scholarly journals Mu-Suppression as an Indicator of Empathic Processes in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 635-644
Author(s):  
Katrin T. Lübke ◽  
Charlotte Sachse ◽  
Matthias Hoenen ◽  
Bettina M. Pause
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Typical Pattern ◽  
Mu Suppression ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Pain Ratings ◽  
Negative Feelings

Abstract Self-reported empathy differs with gender and sexual orientation. The current study investigated whether mu-suppression, reflecting brain activity especially related to state empathy, also is modulated by gender and sexual orientation. Pictures of painful and non-painful actions were presented to 20 lesbians, 20 gay men, 20 heterosexual men and 20 heterosexual women, while EEG was recorded. Individual peak frequencies of mu-activity (electrodes C3, C4) were detected within the 6–11 Hz band for each participant, and mu-suppression indices were calculated. Further, verbal indicators of state empathy (pain ratings) and compassion were assessed. Only heterosexual individuals showed the typical pattern of enhanced mu-suppression in response to painful relative to non-painful pictures. Lesbian women and gay men did not show a differential mu-response. Moreover, they felt less compassion compared to heterosexual individuals. In line with this finding, the more compassion the participants reported, the stronger the mu-suppression in response to painful relative to non-painful pictures was. Pain ratings did not vary with sexual orientation. The lesser compassion reported by lesbian women and gay men is discussed as a mediator of their non-differential mu-suppression response. It is hypothesized that this pattern might relate to gay men and lesbian women tending to perceive the anonymous depicted actors as outgroup members, hence showing less compassion and reduced mu-suppression. As empathy is often related to negative feelings (empathic stress), a clear distinction between individuals to empathize with versus individuals not to emphasize with may well be an adaptive feature in same-sex oriented individuals.

Gender, sexual orientation and body dissatisfaction: a meta-analysis covering four decades of research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Huerga Malillos ◽  
Elena Theofanous ◽  
Keith R. Laws ◽  
Paul Jenkinson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Pairwise Comparisons ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Meta Analyses

Background: Four decades of research has assessed how gender and/or sexual orientation contribute to levels of body dissatisfaction (BD). The findings have proven somewhat equivocal and little attention has been paid to potential moderators. Method: The current meta-analysis compared BD in gay and heterosexual men (38 overall effects), and lesbian and heterosexual women (25 overall effects). Additional pairwise comparisons explored differences between heterosexual men and heterosexual women, gay men and lesbians, gay men and heterosexual women, and heterosexual men and lesbian women. Results: Random effects model meta-analyses revealed greater levels of BD in gay men compared to heterosexual men (g = -0.36, 95% CI -0.43, -0.29). By contrast, BD was greater in heterosexual women than lesbians (g = 0.09 95% CI 0.03, 0.15). Year of publication and mean difference in age between gay and heterosexual samples moderated the relationship between BD and sexual orientation, but only for men. Pairwise comparisons indicated that BD is highest in heterosexual women and lowest in heterosexual men.Conclusions: Findings indicate that both gender and sexual orientation influence BD. We identified a number of limitations in the existing research base, and make recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals THE HOMOSEXUAL LIFESTYLE: TIME USE IN SAME-SEX HOUSEHOLDS

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Martell ◽  
Leanne Roncolato
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Comparative Advantage ◽  
Time Use ◽  
Household Labor ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Use Patterns

AbstractWe are among the first to use American time-use data to investigate non-market behavior in gay and lesbian households. We contribute to a literature that has documented a gay disadvantage and lesbian advantage in the labor market. Many have proposed that this pattern reflects, relative to their heterosexual counterparts, higher levels of household labor among gay men and lower levels of household labor among lesbian women. Results show that gay men, parents in particular, spend more time in household production than heterosexual men. We find evidence of different time-use patterns for lesbians, but they are driven by characteristics not sexual orientation. These results also contribute to the economics of the household showing that time use in same-sex households with weaker gender constructs does not conform to the predictions of models that highlight comparative advantage as a source of specialization.

scholarly journals Sexual Orientation and Job Satisfaction: Survey-Based Evidence from Sweden

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 69-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Aldén ◽  
Mats Hammarstedt ◽  
Hanna Swahnberg
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Gay Males ◽  
Career Plans ◽  
Job Satisfaction Survey ◽  
Heterosexual Women

