Editing Sexual fluidity (section)

=== Demographics ===

====General====
One study by Steven E. Mock and Richard P. Eibach from 2011 shows 2% of 2,560 adult participants included in ''National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States'' reported change of sexual orientation identities after a 10-year period: 0.78% of male and 1.36% of female persons that identified themselves to be [[Heterosexuality|heterosexuals]] at the beginning of the 10-year period, as well as 63.6% of lesbians, 64.7% of bisexual females, 9.52% of gay males, and 47% of bisexual males. According to the study, "this pattern was consistent with the hypothesis that heterosexuality is a more stable sexual orientation identity, perhaps because of its [[Heteronormativity|normative status]]. However, male homosexual identity, although less stable than heterosexual identity, was relatively stable compared to the other sexual minority identities". Having only adults included in the examined group, they did not find the differences in fluidity which were affected by age of the participants. However, they stated that "research on attitude stability and change suggests most change occurs in adolescence and young adulthood (Alwin & Krosnick, 1991; Krosnick & Alwin, 1989), which could explain the diminished impact of age after that point".<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Mock | first1 = Steven E. | last2 = Eibach | first2 = Richard P. | year = 2011 | title = Stability and Change in Sexual Orientation Identity Over a 10-Year Period in Adulthood | journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume= 41 | issue = 3| pages = 641–648 | doi=10.1007/s10508-011-9761-1|url=http://midus.wisc.edu/findings/pdfs/1153.pdf | pmid=21584828| s2cid = 15771368 }}</ref>

====Males versus females====
Research generally indicates that female sexuality is more fluid than male sexuality.<ref name="Bailey et al.">{{cite journal|last1=Bailey|first1=J. Michael|last2=Vasey|first2=Paul|last3=Diamond|first3=Lisa|last4=Breedlove|first4=S. Marc|last5=Vilain|first5=Eric|last6=Epprecht|first6=Marc|title=Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science|journal=Psychological Science in the Public Interest|date=2016|volume=17|issue=2|pages=45–101|doi=10.1177/1529100616637616|pmid=27113562|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301639075|doi-access=free}}</ref> In a seminal review of the sexual orientation literature, stimulated by the findings that the 1970s [[sexual revolution]] affected female sexuality more so than male sexuality, research by Baumeister et al. indicated that when compared to males, females have lower concordance between sexual attitudes and behaviors, and sociocultural factors affect female sexuality to a greater degree; it also found that personal change in sexuality is more common for females compared to males.<ref name="ReferenceC">{{cite journal | last1 = Baumeister | first1 = R.F. | year = 2000 | title = Gender differences in erotic plasticity: the female sex drive as socially flexible and responsive | journal = Psychological Bulletin | volume = 126 | issue = 3| pages = 347–374 | doi=10.1037/0033-2909.126.3.347 | pmid=10825779| s2cid = 35777544 }}</ref> Female sexuality (lesbian and heterosexual) changes significantly more than males on both dimensional and categorical measures of sexual orientation.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Furthermore, the majority of homosexual women who previously identified as a different sexual orientation identified as heterosexual; whereas for males, the majority previously identified as bisexual, which the authors believe support the idea of greater fluidity in female sexuality.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Females also report having identified with more than one sexual orientation, more often than males and are found to have higher levels of sexual orientation mobility. Females also report being bisexual or unsure of their sexuality more often than males, who more commonly report being exclusively gay or heterosexual.<ref name="auto">{{cite journal | last1 = Ott | first1 = M.Q. | last2 = Corliss | first2 = H.L. | last3 = Wypij | first3 = D. | last4 = Rosario | first4 = M. | last5 = Austin | first5 = S.B. | year = 2011 | title = Stability and change in self-reported sexual orientation identity in young people: application of mobility metrics | journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume = 40 | issue = 3| pages = 519–532 | doi=10.1007/s10508-010-9691-3 | pmid=21125325 | pmc=3081371}}</ref> Over a six-year period, women have also been found to display more shifts in sexual orientation identity and were more likely to define their sexual orientation with non-exclusive terms.<ref name="Savin-Williams, R.C. 2012"/>

