Stability of Self-Reported Same-Sex and Both-Sex Attraction from Adolescence to Young Adulthood

Abstract

This study examined how sexual attraction varied across age, gender of participant, and gender of romantic partner, from adolescence to early adulthood. Comparisons between same-sex and both-sex attracted individuals were of particular interest. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (AddHealth), we examined the responses of participants who reported experiencing same-sex attractions or both-sex attractions at least once within four waves (n = 1889). Results indicated that same-sex attractions became more stable over time, whereas both-sex attraction remained unstable even into adulthood. Compared with males, females were less stable in same-sex attraction, but more stable in both-sex attraction. The majority of people who reported same-sex attraction did not report having a same-sex romantic partner before they entered adulthood, and those who reported a same-sex romantic partner were more likely to maintain their same-sex attraction than those who did not. As males got older, the gender of their romantic partner tended to become more consistent with their sexual attraction. However, for females, the consistency between the gender of their romantic partner and sexual attraction did not change over time.

Stability versus Fluidity of Adolescent Romantic and Sexual Attraction and the Role of Religiosity: A Longitudinal Assessment in Two Independent Samples of Croatian Adolescents

“…Secondly, attraction fluidity was substantially lower among exclusively heterosexually attracted participants, compared to their non-exclusively heterosexual peers. Although both findings are in line with the existing research on sexual fluidity (Everett, 2015;Hu et al, 2016;Ott et al, 2011;Rosario et al, 2006;Savin-William et al, 2012;Savin-Williams & Ream, 2007;Scheitle & Wolf, 2018), the observed difference in attraction fluidity might be developmentally specific to adolescents around the age of 16 and up to two years later. The direction in which adolescents are moving with regard to their sexual orientation identity or attraction may be sensitive to age and should thus not be generalized to other age groups.…”

“…Although the prevalence of sexual fluidity in adults (i.e., ages 18+) is relatively well documented (e.g., studies assessing outcomes longitudinally, such as the General Social Survey; Scheitle & Wolf, 2018), longitudinal surveys in adolescence (i.e., ages 13-18) are rare. The AddHealth survey (Hu, Xu, & Tornello, 2016;Li, Pollitt, & Russell, 2016;Savin-Williams, Joyner, & Rieger, 2012;Savin-Williams & Ream, 2007), and the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS; Katz-Wise et al, 2017;Ott et al, 2011) found that fluidity of sexual orientation identity was higher among young women than men (Ott et al, 2011;Savin-Williams et al, 2012). A third study from New Zealand drawn from a birth cohort (aged 21 to 26 years) found that around 10% of young adults reported change in sexual attraction over two time points (Dickson, Paul, & Herbison, 2003).…”

“…A third study from New Zealand drawn from a birth cohort (aged 21 to 26 years) found that around 10% of young adults reported change in sexual attraction over two time points (Dickson, Paul, & Herbison, 2003). Only the studies by Dickson et al (2003) and Hu et al (2016) considered changes in sexual attraction (instead of sexual orientation identity), and none of the studies assessed these changes during a specifically defined period of late or middle adolescence, respectively.…”

“…Sexual attraction is measured by how individuals acknowledge their feelings towards individuals of the same or other sex, and this may differ from self-labeling or identifying as "heterosexual" or "homosexual" or something else entirely (Diamond, 2003). Furthermore, the manner in which individuals report their sexual attraction, self-label their sexual identity, or behave in sexual situations can vary over time Hu, Xu, & Tornello, 2016).…”

Exploring the Sexual Development Experiences of Black Bisexual Male Adolescents Over Time

“…Past work exploring stability and congruence among dimensions of sexual orientation in adolescent populations has found incongruence and instability to be common among sexual minority adolescents (Fasula et al, 2016; Igartua, Thombs, Burgos, & Montoro, 2009; Ott et al, 2011; Priebe & Svedin, 2013; Savin-Williams & Ream, 2007). Studies have demonstrated, however, that the presence of incongruence among the dimensions of sexual orientation persisting into adulthood may cause psychological tensions (Hu, Xu, & Tornello, 2016). Future longitudinal research studies focused on Black bisexual male adolescents should explore potential mental health impacts associated with dimensional incongruence.…”