Preview

factors that account for sexual orientation

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
783 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
factors that account for sexual orientation
QUESTION: DISUSS THE FACTORS THAT ACCCOUNT FOR SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH RELEVANT REFERENCES.
LECTURER: DR S ATINDANBILA

Factors That Account For Sexual Orientation In Individuals Sexual orientation refers to one’s degree of emotional and erotic attraction to members of the same or opposite gender. Those who are erotically attracted to members of the opposite sex are heterosexuals while those who are erotically attracted to members of the same sex are homosexuals, and bisexual (having emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to both men and women). The main objective of this essay is to identify the factors that account for sexual orientation.
Dr Qazi Rahman, study co-author and a leading scientist on human sexual orientation, explains: "This study puts cold water on any concerns that we are looking for a single 'gay gene ' or a single environmental variable which could be used to 'select out ' homosexuality - the factors which influence sexual orientation are complex. And we are not simply talking about homosexuality here - heterosexual behavior is also influenced by a mixture of genetic and environmental factors.
According to Mamor 1985; it is a combination of many factors like genetic, biological, social and psychological factors that combine to produce one’s sexual orientation. Let us now discuss the possible reasons for that account for sexual orientation.
First, there may be genetic foundations for homosexuality. Psychologist, J. Michael Bailey and Richard C. Pillard, for example, discovered that 52% of the identical twins of male homosexuals were also homosexual, compared to only 22% of non-identical twins. Likewise, they found that if one identical twin is lesbian, in almost 50% of the cases studied, the other twin is lesbian as well, in comparison to 16% of the non-identical twins.
Second, reports of the analysis of data from over two million men and women



References: 1. American Psychological Association. (2008). Answers to your questions: For a better understanding of sexual orientation and homosexuality. Washington, DC: Author. [Retrieved from www.apa.org/topics/sorientation.pdf 2. -same-sex-attraction www.samesexattraction.org/What-causes.htm 3. www.lifesitenews.com 4. www.medicalnewstoday.com

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Many areas of science resolve the issue of homosexuality as a sexual ethics dilemma by analysing the causes of homosexuality. Sigmund Freud claimed that homosexuality is a personality disorder resulting from a person’s failure to deal with repressed issues of sexuality from infancy and to develop fully into mature sexuality. He claimed that the causes of homosexuality simply trace back to the relationship between a child and their parents. Many researchers believe that homosexuality may be the result of an imbalance of the hormones or a genetic disorder. Both these arguments go some way to solving this dilemma as both conclusions suggest that homosexuality is not a moral choice and cannot be prevented or supressed.…

    • 1143 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Simon Levay

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation, author and neuroscientist Simon LeVay examines a plethora of research done by scientists across the globe who’re trying to unlock the puzzle of sexual orientation. Although most people are attracted to the opposite sex, a minority of people are attracted to the same (or both) sexes. Why? For over a century, psychologists, biologists, and sociologists have been examining this phenomenon. After pouring over all the data currently available, and conducting intensive research of his own, LeVay’s conclusion on the origin of sexual orientation closely matches my own; non-heterosexual orientations are caused mainly by biological factors.…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Biological theorists believe nature is what causes homosexuality. Although, many theorists have carried out investigations into linking homosexuality to an individual’s psychological development or an illness. Karen Hooker a biological theorist did her first experiment in 1957, she explored both heterosexual and homosexual individuals from the same age group and IQ levels. However, she could not prove that homosexuality is caused because of psychological development or an illness leaving her with no correlation.…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    There has been a drastic change in the way people, scientists especially, view homosexuality. German neuroendocrinologist Günter Dörner’s attitude towards homosexuality, for example, changed from seeing it as being “a mental disorder with a biological cause” to a cluster of traits with a “natural non-pathological nature.”(5) Being homosexual is not a mental disorder. No research has proven an innate association between non-heterosexual orientations and psychopathology. Dr. Evelyn Hooker’s research in the 1950s found no difference between gay and straight men in respect to mental health. Homosexual behavior, like heterosexual behavior, is a normal part of human bonding and sexuality. Homosexuality isn’t something new or regional, it has been documented during many different time periods and within many different cultures. After a lot of research and clinical experience, all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in the U.S. have concluded that both heterosexuality and homosexuality are natural and normal parts of human…

    • 1430 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Homosexuality Analysis

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The definition of sexuality is different for everybody. The sexuality definition of people is formed by the some factors such as culture, religion, sexual orientation etc... Sexual orientation is important factors for the form of sexuality. People have very different sexual orientation. But homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality are best-known and prevail among people. We start to explain the meaning of key words. Homosexuality involves a variety of behaviour related to a same-sex sexual orientation. Although definitions of term often focus mainly on sexual acts and attractions between persons of the same biological sex ( Herek, 2000, p.1). Heterosexuality is attraction to member of the other sex. And finally accoding to LGBTQI (Lesbian,…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Directional Hypothesis

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The independent variable in this study was the heterosexual men. There were two levels, which were homophobic men, and non-homophobic men. For each level, the men were manipulated by being exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual, and lesbian video tapes.…

