Sexual Orientation Psychology

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Recommended: Biological perspectives on sexual orientation

Scientists often view sexual orientation from a psychological perspective. Sexual orientation includes how one feels about and expresses their gender. Sexuality and gender roles are social constructs, perceptions of the world from which societies develop a shared understanding of reality. Some believe that there is strong evidence for a biological substrate of sexual orientation. Studies show that sexual orientation seems to be hereditary for both male and females. Some scientists think sexual orientation begins in the brain early in human development, with fetal exposure to androgens. Others believe sexual orientation occurs from external influences in the world around us, shaping our behaviors. The research on all sides has key missing pieces. Many studies focus solely on gay men, with random sample sizes and a lack of female participants. By including missing variables and expanding research into female sexuality, we may better understand sexual orientation in its entirety. Sexual orientation: Biology, genetics, or environment Sexual orientation is a very controversial topic in modern society; most often considered a …show more content…

In a 1978 study, mothers who took synthetic estrogen also correlated to lesbian offspring (as cited in Ellis, 1987, p. 247). The link between these drugs and hormonal effects is not completely clear. Even if there is a biological link, one must consider the fact that sexual orientation can change in an individual over a lifespan and it is this ability, which seems to detract from biological explanations alone (Greenberg & Bailey, 1993). Furthermore, Wilson, et al. (1981) showed human and rat fetuses with overlapping rates of androgen exposure at a rate of 5%, making the prenatal androgen theory inconclusive at best (as cited by Rice, et al., 2012, pg.

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