Deck 7: Sexual Orientation Development: Gay, Straight, or Bisexual

Question 1

Which of the following are factors that are included in the meaning of a person's sexual orientation?

A)Their feelings of sexual attraction towards certain gender(s)
B)Their emotional feelings about certain gender(s)
C)Both of the above.
D)None of the above

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The purpose of the Kinsey Sexual Orientation Scale is to

A)Illustrate Kinsey's idea that sexual orientation is experienced as a continuum.
B)Determine whether a person falls into the category of straight, gay or bisexual.
C)Diagnose sexual dysfunction in terms of sexual orientation.
D)None of the above.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following are some of the difficulties associated with accurately counting how many people in the US classify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual?

A)They rely on self-reported data, which often indicates homosexual acts among people who self-identify as straight.
B)People who volunteer for surveys about human sexuality may be systematically different from people who do not volunteer to discuss this.
C)Both A and B are correct.
D)None of the above.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Sexual orientation is

A)Easy to classify; either you are homosexual or heterosexual.
B)Difficult to classify without using your gaydar.
C)Much more complex than whether you want to have sex with men or women.
D)A reflection of whether you are masculine or feminine.

Question 5

Assessing sexual orientation is, as a whole, ___________.

A)still in need of much investigation and research
B)something we understanding clearly
C)something we have no reliable research with which to draw conclusions
D)none of the above

Question 6

According to Kinsey's seven-point Sexual Orientation Scale, a classification in the middle of the scale (at point four) indicates

A)Exclusive heterosexuality
B)Equal heterosexuality and homosexuality
C)Exclusive homosexuality
D)Predominant heterosexuality with incidental homosexuality

Question 7

Klein's Sexual Orientation Grid, used to classify oneself as gay, straight, or bi, measures several dimensions of sexual behavior and identity in the "past, present, and ideal." Looking at behavior over time indicates that Klein probably believes sexual orientation is

A)Different in reality than in hypothetical situations.
B)Flexible or fluid over time and social context.
C)Shaped by experience alone.
D)None of the above.

Question 8

If you have some attraction towards people of your own and the opposite gender, then you must be_______.

A)gay
B)bisexual
C)heterosexual
D)Cannot be determined without more information.

Question 9

What is "gaydar?"

A)A combination of scents that has been scientifically proven to smell more attractive to homosexual than to heterosexual people.
B)A popular slang term that refers to one's intuition about the sexual orientation of others.
C)A mythical talent for accurately determining someone's sexual orientation based on appearance alone.
D)A special visual code used among homosexual youth so that they can identify each other more easily in public.

Question 10

Craig's List advertises a man who says he is "Straight, interested in meeting gay men." According to the research on the relationship between sexual attraction and behavior, what would best explain such a statement?

A)He may be playing a practical joke: straight men do not engage in homosexual acts.
B)He may be gay: that's the only reason he would want to meet a gay man.
C)He may be bisexual: he's in denial.
D)He may be straight: sexual orientation is more complex than behavior alone.

Question 11

What do essentialist theories on the origin of sexual orientation argue?

A)It is shaped primarily by the environment and personal experiences as we mature.
B)It is shaped primarily by biological and developmental processes as we mature.
C)Both A & B are correct
D)None of the above.

Question 12

The only way to know someone's sexual orientation for sure is

A)To determine it using your gaydar.
B)To have the person tell you him or herself.
C)To be told by the person's friends based on their social interactions.
D)All of the above.

Question 13

According to your text, which of the following could be accurately described as gay?

A)Homosexual men
B)Bisexual men
C)Both homosexual men and women
D)Both A and C are correct.

Question 14

A well-meaning friend tells a group of your mutual peers that gender and sexual orientation are equal and interchangeable jargon for the same thing.Based on what you've read in your text, you say that

A)You agree: they are always the same.
B)You disagree: they are always out of synch with one another.
C)You disagree somewhat: they aren't the same but one predicts the other completely.
D)You disagree: they are two different concepts that are often misunderstood and lumped together without question.

Question 15

Heteroflexibility is a term used by Klein to describe

A)The behavior of homosexual individuals when placed in threatening heteronormative situations.
B)Straight women who experiment behaviorally with their sexual orientation in certain contexts, often early in adulthood.
C)Straight men who are unusually flexible and lithe during middle age.
D)Straight women who are unusually flexible and lithe during middle age.

Question 16

Michaela is a 23-year-old woman who is very much sexually attracted to both men and women.She has thus far only engaged in sexual and relationship intimacy with women, and identifies herself as lesbian.Is Michaela gay, straight, or bisexual?