AbstractWe present results from a unique nationwide survey conducted in Sweden on sexual orientation and job satisfaction. Our results show that gay men are more likely to be very satisfied with their job than heterosexual men, both in general and with different aspects of the job. In contrast, lesbians appear less satisfied with their job in general and with promotion prospects than heterosexual women. Among women, we find no differences in the probability of being very satisfied with the job by sexual orientation. However, the issue of sexual orientation and job satisfaction is complex since gay men, despite that they more often are very satisfied with the job, like lesbians find their job more mentally straining than heterosexuals. We conclude that gay men and lesbians are facing other stressers at work than heterosexuals do. We also conclude that the worker’s own expectations about the job and possibilities to fulfill career plans may be possible driving forces to our results. Previous research has documented discrimination against gay males and lesbians in hiring. Our results underline that measures to prevent discrimination in hiring is not enough to create an equal working life for homosexuals and heterosexuals. Measures within the workplace are also needed.

scholarly journals Measurement of Sexual Interests with Pupillary Responses: A Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice Attard-Johnson ◽  
Martin R. Vasilev ◽  
Caoilte Ó Ciardha ◽  
Markus Bindemann ◽  
Kelly M. Babchishin
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Measurement Technique ◽  
Sexual Interest ◽  
Pupil Dilation ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Pupillary Responses ◽  
Meta Analyses

AbstractObjective measures of sexual interest are important for research on human sexuality. There has been a resurgence in research examining pupil dilation as a potential index of sexual orientation. We carried out a meta-analytic review of studies published between 1965 and 2020 (Mdn year = 2016) measuring pupil responses to visual stimuli of adult men and women to assess sexual interest. Separate meta-analyses were performed for six sexual orientation categories. In the final analysis, 15 studies were included for heterosexual men (N = 550), 5 studies for gay men (N = 65), 4 studies for bisexual men (N = 124), 13 studies for heterosexual women (N = 403), and 3 studies for lesbian women (N = 132). Only heterosexual and gay men demonstrated discrimination in pupillary responses that was clearly in line with their sexual orientation, with greater pupil dilation to female and male stimuli, respectively. Bisexual men showed greater pupil dilation to male stimuli. Although heterosexual women exhibited larger pupils to male stimuli compared to female stimuli, the magnitude of the effect was small and non-significant. Finally, lesbian women displayed greater pupil dilation to male stimuli. Three methodological moderators were identified—the sexual explicitness of stimulus materials, the measurement technique of pupillary response, and inclusion of self-report measures of sexual interest. These meta-analyses are based on a limited number of studies and are therefore preliminary. However, the results suggest that pupillary measurement of sexual interest is promising for men and that standardization is essential to gain a better understanding of the validity of this measurement technique for sexual interest.

scholarly journals Touched by vision: how heterosexual, gay, and lesbian people react to the view of their avatar being caressed on taboo body parts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Fusaro ◽  
Matteo Lisi ◽  
Gaetano Tieri ◽  
Salvatore Maria Aglioti
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Autonomic Reactivity ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Vicarious Experiences ◽  
Virtual Body

Embodying an artificial agent through immersive virtual reality (IVR) may lead to feeling somatosensory stimuli on one’s body which are in fact never delivered. What remains unknown is whether the vicarious touch in virtual reality reflects the basic individual and social features of real-life interpersonal interactions. Here, we explored the subjective and objective reactivity of heterosexual men/women (Study 1) and of gay men/lesbian women (Study 2) to the observation of a gender-matched virtual body being touched on different body parts, including the breast and genitalia, by male and female avatars. In addition to the illusory feeling of being touched and of owning the virtual body, participants reported on different aspects of the experience (e.g., appropriateness, erogeneity). Physiological measures of autonomic reactivity were also collected. Heterosexual men rated the female avatar’s touch as more appropriate and erogenous, while heterosexual women rated female and male avatar touches as equally appropriate, with the latter being most erogenous. Interestingly, gay men exhibited the same pattern of appropriateness and erogeneity as heterosexual women. In contrast, lesbian women rated more appropriate and erogenous the touches of the female avatar. For all participants, the most appropriate and erogenous regions were the social and the intimate ones, respectively. Importantly, touches on the virtual body’s intimate areas elicited the highest skin conductance response when participants were touched by a female avatar. Thus, IVR may easily induce vicarious experiences and ultimately allow the direct exploration of sensitive societal and individual issues that can otherwise be explored only through imagination.

scholarly journals Comparison of Treatment Outcomes Between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Heterosexual Individuals Receiving a Primary Care Psychological Intervention

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine A. Rimes ◽  
Matthew Broadbent ◽  
Rachel Holden ◽  
Qazi Rahman ◽  
David Hambrook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Treatment Outcomes ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
And Bisexual

