title: Correlates of same-sex attractions and behaviors among self-identified heterosexual university students.
abstract: Few studies have focused on intragroup variations in sexual orientation and fewer on self-identified heterosexuals with same-sex attractions, fantasies, and/or behaviors. Self-identified heterosexual students at a large public midwestern university (N = 263) completed measures of sexuality and gender, attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people, religious and political beliefs, emotional well-being, and demographics. The sample included 82 individuals (31%; labeled "H+") who endorsed same-sex attraction, fantasy, and/or behavior and 181 (69%; labeled "H") who did not. Women were more likely to be categorized as H+ than men. H+ participants had more positive attitudes toward lesbians and gay and bisexual men and reported more support for LGB-positive public policies than did H participants. H+ participants reported less literalistic beliefs about religious scripture than did H participants. H and H+ groups did not differ significantly on measures of emotional well-being. Results were discussed in the context of recent literature arguing for a more nuanced and gender-differentiated approach toward assessing sexual orientation, as well as literature on the flexibility of sexual orientation and on heterosexual identity development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA.
authors.forename: Luis F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Morales Knight
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hope
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D063509:Homophobia / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011287:Prejudice / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012067:Religion; D012071:Religion and Sex; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities