PSY 344 - Exam 1

Weeks 1-7

According to the American Psychological Association’s (2015) Key Terms and Concepts in Understanding Gender Diversity and Sexual Orientation among Students, gender identity and sexual orientation are different constructs. Gender identify refers to____ and sexual orientation refers to ___

who people feel themselves to be; whom people are attracted to

According to Hammack and colleagues (2013), identify which research topics/inquires best characterize the master narratives in the field of psychology of the time: sickness script, species script, and subject script

1. lives and unique experiences of gay and lesbian people

2. links between sexual identity/homosexuality and pathology

3. incorporating interdisciplinary theory from queer studies

1. species

2. sickness

3. subject

The species script is a master narrative of ____ while the subject script is primarily related to a master narrative of ___

same-sex attraction as a normative form of human diversity; challenging categorizations of sexuality and gender

According to an intersectional framework, a main critique of social science research in the U.S. is that researchers have often focused on understanding inequalities by

examining factors such as race, gender, class, and sexuality as if they are independent and not interrelated

Gender Diversity

refers to the extent to which a person’s gender identity, role or expression differs from the cultural norms prescribed for people of a particular sex. This term is becoming more and more popular as a way to describe people without reference to a particular cultural norm, in a manner that is more affirming and potentially less stigmatizing than gender nonconformity

Gender non-conforming

is an adjective an umbrella term to describe individuals whose gender expression, gender identity, or gender roles differ from gender norms associated with their assigned birth sex. Subpopulations can develop specialized language to represent their experience and culture, such as the term “masculine of center” that is used in communities of color to describe GNC identity

Sexual orientation

a component of identity includes a person’s sexual and emotional attraction to another person and the behavior that may result from this attraction. An individual may be lesbian, gay, heterosexual, bisexual, queer, pansexual, or asexual. A person may be attracted to men, women, genderqueer, androgynous, or have other gender identities. This differs from sex, gender identity, gender role, and gender expression

Pansexual

is most commonly used in the world outside of academia as a sexual identity [and sexual orientation] term similar to “bisexuality”, but more inclusive of trans people. It also allows awareness of the implied gender binary in the term

During the time period of the sickness script master narrative (early to mid-20th century) describe three methodological or researcher bias issues related to how psychologists were conducting research on same-sex attraction/homosexuality

1. same-sex attraction/sexual orientation was conflated with gender roles (supported a gender inversion view of homosexuality

2. did not question or challenge the notion that heterosexual desire was a “majority identity.”

3. the participants were primarily white gay men who identify as gay

Describe the four key themes that emerged from Bowleg’s (2013) study the experiences of intersectionality among black gay and bisexual men

1. social issues and our identities cannot be understood by focusing on one aspect of identity or multiple identities considered independent of each other

2. people (including researchers) tend to categorize people into groups (based on race and sexuality), but individual and group identities are complex

3. instead, identity is complicated; we embody multiple identities simultaneously that interact and influence each other

4. multiple social identities at the individual level of experience (micro) intersect to reflect interlocking social-structural inequalities (macro)

Drawing on the Bowleg (2013) article and/or videos (e.g., Kimberle Crenshaw’s TED talk), provide a definition (main points) of intersectionality

where race, gender, age, sexuality, sexual orientation, etc all intersect and make up one unique distinct individual, The intersections of these identities are often overlooked and people are not accepted or seen as their full self

As discussed in Clarke and colleagues (2010) chapter on LGBTQ psychological research, quantitative methods tend to explore patterns of similarity between people and typically involves

fairly large samples and generalizability of research findings

Dr. Jeromel uses the Kinsey scale to identify participants as heterosexual or gay/lesbian, while Dr. Rome asks participants how they identify (e.g., heterosexual or gay/lesbian). Sometimes the researchers obtain wildly different percentages of people who identify as gay or lesbian. This represents which common issue when conducting LGBTQ research

defining a population

Which research method has been most widely used in the field of LGBTQ psychology?

interviews

As discussed in McClelland & Dutcher (2016), heterosexist bias can affect any point in the research process. Which of the following is a recommendation to help researchers avoid heterosexist bias

develop research questions that do not assume that sexual identity creates group differences

Describe advantages of qualitative methods for studying topics related to LGBTQ psychology

has more flexibility, more in-depth explorations and findings

Describe the disadvantages of qualitative methods for studying topics related to LGBTQ psychology

interpretations are more limited and data collection may be time consuming

Describe the advantages of quantitative research for studying topics related to LGBTQ psychology

more valid in society and easier/quicker to put in numbers and find precise answers

Describe the disadvantages of quantitative research for studying topics related to LGBTQ psychology

there may be a lack of nuanced insights and it will be harder to further explore the study more in research

Define heterosexism

describes an ideological system (like sexism and racism) that denies, denigrates, and stigmatizes any non-heterosexual form of behavior, identity, relationship, or community

• stems from an assumption that heterosexuality is natural and universal

Define heterosexist bias

prejudice against or an inclination toward conceptualizing the human experience in strictly heterosexual terms

Provide examples of heterosexist biases in research

• defining a household as people who are “married”, “widowed”, “divorced”, “seperated”, or “never married”

• assuming that there are (always) fundamental differences between people who identify as heterosexual and LGBTQ

• excluding people who identify as LGBTQ people from research analyses

The stage model

a linear model that researchers believe gay and lesbian identities are developed through different stages, typically during teens and early 20s; these are the six stages to finding identity: awareness, comparison, tolerance, acceptance, pride, and synthesis

