An evaluation of psychoanalytic models of female homosexuality.
Item
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Title
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An evaluation of psychoanalytic models of female homosexuality.
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Identifier
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AAI9707095
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identifier
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9707095
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Creator
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Green, Ilene Meryl.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Steven Tuber
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Date
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1996
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical | Women's Studies
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Abstract
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Although homosexuality is no longer officially classified as a psychiatric illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it is nevertheless considered to be psychopathological by a number of mental health practitioners, more often than not, those within the psychoanalytic tradition. Although there have been several recent and noteworthy attempts to correct for this bias, psychoanalytic theory has generally failed to adequately reflect shifting ideas about homosexuality within the larger psychological and psychiatric communities. This has been due to a variety of factors, most notably the lack of methodologically sound psychoanalytically informed research upon which to revise existing models.;The objective of the current study was twofold; to fill a gap in the existing psychoanalytic database on female homosexuality, and to evaluate current psychoanalytic models of homosexuality in light of the data collected. To correct for bias in previous research, the current study compared a non-clinical, community sample of lesbians to a control group of female heterosexuals on a variety of outcome measures designed to assess psychological functioning, including the SCL-90-R, the Object Representation Inventory, the Assessment of Self Descriptions and a modified version of this scale, designed to measure gender identity.;When the two groups were compared, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups on any of the measures utilized, thus lending little support for those models which continue to pathologize homosexuality. Although no differences were observed in the area of psychopathology, interesting but non-psychopathological differences emerged between the two groups in several areas. These included: the ways in which sexual identity was differentially constructed in each of the two groups, the ways in which sexual orientation status mediated gender identity and the ways in which gender emerged as an aspect of self for both groups.;Implications for future research are discussed, including the necessity of developing normative models of homosexual identity and development, the importance of cross-validating the current study using a larger and more heterogeneous sample and finally, the possibility of utilizing an analogous research design to assess psychoanalytic models of male homosexuality.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
