderLaan DP. Recalled Childhood Separation Anxiety Differs by Anal Sex Role among Gay Men. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2022; 59:546-554. [PMID: 33821703 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2021.1903378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Male androphilia (i.e., male sexual attraction to adult males) is considered an evolutionary paradox because it is partially influenced by genes and associated with decreased reproduction. Traits associated with attachment to genetic relatives (i.e., kin) could prompt increased kin-directed altruism, thereby offsetting decreased reproduction by helping kin reproduce. These traits include childhood separation anxiety and adulthood neuroticism, which have been associated with feminine gender expression. In prior research, gay men with a receptive (Bottom or Versatile) anal sex role (ASR) reported greater childhood gender nonconformity (GNC) than those with an insertive (Top) ASR. We examined whether ASR groups also differed on recalled childhood separation anxiety and adulthood neuroticism. The Separation Anxiety Scale-Revised and Big-Five Personality Inventory - short form were completed by 350 gay and 146 heterosexual men. For neuroticism, ASR preference groups differed from heterosexual men but not from one another. Gay men who preferred a Bottom or Versatile ASR reported higher recalled childhood separation anxiety than Tops and heterosexual men. Recalled childhood GNC mediated ASR group differences with heterosexual men on childhood separation anxiety. These results indicate that subgroups of gay men delineated by ASR differ on an evolutionarily relevant developmental trait, childhood separation anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland
| | | | - D Ashley Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga
- Department of Cells and Systems Biology, University of Toronto
| | - Doug P VanderLaan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
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17
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Gómez Jiménez FR, Vasey PL. Facial Attractiveness of the Sisters of Istmo Zapotec Men and Muxes: Implications for the Evolution of Male Androphilia. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2022; 59:354-359. [PMID: 34213985 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2021.1943737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Research shows that the female relatives of androphilic (i.e., sexually attracted to adult males) males have more children than the female relatives of gynephilic (i.e., sexually attracted to adult females) males. The mechanisms by which this occurs are unclear. The hypergyny hypothesis suggests that the female relatives of androphilic males have elevated attractiveness which allows them to obtain male partners with higher socioeconomic status, which in turn, provide them with more resources to produce and sustain multiple offspring. We tested whether the female kin of male androphiles are characterized by elevated attractiveness compared to the female kin of male gynephiles. The research was conducted among the Istmo Zapotec from Oaxaca, Mexico, where androphilic males are recognized as a third gender, muxes. We recruited 115 gynephilic men who rated the facial attractiveness of 27 women with at least one muxe sibling and 27 women with only gynephilic male siblings (i.e., control sisters). The results showed that gynephilic men found the faces of control sisters more attractive than the faces of muxe sisters. This finding is inconsistent with the hypergyny hypothesis and suggests that elevated facial attractiveness is not the mechanism by which the female relatives of androphilic males achieve elevated reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul L Vasey
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge
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18
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Gómez Jiménez FR, Vasey PL. Kin-directed altruism and the evolution of male androphilia among Istmo Zapotec Muxes. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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19
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Sanders AR, Beecham GW, Guo S, Dawood K, Rieger G, Krishnappa RS, Kolundzija AB, Bailey JM, Martin ER. Genome-Wide Linkage and Association Study of Childhood Gender Nonconformity in Males. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:3377-3383. [PMID: 34518958 PMCID: PMC8604823 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Male sexual orientation is influenced by environmental and complex genetic factors. Childhood gender nonconformity (CGN) is one of the strongest correlates of homosexuality with substantial familiality. We studied brothers in families with two or more homosexual brothers (409 concordant sibling pairs in 384 families, as well as their heterosexual brothers), who self-recalled their CGN. To map loci for CGN, we conducted a genome-wide linkage scan (GWLS) using SNP genotypes. The strongest linkage peaks, each with significant or suggestive two-point LOD scores and multipoint LOD score support, were on chromosomes 5q31 (maximum two-point LOD = 4.45), 6q12 (maximum two-point LOD = 3.64), 7q33 (maximum two-point LOD = 3.09), and 8q24 (maximum two-point LOD = 3.67), with the latter not overlapping with previously reported strongest linkage region for male sexual orientation on pericentromeric chromosome 8. Family-based association analyses were used to identify associated variants in the linkage regions, with a cluster of SNPs (minimum association p = 1.3 × 10-8) found at the 5q31 linkage peak. Genome-wide, clusters of multiple SNPs in the 10-6 to 10-8 p-value range were found at chromosomes 5p13, 5q31, 7q32, 8p22, and 10q23, highlighting glutamate-related genes. This is the first reported GWLS and genome-wide association study on CGN. Further increasing genetic knowledge about CGN and its relationships to male sexual orientation should help advance our understanding of the biology of these associated traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, 1001 University Place, Evanston, IL, 60201, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Gary W Beecham
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Shengru Guo
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Khytam Dawood
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Gerulf Rieger
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Ritesha S Krishnappa
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Elmhurst, NY, USA
| | | | - J Michael Bailey
