Deck 13: Sexual Orientation, Identity, and Behavior

Question 1

Which of the following statements about the Kinsey Scale of Sexual Behavior is accurate?

A) It categorized people as homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual.
B) It classified sexual behavior into seven categories.
C) It described the personality characteristics that went with various sexual orientations.
D) It measured the level of masculinity and femininity in a large sample of Americans.

Answer 1

It classified sexual behavior into seven categories.

Question 2

Paul was a respondent in Kinsey's 1953 survey. His sexual behavior was classified as "1." This classification indicates that he has

A) engaged in heterosexual behavior and incidental same-gender behavior.
B) engaged only in same-gender sexual behavior.
C) had approximately equal levels of same-gender and heterosexual experiences.
D) had only heterosexual experiences.

Answer 2

engaged in heterosexual behavior and incidental same-gender behavior.

Question 3

Marian has related sexually to both women and men to an equal degree during her adult life. According to the Kinsey Scale of Sexual Behavior, her behavior would be classified as

A) 0.
B) 1.
C) 2.
D) 3.

Answer 3

3.

Question 4

Why was the Kinsey Scale of Sexual Behavior considered so important?

A) It considered the ethnic and cultural context of same-gender sexual expression.
B) It delineated bisexuality as a clear-cut category.
C) It described sexual expression as a continuum.
D) It emphasized the romantic and affectional aspects of same-gender relationships.

Question 5

A weakness of the Kinsey Scale of Sexual Behavior is that it

A) considered all who had one other-gender sexual experience as bisexual.
B) ignored ethnicity in classifying respondents.
C) emphasized lesbian behavior while ignoring same-gender sexual behavior of men.
D) measured sexual behavior using an inadequate bipolar linear scale.

Question 6

A weakness of the Kinsey Scale of Sexual Behavior is that it

A) contradicted biological notions regarding the origin of sexual orientation.
B) did not recognize how rare same-gender sexual orientation is.
C) failed to consider the age and marital status of the respondents.
D) implied that the more heterosexual one was, the less homosexual one was.

Question 7

One controversy regarding sexual orientation centers on the accuracy of Kinsey's findings on the

A) actual prevalence of same-gender sexual behavior.
B) affectional rather than sexual preferences among self-identified bisexual people.
C) intensity of sexual attraction among self-identified homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual individuals.
D) level of sexual satisfaction experienced by individuals of various sexual orientations.

Question 8

Agnes describes herself as lesbian, even though she has never been sexual with either a man or a woman. Such self-identification

A) illustrates the subtleties involved in classifying individuals by their sexual orientation.
B) implies that Kinsey's Scale should contain negative numbers to accommodate individuals who are not sexually active.
C) indicates a personality disorder and perhaps mental illness.
D) suggests that all people shift their sexual orientation during their lifetime.

Question 9

Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the conclusions of the researchers who conducted the National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS) regarding sexual orientation?

A) A 10-point scale of classification for sexual orientation would be more helpful than a 6-point scale.
B) About 10 percent of adult men and 5 percent of women are exclusively gay or lesbian.
C) Many individuals who identify themselves as gay or lesbian live in rural areas.
D) Sexual orientation is a multidimensional concept and cannot be described by a single number.

Question 10

The NHSLS study found that

A) same-gender sexual contact in males is more likely to occur after the age of 18.
B) same-gender sexual contact in females is more likely to occur after the age of 18.
C) Both (a) and (b)
D) Neither (a) nor (b)

Question 11

How did the NHSLS approach issues of sexual orientation?

A) It asked questions about desire, behavior, and self-identification.
B) It classified individuals on the basis of masculinity and femininity rather than sexual expression.
C) It restricted its questions to male respondents.
D) It used a 10-point classification scheme.

Question 12

Which of the following was NOT demonstrated by the NHSLS research?

A) Same-gender sex is found more desirable and more people than ever act on those desires.
B) People who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual tend to be more highly educated.
C) Same-gender sexuality should be perceived and interpreted in various ways, depending on various contexts.
D) Women who desire and have had sex with other women are more likely than men to identify themselves as gay or bisexual.

