Brian A. Gladue

Effects of gender and sexual orientation on evolutionarily relevant aspects of human mating psychology

Sexual selection theory provides a powerful model for the analysis of psychological sex differences. This research examined (a) tests of several sex differences in mating psychology predicted from sexual selection theory, (b) broad developmental hypotheses about sex differences in mating psychology--through the relationship of mating psychology to sexual orientation, and (c) the structure of within-sex differences in mating psychology. Scales measuring aspects of mating psychology were administered to heterosexual and homosexual Ss of both sexes. The structure of scale intercorrelations was similar across groups. All scales yielded sex differences consistent with sexual selection theory. Homosexual Ss generally obtained scores similar to those of same-sex heterosexual Ss, though several scales were significantly related to sexual orientation. Findings constrain hypotheses concerning the origins of sex differences.

Winning, losing, mood, and testosterone

In two experiments, male college students either won or lost

Aggressive behavioral characteristics, hormones, and sexual orientation in men and women

5 on a task controlled entirely by chance. In both studies, winners reported a more positive mood change than did losers and, in Experiment 2, winners reported a more positive mood change than a neutral group that did not win or lose money. After the task was completed, winners exhibited significantly higher testosterone levels than losers. Levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress and arousal, did not differ among the groups, suggesting that a hormone-behavior response pattern for winning and losing is specific to testosterone. These data suggest that winning can alter testosterone levels in men and that mood may mediate such changes.

Sexual orientation and spatial ability in men and women

Aggressive behavioral characteristics were assessed in groups of men and women by a self-report instrument, the Aggression Inventory, in which adult males reported more physical and verbal aggression than did females. Furthermore, males had higher scores on measures of impulsiveness and lack of frustration tolerance than did females, while women were more likely to avoid confrontation. In a second study, groups of male and female homosexuals and heterosexuals completed this Aggression Inventory after having blood samples taken to assay resting levels of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E). Groups of subjects within each gender were closely matched in terms of age, education, and vocational interests. Women were matched for the same time in their menstrual cycle (early follicular phase). Among men, homosexuals were indistinguishable from heterosexuals on all measures of aggression. Lesbians did not differ from heterosexual women on any aggression subscale except physical aggression, in which the homosexual women had lower scores. T and E were positively correlated with several indices of aggressive behavioral characteristics in men but were negatively correlated with those same measures in women.

The effects of hormones, Type A behavior pattern, and provocation on aggression in men

The performance by groups of male and female homosexuals and heterosexuals on three tests of spatial ability was studied. The groups were closely matched in terms of age, education, and vocational interests. Male homosexuals performed more poorly than male heterosexuals on a version of the water jar test and on the Mental Rotation Test, but the groups did not differ on measures of geographical knowledge or verbal ability. Female homosexuals and heterosexuals attained similar scores on all cognitive variables except the water jar test; on this task, the homosexual females performed more poorly than the heterosexual females. The influence of sexual orientation on visuospatial tasks could not be explained on the basis of self-reports of masculinity and femininity, or on the basis of experience with activities thought to foster the development of spatial skills. Such factors, however, acting in concert with biological influences that are not yet known, may have parallel effects on the development of sexual orientation and visuospatial ability.

Spatial ability, handedness, and human sexual orientation.

Thirty-eight male college students, classified as either Type A or Type B based on their Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS-T) scores, competed in a reaction time task that allowed them to administer shocks to an increasingly provocative fictitious opponent. Salivary testosterone and cortisol were measured both prior to and after the task. Aggression was defined as the level of shock the subject was willing to set for the opponent. The results of this study indicate that a relationship exists between endogenous testosterone levels in men and direct physical aggression. Some evidence for the moderating effects of hormones on the level of aggression expressed by Type As was observed. No direct relationship between Type A and aggression was found.

Endocrine, psychological and genital response to sexual arousal in men

We investigated the relations among mental rotations and spatial perception abilities, handedness, and sexual orientation in both men and women. The present study included a relatively large sample and attempted to control statistically for important covariates such as general intelligence. Significant sex differences were obtained for mental rotations and spatial perception, but not for handedness. None of these measures was significantly related to sexual orientation within either sex.

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE SEX DIFFERENCES IN SELF-REPORTED AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS

The endocrine, genital, and cognitive--affective responses of sexually functional men were compared under sexually arousing and non-arousing conditions. Sexually aroused subjects showed significantly higher serum luteinizing hormone concentrations than non-aroused subjects. Testosterone concentration was correlated with higher levels of penile response, but it did not prime further sexual arousal. Cortisol and prolactin concentrations decreased in both groups, more in the non-aroused group, and appeared to both inhibit and facilitate sexual response, depending on the level of anxiety reported by the subjects. Cortisol was correlated with self-reported worry, and testosterone with relaxation. These results support a multidimensional approach to the endocrine study of sexual arousal that includes both cognitive and genital response components.

Gender Differences in Perception of Attractiveness of Men and Women in Bars

Aggressive behavioral characteristics were assessed in a large group of men and women by a self-report instrument, the Aggression Inventory. Significant gender differences appeared on four factors in which men reported more physical aggression and verbal aggression than did women. Further, men had higher scores on measures of impulsiveness and lack of patience than women, while women reported being more likely to avoid confrontation. In addition to these quantitative sex differences in self-reported behavior, factor analyses indicated qualitative differences by sex, wherein most of the variance for women centered on verbal aggression, while physical aggression was the first factor for men.

Psychophysiological and endocrine responses to sexual arousal in women

The idea that men and women appear more attractive as the closing time of a bar approaches is suggested by both popular folklore and social science research. In an empirical test of this hypothesis, male and female subjects at a college bar were asked to rate the attractiveness of same -and opposite-gender bar patrons at three times (9:00 PM., 10:30(PM., and 12:00 A.M.) throughout an evening and to record type and amount of alcohol consumed. In addition, subjects rated six opposite-gender photographs that had been previously determined to represent a broad range of facial attractiveness. Ratings of opposite-gender patrons increased over time for both men and women (although female patrons received higher attractiveness ratings than male patrons), but no support was found for the hypothesis that increased ratings were due to alcohol consumption. Further, men rated photographic images of attractive women to be even more attractive as the evening progressed, while scores for less attractive female photographic images declined over time. No such temporal change was found for women subjects who rated male photographic images. These findings are discussed in the general context of dating, desire to meet the opposite sex, and mate selection.