Sexuality research has generally privileged attractions based on partners’ sexed physical bodies ... more Sexuality research has generally privileged attractions based on partners’ sexed physical bodies over attractions based on other features, including gender expression and personality traits. Gender may actually be quite central to sexual attractions. However, its role has received little empirical attention. To explore how gendered and sexed features, among others, are related to sexual attractions, the current study assessed how sexually diverse individuals described their attractions to feminine, masculine, and gender-nonspecific features of women and men. A sample of 280 individuals responded to the open-ended questions: What do you find attractive in a man?” and “What do you find attractive in a woman?” We coded responses as pertaining to physical and/or psychological features, and as being gendered masculine, feminine, or gender-nonspecific. Our analyses showed that participants named gender-nonspecific features most frequently in responses to both questions, feminine features more than masculine features in attractions to women, and masculine features more than feminine features in attractions to men. Additionally, participants named feminine physical features more than masculine physical features, and masculine psychological features more than feminine psychological features, both
in their attractions to women and overall. These results highlight the importance of considering attractions based on gender, rather than sex alone.
Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2017
Policy debates have focused on who can participate in or access single-sex activities or services... more Policy debates have focused on who can participate in or access single-sex activities or services. This article describes how science of the biology of sex is relevant to three major policy areas: parenting (including leaves), sports, and public spaces. We focus on what scientists know about sex and gender (and gender/sex, where gender and sex are intertwined), and the role of various biological factors, including hormones such as testosterone and estradiol as well as genetics, gonads, genitals, and more. The policies under debate often use “biological sex,” but this fails to account for scientific understandings of sex and gender, misrepresents sex as single-faceted and binary, and overlooks scientific consensus about the importance of gender and identity.
Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2017
Sexual configurations theory (SCT; van Anders, 2015) provides theoretical and methodological tool... more Sexual configurations theory (SCT; van Anders, 2015) provides theoretical and methodological tools for describing, understanding, and studying gender/sex and sexual diversity. It may be of use to sexuality and gender researchers, as well as clinicians, activists, and individuals, but has not been empirically tested. In the present study, we tested the qualitative application of SCT in interviews with 25 gender and sexual minority participants and addressed 2 research questions: RQ1 ("Insights "): what features of partnered sexualities and gender/sex emerge from individuals' engagement with SCT diagrams? and RQ2 ("Utility "): how might SCT be useful for qualitative research with sexual and gender minorities? We thematically analyzed participants' engagement with SCT and its diagrams in the interviews. Results showed that SCT and its diagrams allowed participants to represent diverse experiences with their partnered sexualities and gender/sexes, and also to articulate nuanced conceptualizations of the structure and significance of SCT parameters, including gender/sex sexuality, partner number sexuality, and individual gender/sex, in their own lives. We discuss implications of our findings for qualitative research with sexual and gender minorities, social justice, and sexual and gender diversity more broadly. Public Significance Statement In this interview-based study based on sexual configurations theory (SCT), participants used SCT's diagrams to locate their gender/sex identities and sexualities (including separating out gender, sex, and gender/sex, a combination of the 2) and partner number sexualities (including separating nurturant and erotic sexualities). We describe how SCT provides useful ways to conceptualize and study gender/sex and sexual diversity and gives important insights into sexual and gender minority experiences, orientations, and identities.
Sexuality research has generally privileged attractions based on partners’ sexed physical bodies ... more Sexuality research has generally privileged attractions based on partners’ sexed physical bodies over attractions based on other features, including gender expression and personality traits. Gender may actually be quite central to sexual attractions. However, its role has received little empirical attention. To explore how gendered and sexed features, among others, are related to sexual attractions, the current study assessed how sexually diverse individuals described their attractions to feminine, masculine, and gender-nonspecific features of women and men. A sample of 280 individuals responded to the open-ended questions: What do you find attractive in a man?” and “What do you find attractive in a woman?” We coded responses as pertaining to physical and/or psychological features, and as being gendered masculine, feminine, or gender-nonspecific. Our analyses showed that participants named gender-nonspecific features most frequently in responses to both questions, feminine features more than masculine features in attractions to women, and masculine features more than feminine features in attractions to men. Additionally, participants named feminine physical features more than masculine physical features, and masculine psychological features more than feminine psychological features, both
in their attractions to women and overall. These results highlight the importance of considering attractions based on gender, rather than sex alone.
Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2017
Policy debates have focused on who can participate in or access single-sex activities or services... more Policy debates have focused on who can participate in or access single-sex activities or services. This article describes how science of the biology of sex is relevant to three major policy areas: parenting (including leaves), sports, and public spaces. We focus on what scientists know about sex and gender (and gender/sex, where gender and sex are intertwined), and the role of various biological factors, including hormones such as testosterone and estradiol as well as genetics, gonads, genitals, and more. The policies under debate often use “biological sex,” but this fails to account for scientific understandings of sex and gender, misrepresents sex as single-faceted and binary, and overlooks scientific consensus about the importance of gender and identity.
Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2017
Sexual configurations theory (SCT; van Anders, 2015) provides theoretical and methodological tool... more Sexual configurations theory (SCT; van Anders, 2015) provides theoretical and methodological tools for describing, understanding, and studying gender/sex and sexual diversity. It may be of use to sexuality and gender researchers, as well as clinicians, activists, and individuals, but has not been empirically tested. In the present study, we tested the qualitative application of SCT in interviews with 25 gender and sexual minority participants and addressed 2 research questions: RQ1 ("Insights "): what features of partnered sexualities and gender/sex emerge from individuals' engagement with SCT diagrams? and RQ2 ("Utility "): how might SCT be useful for qualitative research with sexual and gender minorities? We thematically analyzed participants' engagement with SCT and its diagrams in the interviews. Results showed that SCT and its diagrams allowed participants to represent diverse experiences with their partnered sexualities and gender/sexes, and also to articulate nuanced conceptualizations of the structure and significance of SCT parameters, including gender/sex sexuality, partner number sexuality, and individual gender/sex, in their own lives. We discuss implications of our findings for qualitative research with sexual and gender minorities, social justice, and sexual and gender diversity more broadly. Public Significance Statement In this interview-based study based on sexual configurations theory (SCT), participants used SCT's diagrams to locate their gender/sex identities and sexualities (including separating out gender, sex, and gender/sex, a combination of the 2) and partner number sexualities (including separating nurturant and erotic sexualities). We describe how SCT provides useful ways to conceptualize and study gender/sex and sexual diversity and gives important insights into sexual and gender minority experiences, orientations, and identities.
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In Press by Zach Schudson
in their attractions to women and overall. These results highlight the importance of considering attractions based on gender, rather than sex alone.
2017 by Zach Schudson
in their attractions to women and overall. These results highlight the importance of considering attractions based on gender, rather than sex alone.