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Eden R Martin
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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20
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Zietsch BP, Sidari MJ, Abdellaoui A, Maier R, Långström N, Guo S, Beecham GW, Martin ER, Sanders AR, Verweij KJH. Genomic evidence consistent with antagonistic pleiotropy may help explain the evolutionary maintenance of same-sex sexual behaviour in humans. Nat Hum Behav 2021; 5:1251-1258. [PMID: 34426668 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01168-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Human same-sex sexual behaviour (SSB) is heritable, confers no immediately obvious direct reproductive or survival benefit and can divert mating effort from reproductive opportunities. This presents a Darwinian paradox: why has SSB been maintained despite apparent selection against it? We show that genetic effects associated with SSB may, in individuals who only engage in opposite-sex sexual behaviour (OSB individuals), confer a mating advantage. Using results from a recent genome-wide association study of SSB and a new genome-wide association study on number of opposite-sex sexual partners in 358,426 individuals, we show that, among OSB individuals, genetic effects associated with SSB are associated with having more opposite-sex sexual partners. Computer simulations suggest that such a mating advantage for alleles associated with SSB could help explain how it has been evolutionarily maintained. Caveats include the cultural specificity of our UK and US samples, the societal regulation of sexual behaviour in these populations, the difficulty of measuring mating success and the fact that measured variants capture a minority of the total genetic variation in the traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan P Zietsch
- Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Morgan J Sidari
- Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Abdel Abdellaoui
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Maier
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Niklas Långström
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shengru Guo
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Gary W Beecham
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Eden R Martin
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alan R Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Karin J H Verweij
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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21
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O'Reilly LM, Pettersson E, Donahue K, Quinn PD, Klonsky ED, Lundström S, Larsson H, Lichtenstein P, D'Onofrio BM. Sexual orientation and adolescent suicide attempt and self-harm: a co-twin control study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:834-841. [PMID: 32924137 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research has demonstrated that individuals who identify as a sexual minority (e.g., gay/lesbian, bisexual) are at increased risk for suicidality-related outcomes. However, previous research is primarily limited by the lack of adjustment for unmeasured (i.e., genetic and environmental) confounding factors and previous psychopathology. METHODS Using the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden, we employed a co-twin control design to examine the extent to which the association between sexual orientation and adolescent suicide attempt and self-harm (SA/SH) was independent of genetic and environmental factors shared by twins, as well as measured symptoms of childhood psychopathology. RESULTS Adolescents who identified as a sexual minority (i.e., gay/lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientation) were at two-fold increased odds for SA/SH (OR, 2.01 [95% confidence interval, 1.63-2.49) compared to heterosexual adolescents. When adjusting for all genetic and shared environmental factors that make twins similar and for measured childhood psychopathology, the association remained positive but attenuated to OR, 1.55 (1.11-2.16). CONCLUSIONS Identifying as a sexual minority was associated with approximately 50% increased odds of SA/SH in adolescence after adjusting for unmeasured genetic and environmental factors shared by twins and for childhood psychopathology. The results support that environmental factors specifically associated with identifying as a sexual minority likely increase risk for SA/SH. Our findings highlight the need to monitor suicidality risk among this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M O'Reilly
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Erik Pettersson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kelly Donahue
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Patrick D Quinn
- Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - E David Klonsky
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sebastian Lundström
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Henrik Larsson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brian M D'Onofrio
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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22
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Abé C, Lebedev A, Zhang R, Jonsson L, Bergen SE, Ingvar M, Landén M, Rahman Q. Cross-sex shifts in two brain imaging phenotypes and their relation to polygenic scores for same-sex sexual behavior: A study of 18,645 individuals from the UK Biobank. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:2292-2304. [PMID: 33635603 PMCID: PMC8046142 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic and hormonal factors have been suggested to influence human sexual orientation. Previous studied proposed brain differences related to sexual orientation and that these follow cross-sex shifted patterns. However, the neurobiological correlates of sexual orientation and how genetic factors relate to brain structural variation remains largely unexplored. Using the largest neuroimaging-genetics dataset available on same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) (n = 18,645), we employed a data-driven multivariate classification algorithm (PLS) on magnetic resonance imaging data from two imaging modalities to extract brain covariance patterns related to sex. Through analyses of latent variables, we tested for SSB-related cross-sex shifts in such patterns. Using genotype data, polygenic scores reflecting the genetic predisposition for SSB were computed and tested for associations with neuroimaging outcomes. Patterns important for classifying between males and females were less pronounced in non-heterosexuals. Predominantly in non-heterosexual females, multivariate brain patterns as represented by latent variables were shifted toward the opposite sex. Complementary univariate analyses revealed region specific SSB-related differences in both males and females. Polygenic scores for SSB were associated with volume of lateral occipital and temporo-occipital cortices. The present large-scale study demonstrates multivariate neuroanatomical correlates of SSB, and tentatively suggests that genetic factors related to SSB may contribute to structural variation in certain brain structures. These findings support a neurobiological basis to the differences in human sexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Abé
