Sexual Orientation Overview

Sexual Orientation

• Sexual orientation is a stable pattern of attraction or sexual interest towards a particular sex, which can also include the absence of any sexual interest.
• Sexual orientation is not the same as sexual behavior. It can include people who engage in same-sex activities and have heterosexual orientation.
• The majority of people have a heterosexual orientation, with their sexual interest towards the opposite sex.
• Homosexual orientation refers to sexual and romantic interests towards the same sex, including gay and lesbian identities.

Factors Contributing to Sexual Orientation: Biological Factors

• Genetic influences on sexual orientation are evident.
• Studies of monozygotic (identical) twins show a higher concordance rate (52%) for gay male sexual orientation compared to fraternal twins (22%).
• Another factor is the fraternal birth order effect, where the probability of a man being homosexual increases with each older brother.
• The maternal immune hypothesis suggests that mothers develop an immune response to masculinizing hormones in male fetuses, potentially affecting later pregnancies and sexual orientation in sons.

Factors Contributing to Sexual Orientation: Environmental factors

• Social-cognitive theories explain the influence of learning and experience on sexual orientation development.
• These theories consider observational learning and exposure to both positive and negative consequences of behaviors related to sexual orientation.
• Factors like exposure to enjoyable same-sex sexual encounters, lack of availability of opposite-sex partners in a culture, or childhood sexual abuse by someone of the same gender may contribute, though these explanations are debated among critics.

Gender Identity

• The traditional expectation is that individuals align with their biological sex (based on chromosomes and genitalia), establish a gender identity, be attracted to the opposite sex, and express themselves according to cultural norms.
• However, many individuals do not conform to traditional expectations, emphasizing the diversity in gender expression.
• Bem's Gender Schema Theory suggests that our identification as male or female influences our development by shaping what we notice and process.
• The idea of a sexual self based on a strict male/female binary is not universally applicable and does not represent the spectrum of gender identities and orientations.

Sex Hormones and Sexual Motivation

• Sex hormones play a crucial role in sexual development due to their activating and developmental effects.