The alliance theory of homosexual behavior and the perception of social status and reproductive opportunities.
OBJECTIVE
The alliance theory holds that homosexual behavior in humans may have evolved because it reinforced same-sex alliances which contributed to survival and reproduction. The present study was designed to test this evolutionary hypothesis in view of the strongly negative perception of homosexual behavior. It was predicted that targets who engaged in homosexual behavior would be perceived as likely to achieve greater social status and reproductive opportunities when the behavior reinforced an alliance that led to increased social opportunities.


METHODS
Three hundred sixteen men and women read scenarios in which a target engaged in homosexual behavior and then answered questions about the target's future social status and reproductive opportunities as measured by number of sexual partners. The data were analyzed in two 3 (social outcome: positive vs. neutral vs. negative) x 2 (gender of target) x 2 (gender of participant) analyses of variance.


RESULTS
The results supported the predictions and demonstrated that targets were perceived as likely to have the greatest social status and reproductive opportunities in the positive outcome condition.


CONCLUSIONS
The alliance theory of homosexual behavior may have heuristic value for the evolutionary study of homosexual behavior and its perception.
Muscarella
Frank
F
Department of Psychology, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL 33161, USA. fmuscarella@mail.barry.edu
Cevallos
Ana M
AM
Siler-Knogl
Amber
A
Peterson
Linda M
LM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003468:Cultural Evolution; D005260:Female; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012098:Reproduction; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012919:Social Behavior