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Lebedev
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ruyue Zhang
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lina Jonsson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sarah E Bergen
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingvar
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Landén
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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23
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Skorska MN, Coome LA, Zahran A, Peragine DE, VanderLaan DP. Facial Attractiveness of Sisters of Thai Gay Men and Sao Praphet Song. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2021; 58:116-121. [PMID: 32239969 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2020.1742858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Androphilia refers to sexual attraction toward adult males. Androphilic males' female genetic relatives might offset the fitness cost of androphilia by having elevated numbers of offspring. Increased attractiveness relative to other women may enable these females to marry up the social hierarchy, providing greater access to resources to support more offspring. In Thailand, there is a marked status hierarchy and male androphiles are highly visible - identifying as gay men or as a third gender known as sao praphet song. Thus, a field experiment was conducted in which 208 heterosexual men rated the facial attractiveness of 25 sisters of Thai gay men or sao praphet song and 25 comparison women with no known same-sex attracted relatives. Contrary to the prediction, the comparison group was rated as more attractive than the sisters, casting doubt on hypotheses that posit greater attractiveness of female relatives of male androphiles as a proximate mechanism facilitating the evolutionary maintenance of genes influencing male androphilia. Also, men from rural areas rated the women, regardless of group, as more attractive than men from urban areas, consistent with some prior studies showing rural-urban differences in perceptions of attractiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adhm Zahran
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga
| | | | - Doug P VanderLaan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
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24
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Abstract
Technology is giving rise to artificial erotic agents, which we call erobots (erôs + bot). Erobots, such as virtual or augmented partners, erotic chatbots, and sex robots, increasingly expose humans to the possibility of intimacy and sexuality with artificial agents. Their advent has sparked academic and public debates: some denounce their risks (e.g., promotion of harmful sociosexual norms), while others defend their potential benefits (e.g., health, education, and research applications). Yet, the scientific study of human-machine erotic interaction is limited; no comprehensive theoretical models have been proposed and the empirical literature remains scarce. The current research programs investigating erotic technologies tend to focus on the risks and benefits of erobots, rather than providing solutions to resolve the former and enhance the latter. Moreover, we feel that these programs underestimate how humans and machines unpredictably interact and co-evolve, as well as the influence of sociocultural processes on technological development and meaning attribution. To comprehensively explore human-machine erotic interaction and co-evolution, we argue that we need a new unified transdisciplinary field of research-grounded in sexuality and technology positive frameworks-focusing on human-erobot interaction and co-evolution as well as guiding the development of beneficial erotic machines. We call this field Erobotics. As a first contribution to this new discipline, this article defines Erobotics and its related concepts; proposes a model of human-erobot interaction and co-evolution; and suggests a path to design beneficial erotic machines that could mitigate risks and enhance human well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Dubé
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Dave Anctil
- Department of Philosophy, Jean-de-Brebeuf College, Montreal, QC Canada
- Observatoire sur les Impacts Sociétaux de l’Intelligence Artificielle et du Numérique, Laval University, Québec, QC Canada
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25
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Balthazart J. Sexual partner preference in animals and humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:34-47. [PMID: 32450091 PMCID: PMC7484171 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in brain and behavior of animals including humans result from an interaction between biological and environmental influences. This is also true for the differences between men and women concerning sexual orientation. Sexual differentiation is mediated by three groups of biological mechanisms: early actions of sex steroids, more direct actions of sex-specific genes not mediated by gonadal sex steroids and epigenetic mechanisms. Differential interactions with parents and conspecifics have additionally long-term influences on behavior. This presentation reviews available evidence indicating that these different mechanisms play a significant role in the control of sexual partner preference in animals and humans, in other words the homosexual versus heterosexual orientation. Clinical and epidemiological studies of phenotypically selected populations indicate that early actions of hormones and genetic factors clearly contribute to the determination of sexual orientation. The maternal embryonic environment also modifies the incidence of male homosexuality via immunological mechanisms. The relative contribution of each of these mechanisms remains however to be determined.
