Research
from several disciplines suggests that certain areas of the
human brain develop one way in males and another way in females.
The differences in brain organization are believed to contribute
to sex differences in behavior and also to the development
of sexual orientation. One theory holds that heterosexual
men have a brain organization which leads to interest in partners
that are younger and more feminine than themselves while homosexual
men have a brain organization which leads to interest in partners
that are younger and more masculine than themselves. The theory
also holds that heterosexual adolescents have a brain organization
which leads to interest in partners older and more feminine
than themselves while homosexual adolescents have a brain
organization which leads to interest in partners that are
older and more masculine than themselves.
Psychological research on partner preferences supports some
of these predictions. However, several predictions have limited
or mixed evidence. One, it is not clear that homosexual men
prefer men more masculine than themselves. Two, it is not
clear that homosexual men place the same emphasis that heterosexual
men do on the youthfulness of their partners. Three, it is
not clear that adolescent homosexual males prefer older partners
to same-age or younger partners. Four, it is not clear that
with development from adolescence to adulthood homosexual
males demonstrate a transition in age preference from partners
older than themselves to partners younger than themselves.
To test these predictions a study was conducted with 48 gay
male couples (N = 96). The men made ratings on several ethologically
relevant physical characteristics of masculinity (e.g., level
of muscle development) and on a behavioral description of
stereotypic male sexuality (e.g., sexually dominant). The
men made the ratings four times: for themselves in the present
as adults, for themselves in the past as adolescents, for
their real partners, and for their idealized fantasy partners.
The
results of the study supported most of the predictions. The
men rated their ideal partners as more masculine than themselves
and their real partners on several characteristics. The ideal
partners were taller, heavier, more muscular, had more facial
hair, and exhibited a higher degree of stereotypic male sexual
behavior. The men did not express interest in partners younger
than themselves, rather, they expressed interest in partners
the same age as themselves. As adolescents, the men preferred
partners, on the average, more than seven years older than
themselves. They also preferred partners more masculine than
themselves. With the developmental transition from adolescence
to adulthood, the age preference of the ideal partners moved
from older than themselves to the same age as themselves.
However, the ideal partners remained more masculine than the
men themselves. The results of the study are consistent with
the speculation that in homosexual men there may be some feminization
in the area of the brain which contributes to interest in
sexual partners. The results also suggest that future studies
attempting to link speculated patterns of brain differentiation
and psychosexual behavior in humans may be worthwhile.
Full
text published in the August
issue,
Vol. 23 No.4, 2002
Neuroendocrinology Letters www.nel.edu
More
information available: publisher@nel.edu
