Network knowledge organization: Do knowledge structures for sexual and emotional information reflect gender or sexual orientation?

Network theory conceptualizes the organization of semantic information as n odes within a net-like structure. Links within the network represent associ ations among knowledge structures or concepts and have been viewed as formi ng the basis of human semantic memory (Quillian, 1962). Network models have recently been employed in emotion theory (Bower, 1981; Lang, 1984) and in research in human sexuality (Geer, 1996; Rabalais & Geer; 1996; Smith, Eggl eston, Gerrard, & Gibbons, 1996). As a result of that research, stable gend er differences in the organization of knowledge for sexual and emotional in formation have begun to be identified (see Geer & Manguno-Mire, 1996, for a review). These differences in knowledge organization have been shown to ma p well onto existing research demonstrating gender differences in sexual at titudes fantasies, and behavior (Geer & Manguno-Mire). The present study em ploys the Pathfinder computer algorithm (Schvaneveldt, 1990) to compare the cognitive associative networks of heterosexual men and women and gay men a nd lesbians. Ninety homosexuals (49 gay men and 41 lesbians) and 95 heteros exuals (48 men and 47 women) rated all pair-wise combinations of 16 words r elevant to sexuality and emotion. The sample was predominantly Caucasian (9 0%). Four percent of participants were African-American 3% were Hispanic Am erican, 1% were Asian American. Analysis of our dependent variable (number of links on relevant concepts) revealed gender and sexual orientation diffe rences in the total number of links in associative networks, the number of links within relevant sexual and emotional word clusters, between relevant word clusters, and on individual words. Results are interpreted in light of relevant theories of gender and sexual orientation.