A)If Michaela is behaving as a lesbian, she must be gay.
B)If Michaela is still emotionally attracted to men, she must be straight.
C)If Michaela is psychologically and sexually attracted to both men and women, she must be bisexual.
D)If Michaela is going to identify herself as any of these things, then her behavior, feelings of emotional and physical attraction, and psychological self-identification must all be considered.

Question 17

Sexual orientation is

A)Easy to classify; either you are homosexual or heterosexual.
B)Difficult to classify without using diagnostic tools.
C)Much more complex than whether you want to have sex with men or women.
D)A reflection of whether you are masculine or feminine.

Question 18

Someone who is transgender can be easily categorized as

A)heterosexual
B)homosexual
C)bisexual
D)any one of the above; it depends on more the label alone

Question 19

Why is transgender referred to in your text as an umbrella term?

A)Because transgender behavior is so often hidden, as if under an umbrella.
B)Because it applies to a range of people, all of whom behave or have appearances which are not consistent with their biologically assigned sex.
C)Because it applies only to people whose behavior is feminine to the extreme, and therefore got the nickname because women are more likely to carry umbrellas.
D)Both A and C are correct.

Question 20

Due to the social assumptions they both carry, gender and sexual orientation have a relationship with one another which is best described as

A)Unknown
B)Often quite complicated
C)Clearly explained by our current knowledge of them.
D)Synonymous

Question 21

What is the fraternal birth order hypothesis?

A)The idea that first born children are most likely to be homosexual.
B)The idea that women may develop certain antibodies every time they carry a male fetus.
C)The idea that women may develop certain antibodies every time they carry a female fetus.
D)None of the above.

Question 22

What do constructionist theories on the origin of sexual orientation argue?

A)It is shaped primarily by the environment and personal experiences as we mature.
B)It is shaped primarily by biological and developmental processes as we mature.
C)Both A & B are correct
D)None of the above.

Question 23

Which of the following statements is true about our current understanding of sexual orientation?

A)There is one predominant theory that explains the process.
B)We use multiple theories to most fully explain the process.
C)We have no fitting theories that explain the process.
D)Different theories are relevant for different kinds of sexual orientation.

Question 24

Which of the following can be influences on the timing of the coming-out process?

A)Attitudes of family and peers towards homosexuality.
B)The amount of stigma someone's cultural context places on homosexuality.
C)Internalization of negative OR positive beliefs about what it means to have a non-heterosexual orientation.
D)All of the above.

Question 25

Freud believed that homosexuality was the result of which unresolved issues?

A)Anal-retentiveness
B)The Oedipus complex
C)Oral fixation
D)All of the above.

Question 26

What kind of factors do sociological theories see as influential on the origin of sexual orientation?

A)The social construction of sexual behavior.
B)The cultural models of sexuality we see and imitate.
C)The separation of the concept of sexual identity and sexual behavior
D)All of the above.

Question 27

According to your text, which of the following is true about Reparative Therapy?

A)By definition, it advocates the idea that people who are homosexual can be converted into homosexuals.
B)Specially trained, APA supported professionals currently practice Reparative Therapy.
C)The research on Reparative Therapy is rigorous and peer-reviewed.
D)None of the above

Question 28

Queer theory gives attention to the social construction of "normal" and "deviant" sexual behaviors and how they change over time.According to your text, when did this school of thought emerge?

A)Early 1970s
B)Early 1980s
C)Early 1990s
D)None of the above.

Question 29

How did the research of Evelyn Hooker help separate the idea of homosexuality from that of mental illness?

A)She studied people who were homosexual and not being treated for any clinical mental health disorders.
B)She had independent professionals attempt to classify people as homosexual or heterosexual based on surveys of well-being and personality; they were not able to do so.
C)She was not a therapist who relied on the accounts of her psychiatric patients who were homosexual.
D)All of the above.

Question 30

As part of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory, he believed that all children are born innately______ and then become heterosexual or homosexual adults depending on their experiences with their parents.

A)Asexual
B)Heterosexual
C)Homosexual
D)Bisexual

Question 31

Which of the following statement would a believer of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model be least likely to say about sexual orientation?

A)Home and school both act as influences on our sexual orientations.
B)Our sexual orientation is most often formed through self-examination alone.
C)Government policies help form our sexual orientations in some ways.
D)The media can have an impact on one's sexual orientation development.

Question 32

Which of the following, if any, are consistent with behaviorist theories of the development of sexual orientation?

A)We learn our orientation over time due to reinforcements and punishments of certain behaviors.
B)We are born with our sexual orientations and they emerge over time.
C)There is a critical period in early childhood during which sexual orientation is learned.
D)None of the above.

Question 33

What is penis envy?