The lifespan apprach

believed that LGBQ identities unfold and take multiple paths, including the development of a person’s self-concept, relationships with family, and connections to peers and community (development occurs over the lifespan and is no sequential or linear)

How does Sexual Configurations Theory expand our understanding of sexual identity?

learning that partnered sexuality can be broken down into multiple parameters such as partner number sexuality and the gender or sex sexuality

Preciado and colleagues (2013) argue that sexual orientation is composed of two basic elements

1. actual sexual experiences of attraction, behavior, and fantasy—and

2. personal Beliefs that those sexual experiences (termed self-perceived sexual orientation)

In one of the largest national surveys on sexual fantasies, Lehmiller (2018, as covered in lecture), found that all of the following were the most commonly reported fantasies, EXCEPT

missionary penetrative sex

Explain main events of 81 words (how homosexuality was removed from the DSM)

• Activist started making noise, saying they don’t need to be cured but would prefer the stigma to be removed so they could work in their career choice.

• Conservative old psychiatrist → out; new liberal psychiatrist → in (helped APA move changes forward)

• Ronald Gold talked to Spitzer, asking that he’d “do two things for us. Set up a meeting for us with the Nomenclature Committee, and set up some kind of a panel discussion at the next convention and allow us to participate.”

Even Robert Spitzer wasn't sure where he stood on the issue, so he came up with a plan.

• The plan: that the two sides of this issue have not met face to face and should have na organized debate. Ended up being very moving and moved Spitzer to tears, afterwards he said - let’s go write a resolution

• In 1987, the 237 words that Spitzer wrote about ego-dystonic homosexuality were quietly removed

• “In 1970, 90% of the APA believed that homosexuality was a pathology. Today, 90% believe that it's a normal variant of sexual behavior, no more pathological than something like left-handedness.”

Summarize how homosexuality was removed from the DSM

the species script: narrative of homosexuality as a normative form of human diversity; sexual minority as a social identity (removed in 1973)

Explain narrative psychology:

examines the relationship between language and human development. Human development is characterized by process of life-story construction

• we are making meaning of the social world by constructing stories

• our identities consist largely of the life stories we construct

Personal narratives

our own story/identity

Master narrative

cultural/societal “blueprint” or template people follow when structuring their own stories

The sickness script

narrative of sickness and pathology (consistent with the medical model) of homosexuality

• 1950s-1960s: research continued to focus on a sickness script and criminality of homosexuality 

• early 20th century:  body of research linked homosexuality with hallucinations, paranoia, manic, depression, alcoholism, schizophrenia, & more

The species script

narrative of homosexuality as a normative form of human diversity; sexual minority as a social identity 

• early 1970s (1973): removal of homosexuality as a mental illness from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)

• later 1990s: research focused in the impact of minority status on psychological well-being and adjustment; youth development (body image, risk behaviors, mental health, aprnets rejection, violence, suicide)

The subject script

narrative of challenging forms of gender and sexual categorization; concerns power and identity

• late 1990s/Early 2000s: interdisciplinary psychological theorizing;Queer theory, Intersectionality

• later 2000s+: use of diverse methodological tools, growing in popularity (e,g, qualitative methods)

Identify methodological/researcher biases during the sickness and species script master narrative over periods

• clinical or institutional samples of people (circular), Same-sex attraction/sexual orientation was conflated with gender roles

• same-sex attraction/sexual orientation was conflated with gender roles; participants: primarily white gay men who self-identify as gay

Identify 1-2 challenges that researchers may encounter who study LGBTQ populations

the sample sizes are relatively smaller, and people may not identify as LGBTQ but have experienced nonheterosexual tendencies

Explain self-perceived sexual orientation

motivation could shape self-perceived sexual orientation

• people have a desire to avoid stigma and embrace support

• if the external environment (contextual cues) stigma toward same-sex sexuality, people may change perceptions of their sexual orientation that indicate same-sex attraction or experiences

Identify 1-2 strengths and 1-2 limitations of each mode/approach to sexual identity development

• strength: Stage Model- focuses on development; Lifespan- very communicative

• weakness: Lifespan- very broad, not any specificity; Stage model; does not bring a  lot of others into development

Identify main points of Sexual Configurations Theory (i.e.components of sexual identity from the perspective of this theory). Understanding how this approach differs from the stage model or life span approaches to sexual orientation

• in SCT, partnered sexuality can be broken down into multiple parameters including:

  • partner number sexuality

  • gender/sex sexuality

• nurturance and erotism, are an additional parameter of sexuality; they are interwoven into partner number and gender/sex sexuality

• people can map their location onto each sexual parameter using a spectral SCT diagram

• unlike stage theory and lifespan approach: SCT changes over time, is fluid, and individuals can narrow down their identity using dots on the figure

Microaggressions

• verbal or nonverbal slights or insults based on someone's gender, race, ability status, sexuality, religion, or another marginalized identity

• the way a physical environment is set up

• subtle communion place, or “harder to identity” acts of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and ableism

Ally actions

someone who is working to promote equity (consistent engagement to action)

Ability to implement the five evidence-based ally strategies

• S (share thoughts and feelings using “I” statements

• P (point of view: encourage speaker to take another perspective)

• E (explain the situation without blame)

• A (ask speaker questions)

• K (keep humor out)