Abstract
Data on the Sambia—a tribe living in Papua New Guinea—are presented to demonstrate how Sambia males develop a homosexual orientation in boyhood and adolescence, then switch to become heterosexuals in adulthood. Social learning theory is used to explain how sexual orientation in the Sambia change from homo- to heterosexual during the transition to adulthood. Whereas most learning analyses of sexual orientation are based on data from Western cultures, this manuscript extends that literature to deal with a non-Western culture. While including Pavlovian and operant conditioning, which is stressed in many learning analyses of sexual learning, the present analysis also includes detail on the social and cognitive learning principles that are important in understanding the learning of sexual orientation and behavior.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
Bandura, A. (1969).Principles of Behavior Modification Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.
Bandura, A. (1977).Social Learning Theory Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Bandura, A. (1986).Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Cohen, M. L., Seghorn, T. and Calmas, W. (1969). Sociometric study of the sex offender.J. Abnorm. Psychol. 74: 249–255.
Davenport, W. H. (1976). Sex in cross-cultural perspective. In Beach, F. A. (ed.),Human Sexuality in Four Perspectives Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp. 115–163.
Dinsmoor, J. A. (1977). Escape, avoidance, punishment: Where do we stand?J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 28: 83–95.
Ford, C. S., and Beach, F. A. (1951).Patterns of Sexual Behavior Harper & Row, New York.
Freund, K. (1960). Some problems in the treatment of homosexuality. In Eysenck, H. J. (ed.),Behaviour Therapy and the Neuroses Pergamon, New York, pp. 312–325.
Gagnon, J. H., and Simon, W. (1973).Sexual Conduct: The Social Sources of Human Sexuality Aldine, Chicago.
Herdt, G. H. (1981).Guardians of the Flutes: Idioms of Masculinity McGraw-Hill, New York.
Herdt, G. H. (1982a). Sambia nose-bleeding rites and male proximity to women.Ethos 10: 189–231.
Herdt, G. H. (1982b). Fetish and fantasy in Sambia initiation. In Herdt, G. H. (ed.),Rituals of Manhood: Male Initiation in Papua New Guinea University of California Press, Berkeley, pp. 44–98.
Herdt, G. H. (1984a). Semen transactions in Sambia culture. In Herdt, G. H. (ed.),Ritualized Homosexuality in Melanesia University of California Press, Berkeley, pp. 167–210.
Herdt, G. H. (ed.). (1984b).Ritualized Homosexuality in Melanesia University of California Press, Berkeley.
Honig, W. K., and Urcuioli, P. J. (1981). The legacy of Guttman and Kalish (1956): Twentyfive years of research on stimulus generalization.J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 36: 405–445.
Kahane, H. (1980).Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric Wadsworth, Belmont, CA.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., and Martin, C. E. (1948).Sexual Behavior in the Human Male W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., and Gebhard, P. H. (1953).Sexual Behavior in the Human Female W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia.
Mahoney, M. J. (1974).Cognition and Behavior Modification Ballinger, Cambridge, MA.
Marquis, J. N. (1977). Orgasmic reconditioning: Changing sexual object choice through controlled masturbation fantasies. In Fischer, J., and Cochros, H. L. (eds.),Handbook of Behavior Therapy with Sexual Problems, Vol. 1, Pergamon, New York.
Masters, W. H., and Johnson, V. E. (1979).Homosexuality in Perspective Little, Brown, Boston.
Masters, W. H., Johnson, V. E., and Kolodny, R. C. (1985).Human Sexuality 2nd ed., Little, Brown, Boston.
McGuire, R. J., Carlisle, J. M., and Young, B. G. (1965). Sexual deviations as conditioned behavior: A hypothesis.Behav. Res. Ther. 2: 185–190.
Meichenbaum, D. (1977).Cognitive Behavior Modification Plenum Press, New York.
Miller, N. E., and Dollard, J. (1950).Personality and Psychotherapy McGraw-Hill, New York.
Saghir, M. T., and Robins, E. (1973).Male and Female Homosexuality Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore.
Schiller, G. (1987). The pursuit of masculinity: A study in homosexual sadomasochism. Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
Scott, J. F. (1971).Internalization of Norms: A Sociological Theory of Moral Commitment Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Stoller, R. J., and Herdt, G. H. (1985). Theories of origins of male homosexuality.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 42: 399–404.
Storms, M. D. (1980). Theories of sexual orientation.J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 38: 783–792.
Storms, M. D. (1981). A theory of erotic orientation development.Psychol. Rev. 88: 340–353.
Tollison, C. D., and Adams, H. E. (1979).Sexual Disorders: Treatment, Theory, and Research Gardner Press, New York.
Van Wyk, P. H., and Geist, C. S. (1984). Psychosocial development of heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual behavior.Arch. Sex. Behav. 13: 505–544.
Walter, G. C., and Grusec, J. F. (1977).Punishment W. H. Freeman, San Francisco.
Weiner, H. (1965). Conditioning history and maladaptive human operant behavior.Psychol. Rep. 17: 935–942.
Zinick, G. A. (1983). The relationship between sexual orientation and eroticism, cognitive flexibility and negative affect. Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baldwin, J.D., Baldwin, J.I. The socialization of homosexuality and heterosexuality in a non-Western society. Arch Sex Behav 18, 13–29 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01579288
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01579288