Análise da investigação dos determinantes do comportamento homossexual humano

Abstract

The behavior determination debate lasts since Antiquity, usually based in dichotomic arguments. Actual tendency of behavior determination comprehension points out to an interacionist perspective, analyzing genetic, biological and environmental influences combined over behavior. Many empirical researches have been developed to identify which factors are responsible for a specific behavior. Considering impossible to make a complete study of human behavior determinants, it was chosen to focus into a specific padron the homosexual behavior. Since Antiquity until nowadays, homosexual behavior determinants have been debated. Besides, this subject concerns to a large amount of people and reflects in important social issues. The present study had the purpose of analyzing which are the empiric evidences about homosexual behavior determination, through three stages: (1) historic evolution of the behavior determination, with emphasis on the methodologies applied; (2) presentation and discussion of the main research strategies about homosexual behavior determination, with emphasis on the critical analysis of data; (3) discussion of research implications and possible empirical follow-up. A bibliographic search was conducted, identifying six main research strings: hormonal measures, hormonal effects, genetic, cerebral functioning, animal models and environmental effects. Each research methodology and results were critically analyzed. Then, politics influence over research and the ethical consequences of data release were discussed; as existing data were organized into a proposal to understand the phenomena. It is expected to have contributed to a general description of the actual stage of homosexual behavior determinants as to a critical perspective over methodologies applied.