Question 13

A somewhat intriguing finding regarding same-gender orientation is that it is more common among individuals who grew up in

A) rural settings.
B) suburbia.
C) urban centers.
D) West Coast areas.

Question 14

The term homophobia refers to

A) irrational fears and strong negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians.
B) laws that discriminate against individuals with a same-gender orientation.
C) people who are reluctant to identify themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
D) traditions such as that of the berdache.

Question 15

The Torah

A) does not specifically prohibit same-gender sexual behavior.
B) prohibits both male-male and female-female sexual behavior.
C) prohibits female-female sexual behavior.
D) prohibits male-male sexual behavior.

Question 16

Around 400 C.E., ___________________ began to introduce a new sexual code that focused on maintaining purity and equated some sexual behaviors with the fallen state of the human soul.

A) Buddhism
B) Christianity
C) Islam
D) Judaism

Question 17

How do modern theologians in the Judeo-Christian-Muslim religious traditions view same-gender sexual behavior?

A) They accept such behavior if it occurs in a loving relationship.
B) They condemn this and any other sexual expression outside of the marital relationship.
C) They uniformly condemn it as did all earlier religious scholars.
D) They vary, with some accepting and others condemning such behavior.

Question 18

Late in his career, Freud declared that same-gender sexual orientation is the result of

A) arrested sexual development.
B) genetic abnormalities.
C) mental illness.
D) precocious sexual development.

Question 19

The typical family background assumed by the traditional psychodynamic model of same-gender sexual orientation did NOT include which of the following?

A) A close-binding mother
B) An absent father
C) An openly hostile father
D) An overprotective father

Question 20

Most psychodynamic theorists now view same-gender sexual orientation as a

A) normal, mature developmental state.
B) physiologically based illness that can be corrected by psychoanalysis.
C) result of sexual abuse by a trusted same-gender adult.
D) socialization caused by an overprotective mother and a hostile father.

Question 21

Most contemporary theorists and researchers perceive same-gender sexual orientation as a

A) more mature but less common form of sexual expression than heterosexuality.
B) natural form of sexual expression less prevalent than heterosexuality.
C) sign of other disturbances in the personality.
D) tolerable but abnormal form of sexual expression.

Question 22

Ralph enters psychotherapy for support while coping with the recent death of both his parents. When he offers his life history, Ralph mentions to the therapist that he is gay. How is the therapist most likely to respond to this information?

A) The therapist will consider any problems Ralph might have to be due to his basic immaturity and deviant lifestyle.
B) The therapist will focus on Ralph's problems of grief and parental loss and accept his orientation as normal.
C) The therapist will refuse to work with him, knowing how difficult it is to change sexual orientation.
D) The therapist will try to help Ralph change his orientation and then deal with helping him through his parental loss.

Question 23

Which description most accurately represents the modern psychological conception of same-gender orientation?

A) A normal variation on human sexual expression
B) A pathological condition due to faulty parental relationships
C) A rare and exotic condition that implies other personality disturbance
D) An acceptable but disabling psychological condition

Question 24

What was the overall purpose of the classic Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith study?

A) To determine the types of parental relationships associated with different sexual orientations
B) To examine the genetic and physiological bases of sexual orientation
C) To identify the differences in the childhood development of gay men and lesbians
D) To identify the possible causes of same-gender sexual orientation

Question 25

Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith's study

A) focused on identifying the frequency of same-gender sexual behavior.
B) involved interviews with gay men and lesbians, but not heterosexuals.
C) was based on data gathered in 3- to 5-hour, face-to-face interviews.
D) was dismissed by the Kinsey Institute because of methodological flaws.

Question 26

Which of the following was NOT a finding of the classic Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith study?

A) Both lesbians and gay men tend to have a history of heterosexual experiences, but they evaluate these as unsatisfying.
B) Patterns of parental identification appear to be irrelevant to the development of sexual orientation.
C) Sexual orientation seems heavily related to the quality of one's relationship with one's father rather than with one's mother.
D) Sexual orientation seems to be determined before adolescence, regardless of any overt sexual activity.