A)The fear of castration experienced by males who have been circumcised.
B)The process through which female children become angry and feel inferior once they discover they do not and cannot have their own penises.
C)The temporary discomfort experienced by men using urinals in public restrooms when comparing their endowments unfavorably to others.
D)All of the above.

Question 34

In keeping with group peer interaction theory, what might be an increased risk for early maturing males?

A)They may masturbate often enough to reduce their contact with peers.
B)They may begin sexual activity early with opposite sex peers due to erotic feelings.
C)They may learn to focus erotic feelings on same sex peers, with whom they spend the most time because of their age.
D)All of the above

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true about our current understanding of sexual orientation?

A)There is one predominant theory that explains the process.
B)We use multiple theories to most fully explain the process.
C)We have no fitting theories that explain the process.
D)Different theories are relevant for different kinds of sexual orientation.

Question 36

Which of the following, if any, provide evidence for the argument that our society is heterosexist?

A)Heterosexual people can serve in the military without fear of disclosing their sexual orientation.
B)Most popular magazines in American culture are inclusive of people with homosexual or bisexual orientations.
C)It is not unusual to turn on the television and see examples of untroubled people with homosexual orientations.
D)None of the above.

Question 37

What does the neurohormonal theory suggest about the influence of hormonal exposure in the womb?

A)Being exposed to increased levels of same-sex hormones may direct the brain to develop as if the fetus were the opposite sex.
B)Being exposed to increased levels of opposite-sex hormones may direct the brain to develop as if the fetus were the opposite sex.
C)Being exposed to increased levels of opposite-sex hormones may direct the brain to develop as if the fetus were the same sex.
D)Both A and C are correct.

Question 38

What is gender bending in childhood and adolescence?

A)Making sure that peers who do not conform to gender norms are bent back into the "correct" behaviors.
B)Using play to try on behaviors that fall outside of traditional gender norms.
C)Refusing to participate in cross-gender activities
D)None of the above.

Question 39

In twin studies, identical twins show a higher incidence of homosexuality than do fraternal twins.What does this imply about the origins of sexual orientation?

A)Parenting practices do not seem to matter as much as genetics.
B)Parenting practices seem to matter a great deal more than do genetics.
C)Twins have such similar experiences that their environments must matter.
D)None of the above.

Question 40

In what year did the American Psychological Association declassify homosexuality as a mental illness?

A)1925
B)1947
C)1973
D)1981

Question 41

Despite efforts to the contrary, why is it thought that hate crimes are still underreported?

A)The enforcement officers may not recognize all hate crimes for what they are, and therefore some go unreported.
B)Many victims of such discriminatory crimes are afraid that reporting them will result in more harassment.
C)Some of the crimes are indirect, making them difficult to prove (e.g., property crimes as hate crimes).
D)All of the above.

Question 42

When data was gathered about sexual orientation across many countries, only about 3% of those surveyed in Australia self-identified themselves as gay or lesbian.However, up to 20% the same people reported having same sex attraction or sexual experience.

Question 43

The following are assumptions often expressed by heterosexual people who oppose family formation and adoption for gay families.Which of them, if any, seem to be supported by recent research on the subject?

A)Gay male parents are more likely to sexually abuse their children than their straight peers.
B)Children of gay parents are more likely to disrespect them.
C)Children of lesbian parents are more assertive in challenging gender roles in their own relationships.
D)None of the above.

Question 44

According to your text, which of the following statements is accurate?

A)Homosexual people tend to meet potential partners in the same places as their heterosexual peers.
B)Heterosexual partners are most likely to start off their relationship as friends before they become romantically involved.
C)Gay and lesbian partnerships tend to end more quickly than do those of their heterosexual peers.
D)All of the above.

Question 45

What kinds of bias are included in the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA), also known as the Matthew Shepard Act?

A)Sexual orientation
B)Race- actual or perceived
C)Country of origin
D)All of the above

Question 46

The experience of developing a non-majority sexual identity is very similar for most people.

Question 47

According to your text, which of the following, if any, are commonly reported fears associated with the coming out process?

A)Being disowned by your family.
B)Losing your standing in your religious community.
C)Fear of acting out physical violence against those who are unsupportive.
D)A and B only.

Question 48

According to current research findings, which of the following is among the most strongly evidenced trends seen among gay youth?

A)Their suicide rate is consistently higher than that of their heterosexual peers.
B)Their rate of substance abuse is markedly higher than that of their heterosexual peers.
C)There is nothing that seems effective in reducing social anxiety about sexual identity.
D)All of the above.

Question 49

Research on brain differences between men who are heterosexual and homosexual, such as LeVay's, has proven fruitful at finding reliable structural differences between them.

Question 50

In what decade was the Hate Crimes Statistics Act (HCSA), which requires the U.S.Justice department to collect data on such crimes and publish them yearly?

A)The 1970s
B)The 1980s
C)The 1990s
D)The 2000s

Question 51

Two predominant models of sexual identity development by Cass and Coleman

A)Do not agree on the nature of the process.
B)Both end in the integration of a person's identity and his or her environment.
C)Both work in terms of continuums.
D)Both B and C are true.

Question 52

Which of the following is not one of the common elements to recent theoretical models of the coming out process?

A)Admitting to yourself that you might be gay.
B)Coming out to others.
C)Forcing yourself to engage in heterosexual acts to confirm your feelings.
D)Living openly as a person who is gay, lesbian or transgender.

Question 53

Sexual orientation is primarily about the gender of the people with whom you want to have sex.

Question 54

There are an increasing number of findings that indicate there may be certain physiological differences related to sexual orientation.

Question 55

Studies show no evidence for the existence or accuracy of gaydar.

Question 56

Recent research points to a connection between gender role nonconformity and homosexuality.Which of the following does this imply?

A)Cross gender play causes homosexuality.
B)Nontraditional play can result in feelings of social alienation for children.
C)Gender roles enacted by male children who are homosexual tend to be more masculine than those of their heterosexual peers.
D)All of the above.

Question 57

If you are bisexual, then you are attracted to both men and women, and can therefore never be monogamous.

Question 58

Although famous for his development of a scale emphasizing the continuum between heterosexuality and homosexuality, Alfred Kinsey was not the first scholar to argue the existence of such a continuum.

Question 59

A behaviorist might argue that if a women attracted to other women sexually were punished enough times for acting on that attraction, it might condition her in the direction of a heterosexual orientation.

Question 60

According to your text, what does "coming out" refer to?

A)The time you choose to reveal your identity as a homosexual to your closest friends.
B)The time you choose to reveal your identity as a homosexual to your family members.
C)The process of developing a positive gay identity.
D)None of the above.

Question 61

According to recent research, which female children are at most risk for sexual abuse: those with heterosexual or gay fathers? What are some of the implications of your answer?

Question 62

Barriers like fear of harassment from peers can impair adolescents self esteem, and make them feel isolated or lonely.Which adolescents are at highest risk for this difficulty, and why?

Question 63

Choose 5 countries for which your text provides information on LGBT laws.Explain the laws for each country and comment on what beliefs about sexual orientation they seem to reflect.

Question 64

Now that the APA has moved away from a clinical model of homosexuality and is therefore no longer focused on finding a cure, how do they focus on the issue of sexual orientation?

Question 65

Does sexual orientation seem to have any influence on how many people are questioning existing parenting norms and forging new ways to create families? Why or why not?

Question 66

What do current studies show in terms of influences on children? Do they seem to point to sexual orientation or parent-child interactions as a more influential factor?
Essay:

Question 67

Describe some of the recent survey findings on the incidence of non-heterosexuality in the United States.What are some challenges involved in collecting and interpreting this data?

Question 68

Is it possible for a person whose sexual orientation is homosexual to feel homophobic themselves? Why or why not?

Question 69

How is gay bashing defined legally? What are the implications of it including only one type of violence?

Question 70

According to studies focused on partner selection, gay men and lesbians tend to value some of the same qualities in a partner as do heterosexuals.What is one of these qualities?

Question 71

Although it is very much a part of the current public dialog on relationships, the concept of legal marriages for gays and lesbians was almost nonexistent about 30 years ago.

Question 72

Explain Kinsey's Sexual Orientation Scale, including its features and its meaning.Give an example of what it might mean to fall at a part of the scale that is not extreme.

Question 73

Define the concept of reparative therapy.Critique this therapeutic approach, including a discussion of whether you find it to be a valid therapy, and why there is little to no peer-reviewed research on this technique.

Question 74

Explain the difference between sexual orientation and gender.Illustrate your points with examples of how the two might be consistent or inconsistent for different people.

Question 75

What are some of the self defeating behaviors that the stigma of being gay in a heterosexual privileged world can cause among GLBT youth and young adults?

Question 76

Many people are questioning existing parenting norms and forging new ways to create families.What influence does sexual orientation seem to have on this process, if any? Please include rationale for your answer.

Question 77

Studies comparing gay and lesbian parents with their heterosexual peers document many similarities and some differences.What is the most striking difference?

Question 78

Explain and describe Klein's Sexual Orientation Grid.Discuss what it means to add the idea of change over time to a model of sexual orientation.

Question 79

Define and critique the genetic theory of homosexuality.What information do twin studies add to the evidence for this theory?