The brain is the central element of mental processes and abilities thinking, judgment, intelligence, and memory. There is current evidence of the existence of sexual differentiation of the human brain which led to many structural and functional brain differences. Swaab’s research found that the anterior commissure of hypothalamus of homosexual men is larger than that of heterosexual men. (Swaab, 2007) This structure connects the left and right temporal cortex and is involved in sexual differentiation of cognitive abilities and language. There are brain’s structures differences that demonstrate how homosexual subjects cognitive abilities differ from heterosexual. It appears that there is a possible relationship between particular cognitive abilities and sexual orientation but their more observable with men than women. Homosexual men performances on verbal and spatial abilities are similar to women performances.
The Role of Environmental Factors in Homosexual Orientation (Puseletso Mahamotsa: …show more content…
However the findings from the above research tend to suggest the most significant are environmental and biological factors. Cognitive factors are dependent on both of them. Cognitive abilities are influenced by brain size and structures (biological factors) and environment factors such as family, school and peers.
Biological and environmental factors both play complex role in sexual orientation. How significantly each of them influence sexual orientation is not distinctly defined. Biology predispositions cannot only determine homosexuality it needs to be reinforced by favourable environmental conditions such as sexual abuse, peer abuse and so on. Environment factors or experiences also cannot determine a person’s sexual orientation without being associated with some biological predispositions, environment determines when those biological predispositions will manifest (Bryd, 2010). As intelligence and other abilities, homosexuality needs interaction of both biology and environment to