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In this paper I will be talking about the historical and scientific perspective on homosexuality. This paper I will discuss three different perspectives on the subject them being the biological, historical and psychological perspective on homosexuality. Another thing that I will go over is the impact that all these perspective may have on how homosexuals look and feel about themselves. Looking at and analyzing the experience of a homosexual coming out as gay and being able to adjust to their new life. And last, how the biological, historical and psychological perspectives have impacted my sexual orientation and how its made me look…

    • 1479 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Homosexuality is biologically based. It's not something someone gives a try and sees if they like it. Maybe the occurrences have something to do with the mother's hormone levels when she is pregnant. I also think it is a little of both. Some cases it might be the X and Y thing and others it is probably just learned. I think most of the recent ones are probably learned because it is all over TV and everything. I just think it is ridiculous that they expect us to be telling 4 and 5 year old kids about gay people. As long as they are not parading through the streets then sure go ahead. Just don't interfere with other's lives. The "learned" behavior for a small segment of the gay population is often caused by trauma through sexual assault and or long term abuse. All the gays and lesbians I know claim they have always known there was something different about them. Most had no clue or were in denial. Of course I don't know a lot of gays or lesbians. Seems to me there are many other ways to outrage your family and flip off society than to choose that lifestyle. Maybe there are people who were raped as children and imprinted the behavior but I would put them in the vast minority.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sexual Orientation

    • 856 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the same way that gender is a spectrum, sexuality is a spectrum as well. There are four distinct sexualities. Heterosexual, or straight, people are attracted to members of the opposite sex. Bisexuals are attracted to members of both genders. Homosexuals are attracted to people of the same sex. Homosexuals can be called gay, for both genders, or lesbian, for females only. The last sexuality is asexual, in which there is no attraction to either sexes.…

    • 856 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psychology in everyday life second edition is a great book with lots of great information. But I find myself disagreeing with you on chapter four Environment and Sexual Orientation. I think that environmental factors have a lot to do with sexual orientation. You asked four questions: is homosexuality linked with problems in a child’s relationship with parents, does homosexuality involve a fear or hatred of people of the other gender, is sexual origination linked with levels of sex hormones, and as children were many homosexuals victimized? I think that all of those things including your environment can be a deciding factor in your sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is an enduring sexual attraction towards members of either our own or other sex. I think your environment plays one of the biggest roles in your sexual ordination because your environment influences the thing that you do. As a child you’re very young and impressionable it’s just like monkey see, monkey do. Our parents affect our relationships because our parents are the first relationship we see and as a child everything we see our parents do we mimic. There for If we grow up around a same sex relationship and you are used to seeing that in your everyday situation that is what you are use to and you may feel like that’s the way you want to live your life. So from what you saw as a child made you choose to be in a same sex relationship. I also think that the kind of relationships that you have with your parents also affects our sexuality. The relationship with your parents is one of the most influence relationships that you have in your life so it can very much have a positive or a negative effect on you. For example you growing up having a bad relationship with your dad may leave the impression that all men are dogs. That may cause you to drift away from the opposite sex. A male could have a horrible relationship with his mother leaving a bad impression of woman…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Herek, Gregory M. “The Psychology of Sexual Prejudice.” Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Experiences. 3rd ed. Ed. Linda D. Garnets and Douglas C. Kimmel. New York: Columbia UP, 2003. 157-164. Print.…

    • 3097 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Miss

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Attitudes toward homosexuality have been shown to vary along different demographic dimensions such as gender or political (e.g.; Herek, 2002, Strand, 1998) but little is known how these attitudes form.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Homosexuality, Genetic?

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Today the view on homosexuality has generally improved and homosexuals are widely accepted in most modern societies as homosexuality is considered a normal sexual variety rather than an orientation emerged from evil or mental disorder. However, the question remains – why does homosexuality exist? Is homosexuality genetic or does the environment determine which gender one is attracted to? The purpose of this essay is to try to determine the cause for homosexuality.…

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    A huge question relating to this topic is whether sexuality is passed through genetics or not. It has been a huge social debate for awhile. Some people think sexuality is, in fact, genetic and some think that someone’s sexual orientation is choice. Finally, that question has been answered. There was a study conducted on 818 gay men (409 pairs of openly homosexual brothers) by collected blood and saliva samples. All these men shared prominent patterns in two regions of the human genome- one on the X chromosome and one on chromosome 8. Researchers of that experiments had a theory that any single nucleotide polymorphisms steadily found among these men would have something to do with sexuality. The results showed that five presented SNP’S (single nucleotide polymorphisms) did end up…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Biological factors seem to outweigh environmental factors when it comes to contributing to sexual orientations. Not saying that environmental factors do not contribute to developing sexual orientations, because that still remains uncertain at the moment. Biologists would strongly disagree while psychologists would agree that environmental factors influence sexual orientation. If a person growing up is sexually abused or neglected, or lived in a dominantly paternal or maternal environment, Psychologists would argue that these types of factors can contribute to shaping a person’s sexual identity. Joan Roughgarden would argue that a person’s sexual orientation is like a person’s accent. It’s developed at a very early age and most people can’t change it while others can. (Roughgarden 2009: 256) Though the accents are not genetic, they are thick most of the times because of the secluded surrounding environment that people live in for long extended periods of times that helps keep it intact. An…

    • 2279 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays