Deck 9: Sexual Orientation and Sexuality

Question 1

______ refers to the enduring pattern of cognitive, motivational, and behavioral tendencies that regulates the experience, conduct, and expression of sexuality.

A) Gender self-concept
B) Sexual fluidity
C) Gender identity
D) Sexual orientation

Answer 1

Sexual orientation

Question 2

What caused Kinzie and his collaborators to overestimate the percentage of sexual minority individuals in the United States in the 1940s?

A) They did not use random assignment in their studies.
B) They used poor measures of sexual orientation.
C) They relied on probability sampling.
D) They relied on convenience sampling.

Answer 2

They relied on convenience sampling.

Question 3

______ refers to the label that a person uses to describe his or her sexual orientation and the emotional reactions that she or he has to it.

A) Sexual motivation
B) Sexual identity
C) Sexual behavior
D) Sexual attraction

Answer 3

Sexual identity

Question 4

In what time period did the earliest known reference to sexual orientation appear?

A) in ancient Rome
B) during the Middle Ages
C) in the late 19th century
D) during the sexual revolution of the 1960s

Question 5

______ is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of lust and sexual desire

A) Vasopressin
B) Oxytocin
C) Histamine
D) Serotonin

Question 6

What shift in views toward sexuality occurred in the mid-1800s?

A) People began seeing sexuality as something more continuous than dichotomous.
B) Society began condemning same-sex acts much more harshly than previously in history.
C) Explanations of sexuality began appealing to environmental rather than biological causes.
D) It became common to classify people into groups based on the sex of people they desire.

Question 7

People who identify as ______ experience romantic or sexual attractions to people of all sexes and gender identities.

A) polysexual
B) pansexual
C) asexual
D) transsexual

Question 8

Each of the following are motivational components of sexual orientation EXCEPT ______.

A) lust
B) identity
C) attraction
D) attachment

Question 9

The function of ______ in mammals is to ensure that vulnerable, highly dependent human infants receive caregiving during crucial stages of development.

A) polygamous relations
B) the pair bonding system
C) serial monogamy
D) lust

Question 10

______ motivates people to seek out sexual union, but ______ motivates people to direct their attention toward a specific partner.

A) Desire; lust
B) Passionate love, companionate love
C) Lust, love
D) Sexual orientation, sexual identity

Question 11

In ancient Greece, people's sexuality was primarily linked to ______.

A) the sexual role they played (penetrative or receptive)
B) what sex they were attracted to
C) what sex they engaged in sex acts with
D) their gender identification

Question 12

Which of the following would be least likely to strongly identify with a sexual orientation? Someone who is ______.

A) gay
B) straight
C) pansexual
D) sexually fluid

Question 13

The labels heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual are examples of ______.

A) sexual motivations
B) sexual identities
C) sexual behaviors
D) sexual attractions

Question 14

What approximate percentages of men and women identify as gay and lesbian respectively?

A) 2% and 1% for men and women respectively
B) 10% for both men and women
C) 5% of men and 10% of women
D) 10% overall, with 15% and 5% for men and women, respectively

Question 15

Sexual minority individuals who experience ______ feel less positive about their sexual identity and less connected to other LGB individuals.

A) internalized homophobia
B) pansexual identity
C) low sexual motivation
D) reduced behavioral control

Question 16

What best describes the similarities/differences between the love experienced by adult mates and the love that infants form for their caregivers?

A) The same neurological circuits regulate both types of love relationships.
B) Infants' love is characterized more by feelings of warmth while mates' love is characterized more by feelings of intimacy.
C) They have similar hormonal mechanisms but different behavioral manifestations.
D) Infants can grow attached to both sexes while adult mates generally only feel attachment towards one sex.

Question 17

Cross-cultural research reveals that passionate love toward a specific mating partner is ______.

A) more common in regions with scarce resources
B) more common in cultures high in gender equality
C) widely variable across cultures
D) near universal

Question 18

The ______ components of sexual orientation are experienced as feelings of desire and love, both of which consist of longing for, and impulse to seek proximity to, a given target

A) motivation
B) identity
C) behavior
D) communal

Question 19

Exposure to Western ideas, norms, and attitudes can have what impact on sexual behaviors of non-Western societies?

A) decreases in sexual promiscuity
B) adoption of less conservative sexual attitudes and behaviors
C) lower rates of contraceptive use
D) not becoming sexually active until a later age

Question 20

Roughly what percentage of U.S. adults report engaging in sexual activity with a same-sex partner?

A) 30%
B) 20%
C) 10%
D) 2%

Question 21

In the ______ phase some sexual minority individuals experience identity uncertainty, during which their sexual orientation remains unclear.

A) exploration
B) commitment
C) identity acceptance
D) awareness

Question 22

Because Islam strictly prohibit same-sex sexuality, some Muslim sexual minority individuals undergo a prolonged phase of ______.

A) exploration
B) discovery of terminology
C) identity uncertainty
D) awareness

Question 23

Laumann et al. (1994) study of respondents who report any same sexuality found what type of relationships between the identity, desire, and behavioral dimensions of sexual orientation?

A) Identity and desire showed strong positive relationships.
B) Desire predicted behavior.
C) There was little correspondence among the three dimensions.
D) Identity predicted behavior but desire did not.

Question 24

The finding that same-sex sexual activity between primate friend pairs increases likelihood of friends assisting and defending each other is consistent with which theory?

A) kin selection theory
B) fecundity hypothesis
C) neuro-hormonal theory
D) alliance formation hypothesis

Question 25

Which of the following theories argues that the more older biological brothers a man has, the higher his likelihood of being gay?

A) behavioral genetics
B) fraternal birth order effect
C) neuro-hormonal theory
D) alliance formation hypothesis

Question 26

Heritability estimates for sexual orientation suggest that genes account for about what range of the population variance in sexual orientation for men?

A) 10-20%
B) 66-90%
C) 15-66%
D) 40-80%

Question 27

The majority of sexual minority girls/women report which of the following?

A) their first same-sex attraction being sexual
B) their first same-sex attraction being emotional
C) their first same-sex sexual contact being with a romantic partner
D) their first same-sex sexual contact being with a stranger

Question 28

The majority of sexual minority boys/men report which of the following?

A) their first same-sex attraction being sexual
B) their first same-sex attraction being emotional
C) their first same-sex sexual contact being with a romantic partner
D) their first same-sex sexual contact being with a stranger

Question 29

In the ______ phase, many sexual minority individuals increase their involvement in an LGBTQ community.

A) exploration
B) commitment
C) identity acceptance
D) awareness

Question 30

Examples of passionate same-sex friendships growing into feelings of sexual desire support which theory of sexual orientation?

A) kin selection theory
B) tipping point theory
C) biobheavioral model
D) alliance formation hypothesis

Question 31

Diamond (2005) finds evidence for sexual orientation subtypes that are characterized by ______ rather than by the sex or gender of the people for whom they are directed.

A) the extremity of sexual urges
B) unconscious intuitions
C) how fluid or stable they are
D) the number of simultaneous partners

Question 32

Ray Blanchard's explanation of the ______ is that the mother's body treats the male fetus as a foreign invader and activates an immune response against it. At a certain point, the mother produces enough antibodies to prevent the fetal brain from developing in the male typical fashion, resulting in male homosexuality.

A) behavioral genetics
B) fraternal birth order effect
C) neuro-hormonal theory
D) alliance formation hypothesis

Question 33

Sex differences, favoring males in self-report data, exist for each of the following EXCEPT _______.

A) pornography use
B) masturbation
C) casual sex
D) same-sex experiences

Question 34

Terri Conley finds that sex differences in interest in casual sex are reduced by which of the following?

A) when the casual sex partner is attractive
B) when the casual sex partner is believed to be good in bed
C) when there are few options for romantic partners
D) when men and women are hooked up to a lie detector

Question 35

Which of the following theories focuses on prenatal exposure to testosterone and estradiol?

A) behavioral genetics
B) fraternal birth order effect
C) neuro-hormonal theory
D) alliance formation hypothesis

Question 36

Some sexual minority individuals decide following the ______ phase to enter a coming out phase in which they publicly labeled themselves and discuss their identities with others.

A) exploration
B) commitment
C) identity acceptance
D) awareness

Question 37

Finkel and Eastwick (2009) find that sex differences in sexual attraction disappear under what circumstances?

A) women are injected with testosterone
B) women play the role of "approacher" in a speed dating context
C) when men and women rate the attractiveness of groups rather than individuals
D) when controlling for socioeconomic status

Question 38

Many sexual minority individuals experience an early phase of ______ during which they recognize a sense of differentness from others.

A) exploration
B) commitment
C) identity acceptance
D) awareness

Question 39

Evidence that heterosexual men who possess more communal traits tend to have more female sexual partners supports which theory of sexual orientation?

A) kin selection theory
B) tipping point theory
C) neuro-hormonal theory
D) alliance formation hypothesis

Question 40

Relative to boys, sexual minority girls generally _______.

A) label their sexual identity at a slightly younger age
B) become aware of same-sex attraction at an older age
C) experience their first same-sex attraction as sexual rather than emotional
D) disclose themselves as sexual minorities after their first same-sex contact

Question 41

What best describes most self-reported sex differences in sexuality?

A) They fall in the medium to large range.
B) They are culturally universal.
C) They have poor test-retest reliability.
D) They fall below Cohen's ds of .4.

Question 42

Baumeister (2000) found what kind of sex differences in sexual fluidity?

A) Women's sexual orientation changes more over their lives.
B) Men tend to be more sexually fluid than women during early adulthood.
C) Women tend to be more sexually fluid than men late in life.
D) Men's sexual orientation changes more over their lives.

Question 43

The same neurological circuits that regulate love experienced by adult mates also regulates love that infants form to their caregivers.

Question 44

Diamond's (2008) longitudinal study of sexual minority women found what percent changed their identified sexual orientation over a ten-year period?

A) 10%
B) 33%
C) 66%
D) 80%

Question 45

What evidence is there to support sex differences in sexual trajectories (e.g., age at which men and women reach their sexual peaks)?

A) Men's hormones peak at a younger age than women.
B) Men self-report their highest levels of lust at a younger age than women.
C) Women have more sexual partners in middle-age compared to men.
D) Women start generating more testosterone in their early 30s.

Question 46

Each of the following predicts orgasm rates among women EXCEPT ______.

A) receiving oral sex
B) frequency of sexual encounters
C) the duration of sexual encounters
D) knowledge of the location of their clitoris

Question 47

Each of the following is TRUE of the relationship between sexual health and physical health EXCEPT ______.

A) sexual satisfaction correlates with both physical and mental health
B) the importance of sexual health for quality of life decreases in old age
C) sexual health relates to physical health in Western but not Eastern cultures
D) people who have regular, more enjoyable sex have lower mortality rates.

Question 48

Cross-cultural evidence indicates that passionate love toward mating partners is a universal or near universal human experience.

Question 49

For many sexual minorities, an awareness phase, in which they recognize a sense of differentness from others, marks the first phase in sexual identity development.

Question 50

The idea that people have a stable, internal drive that orients them sexually toward members of a particular sex is an old idea that dates back to ancient Western civilization.

Question 51

The neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine play a key role in the early stages of passionate love.

Question 52

Which of the following perspectives on decreases in sexuality in old age can make people feel like there is something wrong with them and cause them to seek out unnecessary, sometimes ill-advised treatments?

A) the medicalization of sexuality
B) the genetic perspective
C) the socially constructed approach
D) interpretations specific to collectivist cultures

Question 53

Which of the following is TRUE of changes in sexuality and related hormones that often occur in middle-age (e.g., menopause in women and erectile dysfunction in men)?

A) These processes, both menopause and erectile dysfunction, are natural and normal.
B) They should be treated with medication to increase mental and physical health.
C) Menopause occurs in all women, but erectile dysfunction only occurs in a small subset of men and should be medically treated.
D) Treatments for these hormonal changes carry no meaningful risks.

Question 54

Which of the following groups of people have the lowest orgasm rates during sex?

A) heterosexual women
B) heterosexual man
C) gay men
D) lesbian women

Question 55

About 10% of the population identifies gay or lesbian.

Question 56

Sexual orientation refers only to the person to whom romantic and sexual feelings are directed.

Question 57

Girls and women are more likely than boys and men to label themselves as sexual minorities before their first same-sex sexual contact.

Question 58

The sexual desire (or lust) dimension of the motivational components of sexual orientation motivates people to direct their attentions toward a specific person who is cherished above others.

Question 59

Which of the following describes some of the effects of gender reconstructive surgery or hormone treatments upon orgasm rates?

A) MtF women consistently report lower orgasm rates.
B) The effect are incredibly variable and inconsistent for both MtF women and FtM men.
C) FtM men report high orgasm rates.
D) FtM men report reduced orgasm rates.

Question 60

The fraternal birth order affect postulates that gay men provide above average levels of child rearing assistance to siblings, thus increasing the survival of nephews and nieces and passing along genes that code for male same-sex orientation.

Question 61

Examples of passionate same-sex friendships growing into feelings of sexual desire is consistent with the biobehavioral model of sexual orientation.

Question 62

How did cultural understandings of sexual behavior change in the mid-1800s.

Question 63

Sex differences in "pickiness" when selecting mates disappear when women play the role of "approacher" (introducing themselves to men).

Question 64

Women's sexual orientation tends to change more over their lives than men's.

Question 65

Describe TWO sex differences in the ages and/or sequence in which milestones among sexual minorities occur.

Question 66

Genes explain about a third of the population variance in women's rates of orgasm during sexual intercourse.

Question 67

Studies have shown that exposure to Western ideas, norms, and attitudes can have what kind of impact on sexual behavior in non-Western societies?

Question 68

Choose two theories for why people differ in sexual orientation. Explain how they account for variance in sexual orientation, what evidence supports each, and whether each approach most reflects a biological, evolutionary, or integrative perspective.

Question 69

The alliance-formation hypothesis reflects an evolutionary psychology theory of sexual orientation.

Question 70

Briefly explain the difference in how phase models and milestone models approach explaining the development of sexual orientation.

Question 71

Briefly describe the difference between early and later stages of love.

Question 72

Describe the logic behind tipping point theory's account of how genes for same-sex orientation are passed down.

Question 73

Conley and colleagues (2011) summarize a number of common beliefs about sex differences in relationship preferences and sexuality. Describe three of these common beliefs and the alternative findings/interpretations provided by Conley and colleagues.

Question 74

Describe common assumptions regarding sex differences in sexual trajectories (i.e., when women and men reach their sexual peaks). What evidence exists to support these assumptions? What evidence conflicts with them? Cite as least one research finding for and against sex differences in sexual trajectories. How does the research on sexual trajectories conflict with common assumptions about relevant sex differences?

Question 75

Describe how Finkel and Eastwick (2009) manipulated a "speed dating" task to eliminate sex differences in selectivity or "pickiness" in mates.