Relationship between sexual orientation and personality in a sample of Argentinean adolescents

Abstract

Issues linked to sexuality, and more specifically sexual orientation, have taken on significant importance in recent years, especially in adolescence in both educational and health fields. In Argentina there are no studies to understand the nature of sexual orientation in adolescents. Given the importance of the subject, a descriptive study was carried out with the aim of knowing how adolescents experience sexual orientation and their relationship with personality traits. The sample consisted of 418 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years (M = 16.76, SD = 1.47). A series of questions were asked about sexual orientation, feelings, fantasies and sexual experiences. 60.3% of adolescents identified as heterosexual, 23.2% as mostly heterosexual, 13.2% as bisexual, 1.4% as mostly homosexual, 1% as homosexual and 0.9% as other sexual orientations. Relationships between sexual orientation and personality factors were observed, there being a positive relationship between women who identify themselves as bisexual and openness to experience, as well as between those of both sexes, heterosexual and mostly heterosexual, and the extraversion factor. A positive relationship was obtained between the extraversion factor and males who have sexual experience. The results proposed here reflect the need not to assume heterosexuality as a norm among the adolescent population and continue to work in comprehensive sexuality education programs.