Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
This study tested Bem's (1996) "Exotic Becomes Erotic" theory of sexual orientation. Participants were 182 4th- through 8 th-graders. In accord with Bem's theory, sex-typing (i.e., sex-typed traits, interests, and playmate preferences) and goodness-of-fit with one's gender predicted heterosexual identity. However, goodness-of-fit did not mediate relations of sex-typing to heterosexual identity; instead, sex-typing mediated the relation of felt similarity to heterosexual identity. Implications for alternative models are discussed.
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