The social constructivist view suggests that sexual desire is a product of cultural and psychosocial processes<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Tolman | first1 = D.L. | last2 = Diamond | first2 = L.M. | year = 2001 | title = Desegregating sexuality research: cultural and biological perspectives on gender and desire | journal = Annual Review of Sex Research | volume = 12 | pages = 33–74 | pmid = 12666736 }}</ref> and that men and women are socialized differently. This difference in socialization can explain differences in sexual desire and stability of sexual orientation. Male sexuality is centered around physical factors, whereas female sexuality is centered around sociocultural factors,<ref name="ReferenceC" /> making female sexuality inherently more open to change. The greater effect on female sexuality in 1970s sexual revolution shows that female shifts in sexual orientation identity may be due to greater exposure to moderating factors (such as the media).<ref>Diamond, 2008 as cited in {{cite journal | last1 = Savin-Williams | first1 = R.C. | last2 = Joyner | first2 = K. | last3 = Rieger | first3 = G. | year = 2012 | title = Prevalence and stability of self-reported sexual orientation identity during young adulthood | journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume = 41| issue = 1| pages = 1–8 | doi = 10.1007/s10508-012-9913-y | pmid=22302504| s2cid = 43225099 }}</ref> In western culture, women are also expected to be more emotionally expressive and intimate towards both males and females. This socialization is a plausible cause of greater female sexual fluidity.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Rust | first1 = P.C.R. | year = 2000 | title = Bisexuality: a contemporary paradox for women | journal = Journal of Social Issues | volume = 56 | issue = 2| pages = 205–221 | doi=10.1111/0022-4537.00161}}</ref> Whether female sexuality is naturally more fluid and therefore changes from social factors or social factors cause female sexuality to be less stable is unknown.

An [[evolutionary psychology]] hypothesis proposes that bisexuality enables women to reduce conflict with other women, by promoting each others' mothering contributions, thus ensuring their reproductive success. According to this view, women are capable of forming romantic bonds with both sexes and sexual fluidity may be explained as a [[reproductive strategy]] that ensures the survival of offspring.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Kuhle | first1 = B.X. | last2 = Radtke | first2 = S. | year = 2013 | title = Born both ways: The alloparenting hypothesis for sexual fluidity in women | journal = Evolutionary Psychology | volume = 11 | issue = 2| page = 147470491301100202 | doi = 10.1177/147470491301100202 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

A longitudinal study concluded that stability of sexual orientation was more common than change.<ref name="Savin-Williams, R.C. 2012" /> Gender differences in the stability of sexual orientation may vary by subgroup and could possibly be related to individual differences more than gender-wide characteristics.<ref name="auto"/>

====Youth (age 14–21)====

One study that did compare the stability of youth sexual orientation identity across genders found results opposite to most done with adult samples. The study compared [[non-heterosexual]] male and female sexual orientation over a year and concluded that female youth were more likely to report consistent sexual identities than males.<ref name=RSHB06>{{cite journal | last1 = Rosario | first1 = M. | last2 = Schrimshaw | first2 = E.W. | last3 = Hunter | first3 = J. | last4 = Braun | first4 = L. | year = 2006 | title = Sexual identity development among lesbian, gay and bisexual youth: consistency and change over time | journal = The Journal of Sex Research | volume = 43 | issue = 1| pages = 46–58 | doi=10.1080/00224490609552298| pmid = 16817067 | pmc = 3215279 }}</ref> The study was conducted over a single year.

Youth appears to be when most change in sexual orientation identity occurs for females. A 10-year study compared sexual orientation as measured at four times during the study. The most change was found between the first (taken at 18 years of age) and second (taken at 20 years of age) measurements which was the only time bracket that fell during adolescence.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

A population-based study conducted over 6 years found that nonheterosexual (gay/lesbian/bisexual) male and female participants were more likely to change sexual orientation identity than heterosexual participants.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Savin-Williams | first1 = R.C. | last2 = Ream | first2 = G.L. | year = 2007 | title = Prevalence and stability of sexual orientation components during adolescence and young adulthood | journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume = 36 | issue = 3| pages = 385–394 | doi=10.1007/s10508-006-9088-5 | pmid=17195103| s2cid = 20819699 }}</ref> A yearlong study found that sexual identity was more stable for gay and lesbian youth participants when compared to bisexual participants.<ref name=RSHB06 /> 

The identity integration process that individuals go through during adolescence appears to be associated with changes in sexual identity; adolescents who score higher on identity integration measures are more consistent in their sexual orientation. Bisexual youths seem to take longer to form their sexual identities than do consistently homosexual or heterosexual identifying youths<ref name=RSHB06 /> so bisexuality may be seen as a transitional phase during adolescence. Rosario et al. (2006) conclude that "acceptance, commitment, and integration of a gay/lesbian identity is an ongoing developmental process that, for many youths, may extend through adolescence and beyond."<ref name=RSHB06 />

Sabra L. Katz-Wise and Janet S. Hide report in article published 2014 in "Archives of Sexual Behavior" of their study on 188 female and male young adults in the United States with a same-gender orientation, aged 18–26 years. In that cohort, sexual fluidity in attractions was reported by 63% of females and 50% of males, with 48% of those females and 34% of those males reporting fluidity in sexual orientation identity.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Katz-Wise | first1 = Sabra | last2 = Hide | first2 = Janet S. | year = 2014 | title = Sexual fluidity and related attitudes and beliefs among young adults with a same-gender orientation| journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume = 44 | issue = 5 | pages = 1459–1470 | doi = 10.1007/s10508-014-0420-1 | pmid = 25378265 | s2cid = 21201365 }}</ref>