title: Top/Bottom Sexual Self-labels and Empathizing-Systemizing Cognitive Styles Among Gay Men in China.
abstract: Gay men across a variety of countries label themselves by their preferences for insertive anal intercourse or receptive anal intercourse. A "top" is defined as someone who prefers the insertive role, a "bottom" as someone who prefers the receptive role, and "versatile" as someone who has no preferences regarding anal sex role. Previous studies documented that tops showed a masculine profile and bottoms showed a feminine profile in gendered personality traits. In this study, we examined the association among sexual self-label groups and empathizing-systemizing (E-S) cognitive styles among 509 gay men across multiple cities in China. There were significant differences in systemizing among sexual self-label groups, with tops scoring higher on systemizing than bottoms and versatiles. Tops were more likely to have S > E and high E and S cognitive styles than bottoms. Bottoms were more likely to have E > S and low E and S cognitive styles than tops. There was a significant indirect effect of systemizing on sexual self-label through Self-MF. There was also a significant indirect effect of sexual self-label on systemizing through Self-MF. The findings suggest that sexual self-labels among adult gay and bisexual men may reflect more than preferences for anal sex.
authors: Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China, lijuntrue@163.com.
authors: Lijun
authors: L
authors: Zheng
authors: Trevor A
authors: TA
authors: Hart
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003075:Coitus / Q000523:psychology*; D005783:Gender Identity; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012930:Social Dominance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult