Evaluating the special needs of functional neuromuscular stimulation research candidates.

A psychological screening protocol for individuals with paraplegia who, through functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS), might develop stance and gait control is described. The efficacy of criteria to maximize the appropriate involvement of research candidates is reported. Accurate assessment of special needs for all participants, including persons referred prior to application of the screening protocol, was made based on histories of research involvement. Test and interview data identified two candidates who were inappropriate. Continued monitoring is planned to assess the relationship between FNS utilization, personal and environmental characteristics of participants, and consequences of research involvement. The value of providing social-environmental resources to maximize research outcome is emphasized.

Biology of bisexuality: critique and observations.

Differentiation of human sexual orientation, particularly bisexuality, has been little studied. Most studies have lumped bisexuals with homosexuals. Those examining bisexuals separately have uniformly observed that bisexuals are often unlike either heterosexuals or homosexuals. Some authors have overgeneralized the results of animal studies as applying to humans. While animal models can provide useful hypotheses, human sexual orientation is unique. Therefore, conclusions about human sexuality based on animal research are suspect. Human sexual orientation is influenced by biological, cognitive, cultural, and subcultural variable in interaction, leading to multiple types of heterosexuals, bisexuals, and homosexuals. Understanding of human sexual orientation will improve only if these factors are accounted for in research and theory. Several studies seem to indicate that some bisexuals have a predominantly heterosexual or homosexual orientation, but high erotic responsiveness or more "masculine" characteristics, leading to versatility in sexual behavior. Early exposure to masculinizing hormones seems to predispose human females toward bisexuality rather than exclusive homosexuality.

Stressful life events and drug use among adolescents.

The authors investigated the hypothesis that increased amounts of stress during and/or prior to adolescence would be associated with elevated use or abuse of drug substances by adolescents. Through the study the authors also provided further information regarding the usefulness of various techniques of life event surveying in the measurement of presumptive stress among adolescents. Using a multivariate analysis of the data, a number of conclusions were drawn with the overall conclusion that increased life stress levels are significantly associated with elevated drug use.

Psychosocial development of heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual behavior.

Relationships with overt adult Kinsey Scale scores (K) indicate that early sexual experiences are most closely related to K, followed in order by gender related and familial variables. A developmental model emphasizing social learning is presented. Interviewees were 7669 American white males and females. Elevated K (more homosexual scores) was found for females who had few girl companions at age 10 and few male companions at 16, had learned to masturbate by being masturbated by a female, had intense prepubertal sexual contact with boys or men, found thought or sight of females, but not males, arousing by age 18, had homosexual contact by age 18, higher K at 17, and higher first-year homosexual behavior frequency. Elevated K (more homosexual scores) was found for males who reported poorer teenage relationships with their fathers, had more girl companions at age 10, fewer male companions at 10 and 16, avoided sports participation, learned of homosexuality by experience, learned to masturbate by being masturbated by a male, had intense prepubertal sexual contact with boys or men, had neither heterosexual contact nor petting to orgasm by age 18, found thought or sight of males, but not females, arousing by age 18, had homosexual contact by age 18, higher K at ages 16 and 17, and had higher first-year homosexual behavior frequency. Behavioral bisexuals, those scoring between 2.0 and 4.0 on the K scale on the basis of overt behavior (0.7% of females, 1.2% of males), reported more arousal to heterosexual stimuli than did exclusive heterosexuals.