2010/01/01 by Lorenza S. Colzato · 2 citations
Psychology · #Cultural Differences and Values #Behavioral Health and Interventions #Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
paper · pdf · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00013
openalex publication_date 2010/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Homosexuals are believed to have a "sixth sense" for recognizing each other, an ability referred to as gaydar. We considered that being a homosexual might rely on systematic practice of processing relatively specific, local perceptual features, which might lead to a corresponding chronic bias of attentional control. This was tested by comparing male and female homosexuals and heterosexuals - brought up in the same country and culture and matched in terms of race, intelligence, sex, mood, age, personality, religious background, educational style, and socio-economic situation - in their efficiency to process global and local features of hierarchically-constructed visual stimuli. Both homosexuals and heterosexuals showed better performance on global features - the standard global precedence effect. However, this effect was significantly reduced in homosexuals, suggesting a relative preference for detail. Findings are taken to demonstrate chronic, generalized biases in attentional control parameters that reflect the selective reward provided by the respective sexual orientation.