The Conceptualization and Measurement of the Homosexual, Heterosexual, and Bisexual Populations in the United States

Abstract

In this chapter we conceptualize and measure sexuality and sexual orientation. We discuss the two main approaches used by social scientists to conceptualize sexual orientation, namely, essentialism and social constructionism. Next we review some of the literature that has endeavored to measure sexual orientation. We specify three different dimensions of sexuality, namely, sexual behavior in one’s lifetime, sexual self-identification, and sexual preference. We then use sexuality data to explore the multiple dimensions of sexuality, in contrast to using only a single dimension, say, only behavior or only self-identification or only desire. We show that an essentialist view works in a fairly consistent manner for heterosexual persons but is not at all consistent for homosexual and bisexual persons. We then develop several percentages of the U.S. adult population who according to various definitions may be classified as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. Finally we discuss some of the implications of the findings of our research for demographic analyses of sexuality.