Sexual Fluidity and Attitudes towards Bisexuality

Abstract

The following research provides an instrument to assess sexual fluidity changes over time in attractions and sexual orientation identity, thus examining whether experiencing sexual fluidity is related to specific cognitions, attitudes and beliefs among sexually and non-sexually fluid individuals. Participants (435 Spanish young adult students, 310 females and 125 males) completed an online form assessing demographic data, sexual orientation, sexual fluidity, and attitudes towards male and female bisexuality. An empirical sexual fluidity factor has been isolated: women scored higher than men (d = .68), and bisexual people higher than the homosexual (d = 1.74) and heterosexual (d = 1.40) groups. The study also highlights gender, sexual orientation and sexual fluidity differences in attitudes towards male and female bisexuality. Indeed, women consider male and female bisexuality more stable than men (d = .29 & d = .34); sexually fluid people show higher positive attitudes towards male and female bisexuality (d ranged .29 – .51) than the non-sexually fluid group; bisexual individuals scored higher in male and female bisexuality attitudes than heterosexual individuals. This study confirms previous research that showed that female individuals are more likely than male to have fluid sexuality. Attitudes about bisexuality are not a simple question: they are affected by gender, sexual orientation and sexual fluidity factors.