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26
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Collado ZC, Arpon AT. Sexual intimacies in displaced environment. SEXUAL AND RELATIONSHIP THERAPY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/14681994.2020.1778166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zaldy C. Collado
- Behavioral Science Department, De La Salle University - Manila, Philippines
| | - Alessandra T. Arpon
- Psychology Department and Counseling and Educational Psychology Department, De La Salle University - Manila, Philippines
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27
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Gómez Jiménez FR, Semenyna SW, Vasey PL. Offspring Production Among the Relatives of Istmo Zapotec Men and Muxes. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2020; 49:581-594. [PMID: 31897830 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-01611-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Male androphilia (i.e., sexual attraction toward adult males) is influenced by biological factors, reliably occurs across diverse cultures, and has persisted over evolutionary time despite the fact that it reduces reproduction. One possible solution to this evolutionary paradox is the sexually antagonistic gene hypothesis (SAGH), which states that genes associated with male androphilia reduce reproduction when present in males but increase reproduction when present in their female relatives. The present study tested the SAGH among the Istmo Zapotec-a non-Euro-American culture in Oaxaca, Mexico, where transgender and cisgender androphilic males are known as muxe gunaa and muxe nguiiu, respectively. To test the SAGH, we compared offspring production by the biological relatives of muxe gunaa (n = 115), muxe nguiiu (n = 112), and gynephilic men (i.e., cisgender males who are sexually attracted to adult females; n = 171). The mothers and paternal aunts of muxe gunaa had higher offspring production than those of muxe nguiiu. Additionally, the relatives of muxe gunaa had more offspring than those of gynephilic men, whereas no such differences were found between the families of gynephilic men and muxe nguiiu. Elevated reproduction by the mothers and, particularly the aunts, of muxe gunaa is consistent with the SAGH. However, the absence of group differences between gynephilic men and muxe nguiiu, and the group differences between the two types of muxes are not predicted by the SAGH. This is the first study to demonstrate reproductive differences between kin of transgender and cisgender androphilic males within the same non-Euro-American culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco R Gómez Jiménez
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Scott W Semenyna
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Paul L Vasey
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
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28
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Wang Y, Wu H, Sun ZS. The biological basis of sexual orientation: How hormonal, genetic, and environmental factors influence to whom we are sexually attracted. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100798. [PMID: 31593707 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Humans develop relatively stable attractions to sexual partners during maturation and present a spectrum of sexual orientation from homosexuality to heterosexuality encompassing varying degrees of bisexuality, with some individuals also displaying asexuality. Sexual orientation represents a basic life phenomenon for humans. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these diverse traits of sexual orientation remain highly controversial. In this review, we systematically discuss recent advancements in sexual orientation research, including those related to measurements and associated brain regions. Current findings regarding sexual orientation modulation by hormonal, genetic, maternal immune system, and environmental factors are summarized in both human and model systems. We also emphasize that future studies should recognize the differences between males and females and pay more attention to minor traits and the epigenetic regulation of sexual orientation. A comprehensive view of sexual orientation may promote our understanding of the biological basis of sex, and that of human reproduction, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Haoda Wu
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Sino-Danish College, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zhong Sheng Sun
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Sino-Danish College, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
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29
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Nila S, Crochet PA, Barthes J, Rianti P, Juliandi B, Suryobroto B, Raymond M. Male Homosexual Preference: Femininity and the Older Brother Effect in Indonesia. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 17:1474704919880701. [PMID: 31742436 PMCID: PMC10358421 DOI: 10.1177/1474704919880701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Male homosexual preference (MHP) is an evolutionary enigma because it is partially heritable and imposes a fertility cost. In occidental societies, homosexual men are feminized at various levels and they have more older brothers than heterosexual men. To evaluate whether femininity and the fraternal birth order (FBO) effect are universal features of MHP or not, we collected original data from homosexual men, heterosexual men, and heterosexual women from Java (Indonesia). Facial photographs were used to test whether homosexual faces are feminized when compared with heterosexual ones. We found that faces manipulated to resemble the average face of homosexual men are perceived as facially feminized, suggesting that homosexual men are facially feminized compared to heterosexual men, although a higher facial femininity was not captured by morphological analyses. Then, family data were used to detect differences in siblings' composition between homosexuals and heterosexuals. Homosexual men displayed a higher number of older brothers than heterosexual men, even when sibship size was controlled for, suggesting that the FBO effect exists in Indonesian populations. Independent of sexual orientation, men with older brothers seem more feminized than those without older brothers, consistent with the immune origin of the FBO effect. In conclusion, MHP in Indonesia is partially feminized and they have more older brothers. Such features are also associated with MHP in other cultural contexts, suggesting a cross-cultural effect of men homosexual preference. An evolutionary explanation is available for the feminizing effect, although the FBO effect remains unexplained even if proximal mechanisms start to be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nila
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University (Bogor Agricultural University), Indonesia
| | - Pierre-Andre Crochet
- CEFE, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, France
| | - Julien Barthes
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, France
| | - Puji Rianti
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University (Bogor Agricultural University), Indonesia
| | - Berry Juliandi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University (Bogor Agricultural University), Indonesia
| | - Bambang Suryobroto
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University (Bogor Agricultural University), Indonesia
| | - Michel Raymond
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, France
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30