Question 27

Which of the following was NOT a finding of the classic Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith study on sexual orientation?

A) Most gay men and lesbians have never had heterosexual experiences.
B) Parental identification appears to play no significant role in the development of sexual orientation.
C) Same-gender attraction plays a greater role in eventual self-identification as gay or lesbian than any particular activities with others.
D) Sexual orientation appears to be largely determined before adolescence.

Question 28

Which of the following has NOT been a focus of biological models of homosexuality?

A) Anatomical differences
B) Genetic factors
C) Prenatal hormonal differences
D) Viral or bacterial infections

Question 29

Research suggests that hormonal levels in the prenatal period

A) create gender identity.
B) do not influence gender identity.
C) influence gender identity only if they create gross anatomical abnormalities.
D) might influence later gender identity.

Question 30

What is the general conclusion of contemporary researchers regarding the effects of hormone levels on sexual orientation?

A) It seems clear that hormonal factors determine sexual orientation.
B) Masculinizing hormones in females diagnosed with CAH create a same-gender sexual orientation.
C) Prenatal hormones appear to have no influence on later sexual orientation.
D) Prenatal hormones appear to influence later gender identity.

Question 31

One recent study of gay males who have brothers found that

A) birth order has no effect on sexual orientation.
B) the greater the number of brothers, the lower the likelihood that a man will be gay.
C) the greater the number of older brothers, the higher the likelihood that a man will be gay.
D) the greater the number of younger brothers, the higher the likelihood that a man will be gay.

Question 32

Regarding genetic influences on sexual behavior, which of the following has NOT been shown to be true?

A) Same-gender orientation tends to run in families.
B) Studies of identical twins find that both twins are lesbian or gay in only 48 to 52 percent of the cases.
C) Studies of identical twins indicate that same-gender sexual orientation is influenced by genes.
D) Specific genes program sexual orientation.

Question 33

To date, research on the possible biological bases of same-gender orientation suggests that

A) among identical twins, the rate of both having same-gender orientation is 48 to 52 percent.
B) any genes that influence sexual orientation occur on the Y chromosome.
C) genes play as much of a role in sexual orientation as they do in determining height.
D) the influence of genes on sexual orientation is slight.

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT a physical difference studied relative to same-gender and other-gender sexual orientations?

A) Cerebral cortex of the brain
B) Finger size ratio
C) Left or right handedness
D) Suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain

Question 35

Harriet is experiencing anxiety after accepting a very stressful job. As a lesbian who is selecting a counselor to help her, she needs to be

A) alert to professionals who are not aware of their own prejudices in working with clients with a same-gender orientation.
B) certain to select someone with a traditional Freudian perspective.
C) ready to face the fact that most of her problems are due to her same-gender orientation.
D) sure to select a counselor who also has a same-gender orientation.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT true regarding stereotypical gay and lesbian behavior?

A) A very small percentage of gay males exhibit effeminate behavior.
B) A very small percentage of lesbians exhibit masculine behavior.
C) Most lesbians dress in a masculine style.
D) The majority of gay men dislike effeminate behavior.

Question 37

Examination of various cultures and subcultures suggests that among those with a same-gender orientation,

A) formation of a same-gender sexual identity is similar across cultures.
B) interest in forming an identity based on sexual orientation varies.
C) solidarity with others who have a same-gender sexual identity is especially important among U.S. minority groups.
D) solidarity with others who have a same-gender orientation occurs only in the U.S.

Question 38

The first stage in Cass's theory of identity formation is

A) acceptance.
B) comparison.
C) confusion.
D) tolerance.

Question 39

Bill is very conscious of his attraction to other men. He realizes this may mean he is gay and realizes how his family is likely to respond to this knowledge. He is also aware that he will be on the "outside" of many social norms. Cass would describe Bill as being in which stage of identity formation?

A) Identity acceptance
B) Identity comparison
C) Identity confusion
D) Identity tolerance

Question 40

While the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy was active in the U.S. military,

A) discrimination against gay men and lesbians has ended.
B) the number of people discharged annually from the U.S. armed forces because of their sexual orientation or behavior decreased.
C) the number of people discharged annually from the U.S. armed forces because of their sexual orientation or behavior increased.
D) the treatment of gay men and lesbians has not changed.

