Interpersonal behavior among a non-patient population of female homosexual couples

Interpersonal relations and perceptions of homosexual women were studied in an attempt to clarify some aspects of the discrepancy which exists in the literature between theoretical and empirical findings, a non-patient sample of 25 lesbian couples was compared to a matched sample of 25 heterosexual couples on indications of marital conflict as measured by the Leary diagnostic battery, which consists of the MMPI and ICL. An additional sample of 25 non-patient heterosexual women were tested, and the homosexual and heterosexual women were compared on indices of neuroticism, self-deception, self-acceptance, self-actualization, parental identification, spouse identification and idealization, and the equation of the spouse and parent. The homosexual and heterosexual groups were not found to significantly differ on any measure, with the exception of the degree of the Level 1 self scores, it was suggested, that, though the homosexual and heterosexual women both typically relate and adapt to others in a dominant, 'managerial-autocratic' mode of interaction, the homosexual women more often adhere rigidly to this sytle of relating. This finding was discussed in the context of varying views of what constitutes health versus pathology for women. Five widely held theories of the etiology and nature of lesbianism were discussed in view of the present findings.