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Ganna A, Verweij KJH, Nivard MG, Maier R, Wedow R, Busch AS, Abdellaoui A, Guo S, Sathirapongsasuti JF, Lichtenstein P, Lundström S, Långström N, Auton A, Harris KM, Beecham GW, Martin ER, Sanders AR, Perry JRB, Neale BM, Zietsch BP. Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior. Science 2019; 365:eaat7693. [PMID: 31467194 PMCID: PMC7082777 DOI: 10.1126/science.aat7693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly genetically influenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealing five loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual's sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for the proportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexuals suggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior. Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexual behavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ganna
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin J H Verweij
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 5, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michel G Nivard
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Robert Maier
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Robbee Wedow
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Sociology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0483, USA
- Health and Society Program and Population Program, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0483, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0483, USA
| | - Alexander S Busch
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Abdel Abdellaoui
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 5, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Shengru Guo
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | | | - Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Lundström
- Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health, Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Niklas Långström
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Kathleen Mullan Harris
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
- Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Gary W Beecham
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Eden R Martin
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Alan R Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - John R B Perry
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Benjamin M Neale
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brendan P Zietsch
- Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda C. Mills
- Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, 42 Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1JD, UK
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Xu Y, Norton S, Rahman Q. A longitudinal birth cohort study of early life conditions, psychosocial factors, and emerging adolescent sexual orientation. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 62:5-20. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Sam Norton
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
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Luoto S, Krams I, Rantala MJ. A Life History Approach to the Female Sexual Orientation Spectrum: Evolution, Development, Causal Mechanisms, and Health. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:1273-1308. [PMID: 30229521 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1261-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Women's capacity for sexual fluidity is at least as interesting a phenomenon from the point of view of evolutionary biology and behavioral endocrinology as exclusively homosexual orientation. Evolutionary hypotheses for female nonheterosexuality have failed to fully account for the existence of these different categories of nonheterosexual women, while also overlooking broader data on the causal mechanisms, physiology, ontogeny, and phylogeny of female nonheterosexuality. We review the evolutionary-developmental origins of various phenotypes in the female sexual orientation spectrum using the synergistic approach of Tinbergen's four questions. We also present femme-specific and butch-specific hypotheses at proximate and ultimate levels of analysis. This review article indicates that various nonheterosexual female phenotypes emerge from and contribute to hormonally mediated fast life history strategies. Life history theory provides a biobehavioral explanatory framework for nonheterosexual women's masculinized body morphology, psychological dispositions, and their elevated likelihood of experiencing violence, substance use, obesity, teenage pregnancy, and lower general health. This pattern of life outcomes can create a feedback loop of environmental unpredictability and harshness which destabilizes intrauterine hormonal conditions in mothers, leading to a greater likelihood of fast life history strategies, global health problems, and nonheterosexual preferences in female offspring. We further explore the potential of female nonheterosexuality to function as an alloparental buffer that enables masculinizing alleles to execute their characteristic fast life history strategies as they appear in the female and the male phenotype. Synthesizing life history theory with the female sexual orientation spectrum enriches existing scientific knowledge on the evolutionary-developmental mechanisms of human sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Arts 1, Building 206, Room 616, 14A Symonds St., Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology & Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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34
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Gartrell N, Bos H, Koh A. Sexual Attraction, Sexual Identity, and Same-Sex Sexual Experiences of Adult Offspring in the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:1495-1503. [PMID: 30888553 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-1434-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study has followed offspring with sexual minority parents from conception into adulthood. It was initiated in 1986, and it has a 92% retention rate to date. In the current investigation, the 25-year-old offspring answered questions about sexual attraction, sexual identity, and sexual experiences; their responses were compared with those of same-age adults from a population-based survey. The analytic samples consisted of 76 offspring of lesbian parents and 76 demographically matched participants from the National Survey of Family Growth. All 152 respondents were 25 years old, 48.7% were female, 90.8% identified as White, 9.2% were people of color, and all had attended at least some college. Although most respondents in each sample identified as "heterosexual or straight," compared to their matched counterparts in the population-based survey, the female and male offspring of lesbian parents were significantly more to likely to report same-sex attraction, sexual minority identity, and same-sex experience. These findings suggest that adult offspring from planned lesbian families may be more likely than their peers to demonstrate diversity in sexual attraction, identity, and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanette Gartrell
- Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, 337 Charles E. Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Henny Bos
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Audrey Koh
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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35
