Personality and Sexual Orientation: Extension to Asexuality and the HEXACO Model

Previous research has examined self-identified sexual orientation in relation to self-reports on the Big Five personality factors. Here we extend this research by including asexuality as a fourth sexual orientation and by assessing the HEXACO personality factors, using self-report data from a large anonymous online sample (N ≈ 100,000). A large overlap was observed among all sexual orientation groups on all six HEXACO dimensions, but notable group differences also emerged. All nonheterosexual groups, particularly bisexual people, averaged higher in openness to experience than did heterosexuals. Heterosexual men averaged much lower in emotionality than heterosexual women, but only a small difference was observed between gay men and lesbians on this dimension. Asexual men and women averaged lower in extraversion and in some facets of emotionality (specifically, dependence and sentimentality) than did the other sexual orientation groups of the same sex. Results are discussed in relation to the different social realities that each sexual orientation group often experiences, along with the (gender-related) developmental influences hypothesized to underlie in part the origins of sexual orientation.     

Asexuality: prevalence and associated factors in a national probability sample

I used data from a national probability sample (N > 18,000) of British residents to investigate asexuality, defined as having no sexual attraction to a partner of either sex. Approximately 1% (n = 195) of the sample indicated they were asexual. A number of factors were related to asexuality, including gender (i.e., more women than men), short stature, low education, low socioeconomic status, and poor health. Asexual women also had a later onset of menarche relative to sexual women. The results suggest that a number of pathways, both biological and psychosocial, contribute to the development of asexuality.     

Operational research in social security

In this paper we describe the work of the Department of Health and Social Security Operational Research (OR) Unit in Social Security. This work started in 1972 and with one break of eighteen months still continues. One of the authors (AFH) led the OR team from the beginning until September 1979 and the other (MJP) was the customer for much of its work. We describe briefly the organisation of social security work, and go on to talk about some of the projects attempted by the OR team. We will not shrink from describing some of the successes but we will concentrate most attention on the things which did not achieve the expected results. Readers will make their own judgements about the extent to which the failures were due to circumstances or to inadequacies of the team, or its leader.     

Birth order and sexual orientation in a national probability sample

The relations between birth order and sexual orientation in both men and women were examined in a national probability sample of the United States (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, & Michaels, 1994). In addition, a possible mechanism that may underlie a birth order/sexual orientation relationship—sibling sexual activity/influence—was examined in these data. As in previous studies, men with same‐sex attraction were born later relative to men with opposite‐sex attraction, and there was no birth effect in women. In addition, no evidence was found that sibling sexual activity/influence (e.g., mutual sexual play/activity among brothers) underlies the birth order effect in men. These results suggest that existing birth order/sexual orientation findings are reliable, despite recent sampling problems in other research areas on sexual orientation development, and that future research needs to concentrate on other theories of the birth order effect, particularly on gender‐specific (i.e., male only) developmental mechanisms.     

Sexual Orientation,Objective Height,and Self-Reported Height

Studies that have used mostly self-reported height have found that androphilic men and women are shorter than gynephilic men and women, respectively. This study examined whether an objective height difference exists or whether a psychosocial account (e.g., distortion of self-reports) may explain these putative height differences. A total of 863 participants, recruited at a Canadian university, the surrounding region, and through lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) events across Canada, self-reported their height and had their height measured. Androphilic men were shorter, on average, than gynephilic men. There was no objective height difference between gynephilic, ambiphilic, and androphilic women. Self-reported height, statistically controlling for objective height, was not related to sexual orientation. These findings are the first to show an objective height difference between androphilic and gynephilic men. Also, the findings suggest that previous studies using self-reported height found part of a true objective height difference between androphilic and gynephilic men. These findings have implications for existing biological theories of men’s sexual orientation development.     

Intellectual ability and reactions to pornography

Two studies examined the relation between intelligence and men's sexual attitudes and interpersonal behavior with a woman after viewing pornography. Undergraduate men were assessed for IQ, viewed one of several films, then were assessed on various dependent measures, including interpersonal behavior with a female confederate. Lower IQ men were more sexually suggestive to the woman after viewing a sexually violent film than after viewing an nonviolent erotic film; higher IQ men did not differ in suggestiveness as a function of sexual film condition. In Study 2, lower IQ men were also physically closer to the woman after viewing a violent sexual film than after viewing a nonviolent erotic film; higher IQ men were less variable in proximity as a function of film condition. Results are discussed in relation to research suggesting that intelligence moderates influenceability, and to sex education programs that help individuals critically evaluate antisocial content in the sexual media.     

Asexuality: Prevalence and associated factors in a national probability sample

I used data from a national probability sample (N > 18,000) of British residents to investigate asexuality, defined as having no sexual attraction to a partner of either sex. Approximately 1%(n = 195) of the sample indicated they were asexual. A number of factors were related to asexuality, including gender (i.e., more women than men), religiosity, short stature, low education, low socioeconomic status, and poor health. Asexual women also had a later onset of menarche relative to sexual women. The results suggest that a number of pathways, both biological and psychosocial, contribute to the development of asexuality.     

Consensual Nonmonogamy: Psychological Well-Being and Relationship Quality Correlates

Consensually nonmonogamous relationships are those in which all partners explicitly agree that each partner may have romantic or sexual relationships with others (Conley, Ziegler, Moors, Matsick, &; Valentine, 2013 Conley, T. D., Ziegler, A., Moors, A. C., Matsick, J. L., &; Valentine, B. (2013). A critical examination of popular assumptions about the benefits and outcomes of monogamous relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17, 124–141. doi:10.1177/1088868312467087[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). In this article, research examining the associations between consensual nonmonogamy, psychological well-being, and relationship quality is reviewed. Specifically, three types of consensual nonmonogamy are examined: swinging, open relationships (including sexually open marriage and gay open relationships), and polyamory. Swinging refers to when a couple practices extradyadic sex with members of another couple; open relationships are relationships in which partners agree that they can have extradyadic sex; and polyamory is the practice of, belief in, or willingness to engage in consensual nonmonogamy, typically in long-term and/or loving relationships. General trends in the research reviewed suggest that consensual nonmonogamists have similar psychological well-being and relationship quality as monogamists. Methodological challenges in research on consensual nonmonogamy and directions for future research are discussed.