Evidence of familial nature of male homosexuality

We recruited 51 predominantly homosexual and 50 predominantly heterosexual men as index subjects for a family study of sexual orientation. The sexual orientation of siblings (115 sisters and 123 brothers) was ascertained in two ways: via interview with the index subjects and via interview of and/or mailed questionnaire to the siblings themselves. Index subjects' knowledge of the sexual orientation of their siblings was, for the most part, quite accurate. Moreover, heterosexual index men had about as many homosexual brothers as would be predicted given national prevalence figures for homosexuality, but homosexual index men had about four times as many homosexual brothers, although in both cases most brothers were heterosexual. There was no significant difference between the index groups in number of homosexual sisters. We conclude that there is a significant familial component to male homosexuality.     

Change in psychoanalytic treatment.

Psychoanalytic treatment aims not simply at removal of symptoms but at basic characterologic improvement. Although change in psychoanalytic treatment is traditionally attributed primarily to insight, the author asserts that insight, although valuable, is not essential to the achievement of such change. Other elements basic to the therapeutic efficacy of all psychoanalytic techniques regardless of their theoretical orientation are discussed. Among additional factors, the implications of warmth and activity on the part of the analyst, and of setting a termination-date, are specifically elaborated on.     

Theories of origins of male homosexuality. A cross-cultural look

In this report, we use data from an isolated Eastern Highlands New Guinea tribe to test psychoanalytic and learning theory explanations for origins of homoerotic behavior. Despite heavy reinforcing of unlimited fellatio in prepubertal boys and youths and powerful teaching that female bodies are poisonously dangerous, Sambia men are almost always heterosexual. We present the history of the one who is not. It shows that, as analytic theory predicts, he is homosexual. In the childhood of all the other boys are the kinds of preoedipal and oedipal experiences that analytic theory proposes for a heterosexual outcome.