Childhood and adolescent sexual behaviors predict adult sexual orientations

Abstract

Anonymous retrospective data were provided by 3,443 adult participants via computer-assisted self-interview. This was the first study focused on determinants of adult sexual orientation to adjust for the effects of same-sex sibling incest. Five measures of adult sexual orientations (ASOs) provided evidence consistent with the theory that ASOs result from early sex-specific romantic attachment, conditioning caused by early sexual experiences with partners, and other experiences, such as early masturbation using human images, acting synergistically with critical period learning, and sexual imprinting. Early same-sex crushes were the most powerful predictor of ASOs, and they also increased the likelihood of engaging in early samesex partnered and masturbation behaviors. Incestuous experiences with same-sex siblings affected the ASOs of the incest participants. And, lesbian, gay, and bisexual participants tended to have an earlier onset of puberty than heterosexual controls within sexes. However, statistical analyses showed that the incest and puberty effects were mathematically explained by the participant's early sexual experiences with partners and other experiences such as masturbation using human images. Early same-sex crushes were predicted by nuclear family variables implying that samesex crushes were more likely when the opposite-sex parent modeled an unsatisfactory heterosexual romantic partner.

Sexual orientation and mental health over the life course in a birth cohort

“…Finally, many studies of sexual minorities employ sampling techniques that are convenient (Hershberger et al ., 1997; Beard et al ., 2015) but are not necessarily representative and therefore introduce bias (Savin-Williams, 2016). For example, sexual minority research that recruits from lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) venues or organisations tend to underrepresent sexual minority individuals who do not associate with the LGB community and who may not identify as LGB.…”

Effects of the sex of the perpetrator on victims’ subsequent sexual behaviors and adulthood sexual orientations

“…The misunderstanding was created in response to the idea that society would be more accepting of same-sex orientations if people believed that sexual orientations were the result of genetics rather than learned as a result of early experiences (as enunciated by Greenberg & Bailey, 1993; see Brookey, 2001Brookey, , 2002 for a historical perspective on this movement). As explained by Beard et al (2015) in great detail, the twin studies purporting to show that sexual orientation was genetically determined could be interpreted as supporting the genetic hypothesis only because those studies ignored the already-known high incidence of sibling incest among identical twins (Simari & Baskin, 1984) that had also been reported in a paper by King and McDonald (1992). In the anonymous computerized study of Beard et al (2013), only eight of 469 participants with a brother (1.7%) reported having sex with a brother.…”

“…However, others have reported significant effects of same-sex incest and same-sex CSA by adults on the adult orientations of the young victims (e.g., Alhamad, 2013;Beard et al, 2013;Goodwin & DiVasto, 1979, 1989Johnson & Shrier, 1985;Kelly, Wood, Gonzalez, MacDonald, & Waterman, 2002, p. 431;O'Keefe et al, 2014;Stroebel et al, 2013b). The theories of Beard et al (2015) would explain effects of the sex of the perpetrator on the adult sexual orientation of the victims. Beard et al (2015) expanded upon similar theories of Kinsey, Reichert, Cauldwell, and Mozes (1955), Van Wyk and Geist (1984), and Storms (1980Storms ( , 1981.…”

“…The theories of Beard et al (2015) would explain effects of the sex of the perpetrator on the adult sexual orientation of the victims. Beard et al (2015) expanded upon similar theories of Kinsey, Reichert, Cauldwell, and Mozes (1955), Van Wyk and Geist (1984), and Storms (1980Storms ( , 1981. The effect of CSA on the adult sexual orientations of the CSA victims can be predicted by the theory that adult sexual orientations are the result of conditioning from early overt and covert behaviors (such as masturbating using same-sex or opposite-sex images) interacting with early romantic attachment, critical period learning, and sexual imprinting (Beard et al, 2015; for reviews of conditioning studies in humans and animals, see ;Hoffmann, 2012;Pfaus et al, 2012, respectively; for reviews of romantic attachment see Simpson & Rholes, 1998; for critical period learning see Desmarais, Roeber, Smith, & Pollak, 2012;Fox, Levitt, & Nelson, 2010;Fox & Rutter, 2010;Griffee et al, 2014aGriffee et al, , 2014bUylings, 2006; for sexual imprinting see Bereczkei, Gyuris, & Weisfeld, 2004;Bereczkei, Hegedus, & Hajnal, 2009;Griffee et al, 2017;Irwin & Price, 1999;Seki, Ihara, & Aoki, 2012;Vukovic, Boothroyd, Meins, & Burt, 2015).…”

“…Another concept incorporated into Beard et al's (2015) theories about the origin of adult sexual orientations was the idea that same-sex and opposite-sex sexual orientations were orthogonal variables that could co-exist to varying degrees within a single individual (Beard et al, 2015;Bickham et al, 2007;Klein, 1990;Whalen, Geary, & Johnson, 1990). According to this theory (Beard et al, 2015), the adult sexual orientations of victims of same-sex perpetrators would have a tendency to have a same-sex component that had either been reinforced by subsequent same-sex conditioning and romantic attachment or attenuated by subsequent opposite-sex conditioning and romantic attachment during the critical period for development of adult sexual orientations.…”