Question 41

The NHSLS included questions about ___________________, which focused on attraction to others of the same gender as well as the appeal of various sex acts.

Question 42

Research has found that there is a greater likelihood that gay men have gay male relatives on the ___________________ side of the family.

Question 43

According to the Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith study, lesbians and gay men tend to have had heterosexual experiences during childhood and adolescence and found these experiences relatively ___________________.

Question 44

The anterior part of the brain's _______________________ plays some role in human sexuality.

Question 45

The ___________________ model of sexual orientation incorporates a combination of biological, psychological, and socioenvironmental factors.

Question 46

Cass's theory of the stages in forming a sexual identity emphasizes the importance of paying attention to a person's ___________________.

Question 47

The acknowledgment of one's same-gender sexual interests to oneself and to others is called ________________________.

Question 48

Boy Scouts throughout the world accept gay youth as members.

Question 49

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association's board of trustees voted unanimously to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.

Question 50

The normal variant model of same-gender orientation assumes that faulty parenting results in homosexuality.

Question 51

The Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith study found that compared with heterosexuals, a slightly higher proportion of lesbians and gay men had poor relationships with their fathers.

Question 52

The Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith study can be interpreted to be consistent with a biological approach to explaining sexual orientation.

Question 53

It is most likely that hormones, genes, and brain structures operate independently in their effect on sexual orientation.

Question 54

Only 8 percent of women with CAH identify themselves as lesbian or bisexual.

Question 55

Comparing heterosexuals to lesbians and gay men, physical differences in handedness, fingerprints, finger size ratio, and certain brain structures have been found.

Question 56

It appears that sexual orientation is defined less quickly by females than by males.

Question 57

Although sexual orientation and gender have been traditionally viewed as independent, recent studies have raised questions and controversy regarding how masculine and feminine behaviors (gender role) may be linked to sexual orientation.

Question 58

The issue of how open to be about one's same-gender orientation is faced during the identity tolerance stage of sexual identity formation in Cass' model.

Question 59

Gay and lesbian activists who fight discrimination and homophobia are typically in the identity synthesis stage of Cass' model of sexual identity development.

Question 60

Research suggests that compared with lesbians and heterosexual males, gay males are more likely to seek contact with a variety of sexual partners.

Question 61

A slang term for lesbian is AC/DC.

Question 62

Wearing a condom can eliminate the risk of contracting HIV during same-gender sexual relationships.

Question 63

What kind of family structure did the early psychodynamic theories of same-gender orientation postulate?

Question 64

What did the NHSLS conclude about the incidence of same-gender orientations and behavior?

Question 65

Can therapy "cure"homosexuals?

Question 66

Discuss Cass's view of self-perception and same-gender sexual orientation.

Question 67

What is meant by "coming out"and during which of Cass's stages of sexual formation is it most likely to first occur?

Question 68

What changes have researchers identified when comparing Kinsey's data on the prevalence of same-gender sexual behavior and his heterosexual-homosexual rating scale?

Question 69

How do most contemporary psychologists view same-gender sexual orientation, and on what is this view based?

Question 70

Is there a genetic basis for same-gender sexual orientation?

Question 71

What particular concerns should same-gender-oriented individuals have when they choose a counselor or therapist?

Question 72

Sidney identifies himself as bisexual. What special problems may he face?

Question 73

Do gay men and lesbians make good parents? Support your answer.

Question 74

What new approach did the NHSLS take in studying same-gender sexual orientation, and what general conclusion did the researchers reach based on this approach?

Question 75

List the stages of Cass's model of same-gender sexual orientation, and describe the important features of each stage.

Question 76

What were the central findings of the classic Bell, Weinberg, and Hammersmith study?

Question 77

Describe the findings regarding the formation of same-gender sexual identity among gay men.

Question 78

Describe the findings regarding same-gender identity development among lesbians.

Question 79

How does a person who is developing a same-gender sexual orientation come into contact with a gay or lesbian community?