Background: Lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals experience more anxiety and depression than heterosexual people. Little is known about their comparative treatment response to psychological interventions. Aims: To compare sociodemographic/clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes across sexual orientation groups, for adults receiving primary care psychological interventions from Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services in London, adjusting for possible confounders. Method: Data from 188 lesbian women, 222 bisexual women, 6637 heterosexual women, 645 gay men, 75 bisexual men and 3024 heterosexual men were analysed from pre-treatment and last treatment sessions. Males and females were analysed separately. Results: Before treatment, lesbian and bisexual women were more likely to report clinical levels of impairment (Work and Social Adjustment Scale) than heterosexual women; there were no significant differences in depression (PHQ-9) or anxiety (GAD-7). Bisexual men were more likely to meet depression caseness than gay men but less likely to meet anxiety caseness than gay or heterosexual men. Compared with heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual individuals showed smaller reductions in depression and impairment, controlling for age, ethnicity, employment, baseline symptoms, number of sessions and intervention type. Bisexual women experienced significantly smaller reductions in anxiety than heterosexual women and were less likely to show recovery or reliable recovery. There were no significant differences in treatment outcomes between gay, bisexual and heterosexual men. Conclusions: Reasons for poorer outcomes in lesbian and bisexual women require investigation, for example lifetime trauma or stigma/discrimination regarding gender or sexual orientation in everyday life or within therapy services.

scholarly journals Sexual Orientation Wage Gaps across Local Labour Market Contexts: Evidence from Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 734-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Denier ◽  
Sean Waite
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Market Research ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Family Status ◽  
Wage Gaps ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Local Labour ◽  
The Creation

Summary Mounting evidence suggests that sexual orientation matters in the labour market. Research in Canada points to a wage hierarchy not only by gender, but also by sexual orientation, with heterosexual men out-earning gay men, lesbians, and heterosexual women. While previous work has considered how human capital characteristics, occupation and industry of employment, and family status factor into the creation of these earnings disparities, little research has examined how residential concentration in large metropolitan areas factors into the creation of sexual orientation pay gaps. Drawing on the 2006 Census of Canada, this study investigates how sexual orientation wage gaps vary across geographic areas in Canada, documenting earnings disparities across the metropolitan/non-metropolitan divide as well as for Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. We also evaluate whether the mechanisms contributing to wage gaps diverge across these contexts, focusing on how pay gaps differ across occupations, points in the earnings distribution, and sectors of employment. Our results show that pay gaps are highest in non-metropolitan Canada. The underlying components of wage gaps fluctuate across Canada, especially for gay men. Sexual orientation earnings penalties are reduced in public sector employment, even where private sector wage gaps are highest. These results suggest that local social and labour market contexts are associated with the earnings outcomes of sexual minorities.

scholarly journals The Earnings Effects of Sexual Orientation

ILR Review ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan A. Black ◽  
Hoda R. Makar ◽  
Seth G. Sanders ◽  
Lowell J. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Earnings Differentials ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Definition Of

This investigation of the effect of sexual orientation on earnings employs General Social Survey data from 1989–96. Depending largely on the definition of sexual orientation used, earnings are estimated as having been between 14% and 16% lower for gay men than for heterosexual men, and between 20% and 34% higher for lesbian women than for heterosexual women. This evidence, the authors suggest, is consistent with either of two complementary constructions: Gary Becker's argument that male/female earnings differentials are rooted in specialization within households and in optimal human capital accumulation decisions individuals make when they are young; and Claudia Goldin's observations about marriage-based gender discrimination, according to which the paternalistic “protection” of wives and mothers from the world of work has tended to overlook lesbians.

Intimate Partner Homicide Methods in Heterosexual, Gay, and Lesbian Relationships

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystal D. Mize ◽  
Todd K. Shackelford
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Gay And Lesbian ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Intimate Partner Homicide ◽  
Lesbian Couples ◽  
Homicide Rates ◽  
Lesbian Relationships ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
And Gender

Previous research indicates that the killing method used in homicides may reflect the motivation of the offender and qualities of the victim–offender relationship. The effect of gender and sexual orientation of intimate partner homicide offenders (N = 51,007) was examined with respect to the brutality of killing methods. Guided by previous research and theory, it was hypothesized that homicide brutality will vary with the offender’s sexual orientation and gender, such that the percentage of killings coded as brutal will be higher for (a) gay and lesbian relative to heterosexual relations, (b) men relative to women, (c) gay relative to heterosexual men, and (d) lesbian relative to heterosexual women. The rates of intimate partner homicide were also hypothesized to vary with the gender of the partners, such that (a) homicide rates will be higher in gay relative to heterosexual and lesbian couples and (b) homicide rates will be lowest in lesbian couples. The results support all but one prediction derived from the two hypotheses. We predicted that men would kill their partners more brutally than would women, but the results indicate that the opposite is true.

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