David – Your headline would be a much fairer one. Your analysis of the current headline seems right.

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”

As is the case for the vast majority of studies in this area, the sample size is quite small, constituting only 78 adolescents. The sample of lesbian parents is self-selected and appears to be different from the general population on important demographics such as socioeconomic status and educational attainment.

My question is- Is the vast amount of psychological research on other psychological topics

NOT Small sample size

NOT self reported

Thank you.

Therefore more likely to be true, generally.

It is also interesting that none of the boys are any more gay identifying than boys raised in a heterosexually headed family. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but in here there is something about women’s sexual orientation being more fluid than men’s. Somehow that must apply to this research, doesn’t it?

Of course the political counterpoint headline to NaARTH’s would be-

This should make the conservative bigots happy shouldn’t it? This would be a good study for them. They always seem like they are more worried about boys turning gay than girls turning lesbian. Hey the boys are fine, no problems there.

Sample size <500 means I treat it as a data point. 20 such studies,even if differing in methodology, all with samples of ~30 and saying the same kind of thing, I&#039d find pursuasive.

When dealing with biological studies of gender identity, sample sizes are often around 20. There just aren&#039t that many brains of cadavers of provably transsexual people that we are able to disect. It&#039s only MRI and PET scans that we have reasonable sample sizes in the hundreds.

I certainly agree with the thesis you’re pointing out here; but, I’m mystified as to calling this “a study”; something even being considered as noteworthy. Yes, it’s new; and, yes, NARTH would knee-jerk it, as usual; but, where’s any of the scientific method here?

I need to go back and look at what credentials the authors of the study have. This sounds like a grad student, needing a topic for a paper, putting out an ad for volunteers for the ‘research’ … asking 10 questions … and, wa-la, here’s a Research Paper.

I’m sorry to be so ornery about this; but, this is quite over-the-top in its Headline, as well as considering it something of value. Rosik points out huge flaws in the study; but, then calls it valuable as a starting point in this area. The only value I can see … is how not to do research. And, any group who latches onto this “as a study” should be known by the company it keeps.

Women’s sexuality appears more fluid than men’s base upon a growing and consistent body of research.

David B., most often it is cited as going from gay to str8. The big elephant in the room in this area is the large number of women (large in comparison to a small segment) moving from str8 to gay relationships.

I’d like to see a study on this, particularly. The number of older women, divorced or widowed, who are ending up in same-gender relationships, I think (no evidence) is far greater than the movement from gay to str8. Just my anecdotal evidence.