I'll provide the research studies you folks have asked for but will start with a quote from an article authored by Joseph Nicolosi, Ph.D. in an article he authored in the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, "Fathers of Male Homosexuals: A Collective Profile."
It is widely agreed that many factors likely contribute to the formation of male homosexuality. One factor may be the predisposing biological influence of temperament (Byne and Parsons, 1993). No scientific evidence, however, shows homosexuality to be directly inherited in the sense that ey color is inheritied (Satinover, 1996). Recent political pressure has resulted in a denial of the importance of the factor most strongly implicated by decades of previous clinical research--DEVELOPMENTAL FACTORS, PARTICULARLY THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTS (his emphasis--not mine). Another quote from a paper by Uriel Meshoulam, Ph.D from the same journal . . . "These politically-correct days, discovering a paper which proposes a psychological theory of sexual preference is rare. I was therefore surprised to find Daryl J. Bem's article published in a recent issue of Psychological Review (Bem, 1996)." What psychologists choose to study and collect data on is certainly influenced by the pressures and attitudes of the culture. Jay Belsky, who completed a number of studies that revealed data on some of the negative influences of the extensive use of day care, was villified in the media and at conferences. Belsky stated that one of the major reasons he moved to London was to escape what he saw as rather viscious and constant attacks on his motives and character, as I have mentioned in a previous post. I have no doubt that in our present climate, it is far more acceptable and laudable to look for biological causes for sexual orientation than family dynamics. We just don't "go there" anymore. I'm baffled at the ongoing fury directed at this nature vs nurture debate as isn't it the case that almost all human behavior is a dance between genetics/predispositions and early experiences? I have no personal stake in this particular issue, per se, but one of my areas of relative expertise is infant mental health. In my research I have come across very impressive research on the impact of early experience on all sorts of emotional disorders that I have since seen deep-sixed as they don't "fit" into our political correct need to lay guilt on parents. But that's not the point at all! No one is to blame as parenting is the most difficult and challenging job that exists! We parents all do the best we can with the skills, emotional health and emotional, financial and logistical support we are provided. Whatever, for those who are interested, I have provided the titles of twelve studies from the 1960's to the 1990's that have investigated how the relationships homosexual men have with their fathers compares with the relationships heterosexual men have with their fathers. Bell, A., Weinberg, M.,& Hammersmith, H. (1981) Sexual Preference. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Bieber, I. (1976) Psychodynamics and Sexual Object Choice. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 12(3), pp. 336-369) "Since 1962 when our volume was published, I have interviewed about 1,000 male homosexuals* and 50 pair of parents of homosexuals. The classic pattern was present in more than 90% of cases . . .I have never interviewed a single male homosexual who had a constructive, loving father. A son who has a loving father who respects him does not become a homosexual. I have concluded that there is a causal relationship between parental influence and sexual choice (p. 368).....however, one must not get trapped by the fallacy of the converse, tht is, a hostile, destructive father always produces a homosexual son. (*Subjects were all seeking psychoanalytic treatment.) Brown, D. (1963) Homosexuality and Family Dynamics. Bulletin Menniger Clinic, 27, pp. 227-232 Dickson, Gregory (1996) Father-son Relationships and Male Sexual Development. National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality. Abstract: The relationship between childhood paternal bonding and development of adult male homosexuality is documented in research literature. Utililizing the Parent-Child Relations Questionaire (PCR II: Siegelman & Roe, 1979), 135 Males* divided among three groups were surveyed: ego-syntonic homosexuals (orientation causes no stress); egodystonic homosexuals (orientation reported to be source of stress) and heterosexuals. As predicted by the hypothesis, results showed significant differences between heterosexual and homosexual groups on the father-love, father-reject, and father-attention scares of the PCR-II. Contrary to the hypothesis, a signficant difference was found between the ego-syntonic homosexuals and egodystonic homosexuals in the father-reject scale . .though not in the father-love or father-attention scales. (*Volunteer subjects obtained through contacting organizational leaders of support, church and political groups for permission to present the survewy to their group.) Evans, R. (1969) Childhood Parental Relationships of Homosexual Men. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 33(2), pp. 129-135. "The results strongly suggest poor parental relationships during childhood for the homosexual men*, at least as seen in retrospect." (*Evans collected data directly from volunteers who had never sought psychotherapy.) Harry, J. (1989) Parental Psychical Abuse and Sexual Orientation in Males. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 18(3), pp. 251-261. "Every study reported findings that their relationships with their fathers were unsatisfying with the father variously being described as cold, rejecting, indifferent, hostile, or simply distant"(p.251). Koenig,F. (1979) Dominant Parent As Projected by Homosexual and Heterosexual Males. The Journal of Sexual Research 15(4), pp. 316-320 Millic,J, and Crowne,D. (1986) Recalled Parent-Child Relations and Need for Approval of Homosexual and Heterosexual Men. ARchives of Sexual Behavior, 15(3),pp.239-246 Phelan, J (1993) Adult Male Homosexual's and Hetersexual's Recollection of Parental Actions Toward Them. (Unpublished manuscript) Compared the responses of 30 homosexual males to those of 30 heterosexual males, using the Siegelman and Roe Parent-Child Questionnaire, and found that the homosexual males reported having significantly less loving, less attentive and more rejecting fathers than heterosexual males. Siegelman, M. (1974) Parental Backgrounds of Male Homosexuals and Heterosexuals. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 3(1), pp. 3-18 (Siegelman,M., & Roe, A. (1979)Parent-Child Relations Questionnaire II. New York: Author) Sipova, I., & Brzek,A. (1983) Parental and Interpersonal Relationships of Transexual and Masculine and Feminine Homosexual Men. Journal of Homosexuality, 9(1), pp. 75-84. Sipova and Brzek reported that their heterosexual control group reported having kind, caring and at the same time, vigorous fathers endowed with authority. Homosexuals reported having a view of their fathers as more hostile and less dominant than the fathers of heterosexual controls. As identification models, homosexuals rated their fathers within a range from not very desirable to highly unsatisfactory. Thompson,N.,Schwartz, D., McCandless,B., & Edwards,D (1973). Parent-Child Relationships and Sexual Identity in Male and Female Homosexuals and Heterosexuals. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 4(1)pp. 120-127. Joan Joan Warmbold Boggs Associate Professor of Psychology Oakton Community College [EMAIL PROTECTED] PS I've learned my lesson--and that is never to make that type of post during my Spring Break!! > >> Hi Joan- >> >> I'm not sure which "excellent" research you are refering to. Perhaps >> you could provide some citations. For a broad overview of the research >> in this area the following site might be useful: >> http://members.aol.com/slevay/page22.html > > I'll second the recommendation to check out the webpage of Simon LeVay. > He's the noted neurphysiologist who contributed the research showing a > difference in brain anatomy between gays and straights referred to in > Joan's post. He has a fair assessment of his own finding there (under > brain anatomy, in the section on "Third interstitial nucleus of the > anterior hypothalamus (INAH1)". > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
