NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
LETTERS including Psychoneuroimmunology, Neuropsychopharmacology,
Reproductive Medicine, Chronobiology
and
Human Ethology
ISSN 0172–780X
Preferred
partner characteristics in homosexual men in relation to speculated
patterns of brain differentiation Frank
Muscarella
Department
of Psychology, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL, USA.
Key
words: sexual orientation; homosexual mate selection; partner
preferences; neurohormonal theory
Submitted:
June 5, 2002
Accepted: June 7, 2002
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
The current study was designed to test a neurohormonally based
theory of sexual orientation and preferred partner characteristics
in homosexual men. The theory holds that the brains of homosexual
men are masculinized and feminized directing attraction to
targets younger and more masculine than self, and the brains
of homosexual adolescents are incompletely masculinized and
feminized directing attraction to targets older and more masculine
than self.
METHODS: Ninety-six homosexual men completed questionnaires
that asked them to rate morphological and behavioral characteristics
associated with ethologically relevant indicators of masculinity.
The participants made ratings for themselves as adolescents
and adults, their current partners and idealized partners
as adults, and their idealized partners as adolescents.
RESULTS: Results of within-subjects multivariate analyses
of variance supported most of the hypotheses. Participants
as adults rated their idealized partners as more masculine
than themselves and their real partners on five measures:
height, weight, muscle development, facial hair, and sexuality.
As adolescents they indicated a preference for males older
and more masculine than self. The participants in adulthood
did not show the predicted preference for partners younger
than themselves.
CONCLUSION: The increased ratings of sexuality for self
from adolescence to adulthood support the contention that
some additional masculinization of the brain may occur with
aging. The increased ratings of body size for the idealized
target from adolescence to adulthood keeps the target more
masculine then self across developmental periods. This phenomenon
is consistent with the speculated feminization of the brain
at both periods and its effects on partner preferences.
Introduction
Theorists
have proposed a neurohormonal model of sexual orientation development.
These theories hold that prenatal hormones [1, 2], and perhaps
some postnatal hormones [2], affect the brain structures which
contribute to the development of sexual orientation. Using this
model, Feierman [3] attempts to link specific psychosexual responses
to particular patterns of brain differentiation. He argues that
a masculinized brain directs attention to targets who are younger
than self and an unmasculinized brain directs attention to targets
older (defined as same age as or older) than self. A feminized
brain directs attention to targets who are more masculine than
self while a defeminized brain directs attention to targets
more feminine than self. Feierman argues that the brains of
heterosexual men are masculinzed and defeminized directing attraction
to targets who are younger and more feminine than self. He speculates
that the brains of homosexual men are masculinized and feminized
directing attraction to targets who are younger and more masculine
than self. Feierman argues that the brains of heterosexual adolescents
are incompletely masculinized (unmasculinized) and defeminized
directing attraction to targets who are older than self and
more feminine than self. He argues that the brains of homosexual
adolescents are incompletely masculinized (unmasculinized) and
feminized directing attraction to targets older and more masculine
than self. Feierman speculates that as they move into adulthood
both heterosexual and homosexual adolescents experience increased
masculinization of the brain. It has been speculated that this
may represent increased activation of prenatally masculinized
brain structures under the influence of postpubertal hormones
or actual postnatal masculinization due to the effects of testosterone
in puberty [2].
Psychological research has shown that the mate preferences of
heterosexual adolescent and adult males are consistent with
the model [4]. Also, there is evidence that younger heterosexual
men are more attracted to women slightly older than they are
while older heterosexual men prefer women younger than themselves
[5, 6]. Homosexual men put much emphasis on physical and sexual
attractiveness in partner choice [7, 8, 9], and Mealey [10]
suggests that homosexual men prefer masculine looking partners.
However, there is limited evidence that homosexual men actually
prefer partners more masculine than themselves. Homosexual men,
like heterosexual men, seem to demonstrate a preference for
younger partners [5, 6, 11, 12]. Although, younger homosexual
men show less interest in the youthfulness of partners than
do older homosexual men [5, 6]. Some homosexual adolescent males
show a strong interest in older partners [13], but it is unclear
if this is representative of all homosexual adolescent males.
Past studies of partner preference characteristics have assessed
global descriptors such as "attractiveness" or "masculinity",
thus, the individual characteristics which contribute to the
perception of masculinity are unclear. The current study was
designed to test Feierman's theory of brain differentiation
and preferred partner characteristics in homosexual men across
developmental periods using specific morphological and behavioral
characteristics consistent with ethological conceptualizations
of masculinity.
