Here's the abstract:
Vol. 95, Issue 5, 2709-2713, March 3, 1998
Psychology-BS
Comparison of the auditory systems of heterosexuals and homosexuals:
Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions
Dennis McFadden* and Edward G. Pasanen
Department of Psychology and The Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712
Edited by Ira J. Hirsh, Central Institute for the Deaf, St. Louis, MO, and approved December 12, 1997 (received for review
September 4, 1997)
Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs) are echo-like waveforms emitted by normal-hearing cochleas in response to a
brief transient. CEOAEs are known to be stronger in females than in males. In this experiment, the CEOAEs of homosexual
and bisexual females were found to be intermediate to those of heterosexual females and heterosexual males. A parsimonious
explanation is that the auditory systems of homosexual and bisexual females, and the brain structures responsible for their sexual
orientation, have been partially masculinized by exposure to high levels of androgens prenatally. No difference in CEOAEs was
observed between homosexual and heterosexual males.
* To whom reprint requests should be addressed at: Department of Psychology, Mezes Hall 330, University of Texas, Austin,
TX 78712. e-mail: mcfadden@psy.utexas.edu. |