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Swift-Gallant A, Coome LA, Aitken M, Monks DA, VanderLaan DP. Evidence for distinct biodevelopmental influences on male sexual orientation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12787-12792. [PMID: 31182568 PMCID: PMC6600923 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809920116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Several biological mechanisms have been proposed to influence male sexual orientation, but the extent to which these mechanisms cooccur is unclear. Putative markers of biological processes are often used to evaluate the biological basis of male sexual orientation, including fraternal birth order, handedness, and familiality of same-sex sexual orientation; these biomarkers are proxies for immunological, endocrine, and genetic mechanisms. Here, we used latent profile analysis (LPA) to assess whether these biomarkers cluster within the same individuals or are present in different subgroups of nonheterosexual men. LPA defined four profiles of men based on these biomarkers: 1) A subgroup who did not have these biomarkers, 2) fraternal birth order, 3) handedness, and 4) familiality. While the majority of both heterosexual and nonheterosexual men were grouped in the profile that did not have any biomarker, the three profiles associated with a biomarker were composed primarily of nonheterosexual men. We then evaluated whether these subgroups differed on measures of gender nonconformity and personality that reliably show male sexual orientation differences. The subgroup without biomarkers was the most gender-conforming whereas the fraternal birth order subgroup was the most female-typical and agreeable, compared with the other profiles. Together, these findings suggest there are multiple distinct biodevelopmental pathways influencing same-sex sexual orientation in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada;
| | - Lindsay A Coome
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Madison Aitken
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Child, Youth, and Emerging Adult Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - D Ashley Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Doug P VanderLaan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada;
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
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36
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Nila S, Barthes J, Crochet PA, Suryobroto B, Raymond M. Kin Selection and Male Homosexual Preference in Indonesia. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2018; 47:2455-2465. [PMID: 29797146 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1202-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Male homosexual preference (MHP) challenges evolutionary thinking because the preference for male-male relationships is heritable, implies a fertility cost (lower offspring number), and is relatively frequent in some societies (2-6% in Western countries) for a costly trait. It has been proposed that individuals with a MHP counterbalance reproductive costs through the transfer of resources to kin, thereby improving their indirect reproduction through kin's reproductive success. This kin selection hypothesis is not supported in Western countries and Japan, although consistent evidence has been obtained in Samoa. In this study, data from Java (Indonesia) were obtained to assess the avuncular tendencies of men with contrasting sexual orientation to measure possible resource transfer. Consistent with the kin selection hypothesis, males with a homosexual orientation reported an increased willingness to transfer resources toward nephews and nieces and declared having transferred more money to nephews and nieces. We developed a method to quantitatively estimate the contribution of kin selection on inclusive reproduction associated to sexual orientation, taking into account various possible biases. Kin selection reduced the direct reproductive cost of homosexual men by 20%, so suggesting that kin selection alone is insufficient to explain the maintenance of male homosexuality. Other potential factors are discussed, as well as the limitations of the study and the social determinant operating for the expression of increased avuncular tendencies of homosexual men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nila
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Julien Barthes
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences, CC065 Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Pierre-Andre Crochet
- CEFE, CNRS, Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Bambang Suryobroto
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Michel Raymond
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences, CC065 Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier Cedex 05, France.
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Willoughby EA, Love AC, McGue M, Iacono WG, Quigley J, Lee JJ. Free Will, Determinism, and Intuitive Judgments About the Heritability of Behavior. Behav Genet 2018; 49:136-153. [PMID: 30315376 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-018-9931-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The fact that genes and environment contribute differentially to variation in human behaviors, traits and attitudes is central to the field of behavior genetics. Perceptions about these differential contributions may affect ideas about human agency. We surveyed two independent samples (N = 301 and N = 740) to assess beliefs about free will, determinism, political orientation, and the relative contribution of genes and environment to 21 human traits. We find that lay estimates of genetic influence on these traits cluster into four distinct groups, which differentially predict beliefs about human agency, political orientation, and religiosity. Despite apparent ideological associations with these beliefs, the correspondence between mean lay estimates and published heritability estimates for the surveyed traits is large (r = .77). Belief in genetic determinism emerges as a modest predictor of accuracy in these lay estimates. Additionally, educated mothers with multiple children emerge as particularly accurate in their estimates of the genetic contribution to these traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Willoughby
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 75 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Alan C Love
- Department of Philosophy, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Matt McGue
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 75 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - William G Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 75 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Jack Quigley
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 75 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - James J Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 75 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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39
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Abé C, Rahman Q, Långström N, Rydén E, Ingvar M, Landén M. Cortical brain structure and sexual orientation in adult females with bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e00998. [PMID: 29845776 PMCID: PMC6043709 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonheterosexual individuals have higher risk of psychiatric morbidity. Together with growing evidence for sexual orientation-related brain differences, this raises the concern that sexual orientation may be an important factor to control for in neuroimaging studies of neuropsychiatric disorders. METHODS We studied sexual orientation in adult psychiatric patients with bipolar disorder (BD) or ADHD in a large clinical cohort (N = 154). We compared cortical brain structure in exclusively heterosexual women (HEW, n = 29) with that of nonexclusively heterosexual women (nHEW, n = 37) using surface-based reconstruction techniques provided by FreeSurfer. RESULTS The prevalence of nonheterosexual sexual orientation was tentatively higher than reported in general population samples. Consistent with previously reported cross-sex shifted brain patterns among homosexual individuals, nHEW patients showed significantly larger cortical volumes than HEW in medial occipital brain regions. CONCLUSION We found evidence for a sex-reversed difference in cortical volume among nonheterosexual female patients, which provides insights into the neurobiology of sexual orientation, and may provide the first clues toward a better neurobiological understanding of the association between sexual orientation and mental health. We also suggest that sexual orientation is an important factor to consider in future neuroimaging studies of populations with certain mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Abé
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Niklas Långström
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eleonore Rydén
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingvar
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Landén
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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40
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Roselli CE. Neurobiology of gender identity and sexual orientation. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12562. [PMID: 29211317 PMCID: PMC6677266 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sexual identity and sexual orientation are independent components of a person's sexual identity. These dimensions are most often in harmony with each other and with an individual's genital sex, although not always. The present review discusses the relationship of sexual identity and sexual orientation to prenatal factors that act to shape the development of the brain and the expression of sexual behaviours in animals and humans. One major influence discussed relates to organisational effects that the early hormone environment exerts on both gender identity and sexual orientation. Evidence that gender identity and sexual orientation are masculinised by prenatal exposure to testosterone and feminised in it absence is drawn from basic research in animals, correlations of biometric indices of androgen exposure and studies of clinical conditions associated with disorders in sexual development. There are, however, important exceptions to this theory that have yet to be resolved. Family and twin studies indicate that genes play a role, although no specific candidate genes have been identified. Evidence that relates to the number of older brothers implicates maternal immune responses as a contributing factor for male sexual orientation. It remains speculative how these influences might relate to each other and interact with postnatal socialisation. Nonetheless, despite the many challenges to research in this area, existing empirical evidence makes it clear that there is a significant biological contribution to the development of an individual's sexual identity and sexual orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Roselli
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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41
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Gómez FR, Semenyna SW, Court L, Vasey PL. Familial patterning and prevalence of male androphilia among Istmo Zapotec men and muxes. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192683. [PMID: 29466410 PMCID: PMC5821324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Male androphilia (i.e., male sexual attraction to other adult males) is known to cluster within families. Some studies demonstrate that male androphilia clusters in both the paternal and maternal familial lines, whereas other studies demonstrated that it clusters only in the latter. Most of these studies were conducted in Euro-American populations where fertility is low and the sexual orientation of male relatives can sometimes be difficult to ascertain. These two factors can potentially confound the results of such studies. To address these limitations, we examined the familial patterning of male androphilia among the Istmo Zapotec of Oaxaca, Mexico--a high fertility, non-Euro-American population where androphilic males are known locally as muxes, a third gender category. The Istmo Zapotec recognize two types of muxes--muxe gunaa and muxe nguiiu--who typify the transgender and cisgender forms of male androphilia, respectively. We compared the familial patterning of male androphilia between muxe gunaa and muxe nguiiu, as well as between gynephilic men and muxes (both cisgender and transgender forms combined). Istmo Zapotec muxe gunaa and muxe nguiiu exhibit similar familial patterning of male androphilia. Overall, muxes were characterized by significantly more muxe relatives than gynephilic men. This familial patterning was equivalent in both the paternal and maternal lines of muxes. The population prevalence rate of male androphilia was estimated to fall between 3.37-6.02% in the Istmo Zapotec. This is the first study that has compared cisgender and transgender androphilic males from the same high fertility population and demonstrated that the two do not differ with respect to the familial patterning of male androphilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco R. Gómez
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Scott W. Semenyna
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lucas Court
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Paul L. Vasey
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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42
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Gavrilets S, Friberg U, Rice WR. Understanding Homosexuality: Moving on from Patterns to Mechanisms. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2018; 47:27-31. [PMID: 28986707 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-017-1092-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Gavrilets
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Department of Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - Urban Friberg
- IFM Biology, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
| | - William R Rice
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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43
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Gaziano C. Adult attachment style and beliefs about public affairs and scientific issues. COGENT PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2017.1279423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilie Gaziano
- Research Solutions, Inc., 4511 Fremont Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55419-4744, USA
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44
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Sanders AR, Beecham GW, Guo S, Dawood K, Rieger G, Badner JA, Gershon ES, Krishnappa RS, Kolundzija AB, Duan J, Gejman PV, Bailey JM, Martin ER. Genome-Wide Association Study of Male Sexual Orientation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16950. [PMID: 29217827 PMCID: PMC5721098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15736-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Family and twin studies suggest that genes play a role in male sexual orientation. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of male sexual orientation on a primarily European ancestry sample of 1,077 homosexual men and 1,231 heterosexual men using Affymetrix single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays. We identified several SNPs with p < 10-5, including regions of multiple supporting SNPs on chromosomes 13 (minimum p = 7.5 × 10-7) and 14 (p = 4.7 × 10-7). The genes nearest to these peaks have functions plausibly relevant to the development of sexual orientation. On chromosome 13, SLITRK6 is a neurodevelopmental gene mostly expressed in the diencephalon, which contains a region previously reported as differing in size in men by sexual orientation. On chromosome 14, TSHR genetic variants in intron 1 could conceivably help explain past findings relating familial atypical thyroid function and male homosexuality. Furthermore, skewed X chromosome inactivation has been found in the thyroid condition, Graves' disease, as well as in mothers of homosexual men. On pericentromeric chromosome 8 within our previously reported linkage peak, we found support (p = 4.1 × 10-3) for a SNP association previously reported (rs77013977, p = 7.1 × 10-8), with the combined analysis yielding p = 6.7 × 10-9, i.e., a genome-wide significant association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, Illinois, 60201, United States of America.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States of America.
