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Table of contents
1. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Individual Differences in Attitudes Toward Homosexuality: An Australian Twin Study......................................................................................................................................

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Genetic and Environmental Influences on Individual Differences in Attitudes Toward Homosexuality: An Australian Twin Study
Author: Verweij, Karin J; H; Shekar, Sri N; Zietsch, Brendan P; Eaves, Lindon J; Bailey, J Michael; Boomsma, Dorret I; Martin, Nicholas G ProQuest document link Abstract: Previous research has shown that many heterosexuals hold negative attitudes toward homosexuals and homosexuality (homophobia). Although a great deal of research has focused on the profile of homophobic individuals, this research provides little theoretical insight into the aetiology of homophobia. To examine genetic and environmental influences on variation in attitudes toward homophobia, we analysed data from 4,688 twins who completed a questionnaire concerning sexual behaviour and attitudes, including attitudes toward homosexuality. Results show that, in accordance with literature, males have significantly more negative attitudes toward homosexuality than females and non-heterosexuals are less homophobic than heterosexuals. In contrast with some earlier findings, age had no significant effect on the homophobia scores in this study. Genetic modelling showed that variation in homophobia scores could be explained by additive genetic (36%), shared environmental (18%) and unique environmental factors (46%). However, corrections based on previous findings show that the shared environmental estimate may be almost entirely accounted for as extra additive genetic variance arising from assortative mating for homophobic attitudes. The results suggest that variation in attitudes toward homosexuality is substantially inherited, and that social environmental influences are relatively minor. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT] MeSH: Adolescent, Adult, Cohort Studies, Female, Homosexuality, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Genetic, Prejudice, Questionnaires, Social Environment, Attitude (major), Environment (major) Publication title: Behavior Genetics Volume: 38 Issue: 3 Pages: 257-65 Number of pages: 9 Publication year: 2008 Publication date: May 2008 Year: 2008 Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media Place of publication: New York Country of publication: Netherlands Publication subject: Medical Sciences, Psychology, Biology, Biology--Genetics ISSN: 00018244 Source type: Scholarly Journals Language of publication: English Document type: Journal Article

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10519-008-9200-9 Accession number: 18347968 ProQuest document ID: 229021413 Document URL: http://search.proquest.com/docview/229021413?accountid=15533 Copyright: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008 Last updated: 2014-03-19 Database: ProQuest Central

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