Sexual orientation as a continuous variable: A comparison between the sexes

Abstract

Sexual orientation was measured as a continuous variable based upon reported percentage of sexual fantasies and percentage of sexual experiences involving members of the same sex. In the present sample (which probably somewhat overrepresented the homosexual end of the continuum) about one-third of both males and females reported at least occasionally fantasizing about sexually interacting with members of the same sex. The survey indicated about one-third of males also reported having had at least one intimate sexual experience with the same sex, whereas only 10% of females did so. Also, virtually all females who sexually fantasized about the same sex only did so occasionally, whereas most of the males who fantasized about the same sex did so much more exclusively. Although these results cannot be considered representative of the distribution of sexual orientation in any natural population, they suggest that there are advantages in measuring sexual orientation as a continuous variable instead of as one with only a few discrete categories. The results also support other studies that have concluded that when deviations from exclusive heterosexuality are present, they are likely to be much more extreme among males than among females.

PET and MRI show differences in cerebral asymmetry and functional connectivity between homo- and heterosexual subjects

“…Mechanisms behind homosexuality are often discussed in terms of an under-exposure to prenatal androgens in HoM and overexposure in HoW (56). In animal experiments manipulation of testosterone has been shown to alter development of the androgen receptor neurons by influencing anatomical connections and patterns of programmed cell death (57).…”

Social perception of bisexuality

“…Ellis, Burke, and Ames (1987) took the concept of people being multisexual further by developing the first scale to measure sexual orientation as a continuous variable using both sexual fantasy and sexual experience. The Klein Sexual Orientation Grid (1993) furthers the idea of multifaceted sexual orientations by !…”

“…These variables are assessed in the past, present, and ideal future. At the present time, there are several scholars who make an effort to think and write about sexuality as a continuous or flexible identity (Baumeister, 2000;Ellis, Burke, & Ames, 1987;Kinnish, Strassberg, & Turner, 2005;Klein, 1993;Schuster, 1987;Zinick, 1985).…”

Victimization Among Female and Male Sexual Minority Status Groups: Evidence From the British Crime Survey 2007–2010

“…However, this represents approximately only 2% of the adult population (Home Office, 2011a). Also, the BCS uses self-identified sexual orientation which some researchers have questioned as the most accurate method of measuring sexual identity (Ellis, Burke & Ames, 1987;Epstein et al, 2012;Klein, Sepekoff & Wolf, 1985;Paul, 1985;Sell, 2000), and as alluded to, given the BCS response options provided in this respect it is not always clear what categories such as 'other', 'don't know' or 'do not wish to answer' represent. However, it has been argued that this method of measuring sexual orientation is not wholly inappropriate for research on the victimisation of sexual minority status groups (Roberts et al, 2010;see Sell, 2001).…”