| | - Gary W Beecham
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, 33136, United States of America
| | - Shengru Guo
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, 33136, United States of America
| | - Khytam Dawood
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, United States of America
| | - Gerulf Rieger
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, England, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Judith A Badner
- Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States of America
| | - Elliot S Gershon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States of America
| | - Ritesha S Krishnappa
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Elmhurst, New York, 11373, United States of America
| | - Alana B Kolundzija
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, United States of America
| | - Jubao Duan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, Illinois, 60201, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States of America
| | - Pablo V Gejman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, Illinois, 60201, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States of America
| | - J Michael Bailey
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 60208, United States of America
| | - Eden R Martin
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, 33136, United States of America
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Camperio Ciani A, Battaglia U, Cesare L, Camperio Ciani G, Capiluppi C. Possible Balancing Selection in Human Female Homosexuality. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2017; 29:14-32. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-017-9309-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Twin Research and the Arts: Interconnections / Twin Research: Twin Studies of Sexual Orientation; A Historical Biological Twin Gem; GWAS Approach to Who Has Twins / Newsworthy: Twins on College Campuses; 'Brainprint': Personal Identification by Brain Waves. Twin Res Hum Genet 2017; 19:397-401. [PMID: 27436054 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2016.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The interrelatedness between twin research and the arts is explored via a new play about a famous case. In the 1960s, identical twin David Bruce Reimer was accidentally castrated as an infant during circumcision to correct a urinary problem. The decision to raise him as a girl, and the consequences of that decision, are explored in the new theatrical production of Boy. Other examples of the arts mirroring science, and vice versa, are described. Next, brief reviews and summaries of twin research on sexual orientation, 1860s' knowledge of placental arrangements and twinning mechanisms, and genes underlying multiple birth conception and fertility related measures are provided. This article concludes with a look at twins on college campuses and the identification of individuals by their brain waves. A correction and clarification regarding my article on the Brazilian Twin Registry in the last issue of THG (Segal, 2016) is also provided.
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Need for Alloparental Care and Attitudes Toward Homosexuals in 58 Countries: Implications for the Kin Selection Hypothesis. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-017-0105-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Intelligence, competitive altruism, and "clever silliness" may underlie bias in academe. Behav Brain Sci 2017; 40:e9. [PMID: 28327219 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x15002368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Why is social bias and its depressing effects on low-status or low-performing groups exaggerated? We show that the higher intelligence of academics has at best a very weak effect on reducing their bias, facilitates superficially justifying their biases, and may make them better at understanding the benefits of social conformity in general and competitive altruism specifically. We foresee a surge in research examining these mechanisms and recommend, meanwhile, reviving and better observing scientific ideals.
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Skorska MN, Bogaert AF. Pubertal Stress and Nutrition and their Association with Sexual Orientation and Height in the Add Health Data. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2017; 46:217-236. [PMID: 27511207 PMCID: PMC5925759 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0800-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
A number of studies have indicated that gay men tend to be shorter, on average, than heterosexual men. Less evidence exists that lesbian women are taller, on average, than heterosexual women. The most popular explanation of the association between sexual orientation and height involves prenatal factors, such that, for example, gay men may have been exposed to lower than typical androgens during fetal development, which impacts their height and sexual orientation as adults. An alternative explanation involves stress, given that stress has been associated with sexual minority identification and with lower height. Another alternative explanation involves nutrition, although its relationship is less clear with sexual minority identification. Using the Add Health data, which is a large, nationally representative and longitudinal sample of American adolescents (n = 14,786), we tested a mediation model, such that sexual orientation → pubertal stress/nutrition → height. Within men, we found that gay men (n = 126) were shorter, on average, than heterosexual men (n = 6412). None of the 24 pubertal stress-related and 15 pubertal nutrition-related variables assessed in the Add Health data mediated the relationship between sexual orientation and height in men. Within women, lesbians (n = 75) did not differ significantly in stature compared to heterosexual women (n = 6267). Thus, prenatal mechanisms (e.g., hormones, maternal immune response) are likely better candidates for explaining the height difference between gay men and heterosexual men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malvina N Skorska
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Anthony F Bogaert
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
- Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
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Skorska MN, Bogaert AF. Sexual Orientation, Objective Height, and Self-Reported Height. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2017; 54:19-32. [PMID: 26813611 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2015.1124831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Studies that have used mostly self-reported height have found that androphilic men and women are shorter than gynephilic men and women, respectively. This study examined whether an objective height difference exists or whether a psychosocial account (e.g., distortion of self-reports) may explain these putative height differences. A total of 863 participants, recruited at a Canadian university, the surrounding region, and through lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) events across Canada, self-reported their height and had their height measured. Androphilic men were shorter, on average, than gynephilic men. There was no objective height difference between gynephilic, ambiphilic, and androphilic women. Self-reported height, statistically controlling for objective height, was not related to sexual orientation. These findings are the first to show an objective height difference between androphilic and gynephilic men. Also, the findings suggest that previous studies using self-reported height found part of a true objective height difference between androphilic and gynephilic men. These findings have implications for existing biological theories of men's sexual orientation development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony F Bogaert
- b Department of Psychology and Department of Health Sciences , Brock University
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