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Psychosomatic Medicine 1:449-460 (1939)
© 1939 American Psychosomatic Society

The Hormonal Induction of Homosexual Behavior in the Spayed Female Guinea Pig

WILLIAM C. YOUNG PH.D.1 and BREWSTER RUNDLETT A.B.1

1 Arnold Biological Laboratory, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island and Laboratories of Primate Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

The induction of homosexual activity in spayed female guinea pigs was attempted by means of injections of estrogens alone, estrogens and progesterone, and androgens alone or in combination with estrogens and progesterone.

Estrogen followed by progesterone was more effective than any single hormone or any other combination of hormones. It is postulated, therefore, that these hormones acting synergistically are responsible for mounting activity as well as heat in the normal animal.

Estrogen-conditioned animals were not stimulated to mount by animals which were mounting actively; any display of mounting in excess of that normally induced by estrogens depended on the injection of progesterone.

The highest percentage of animals was induced to mount when progesterone was injected 36 hours after the conditioning injection of estrogen. A diminishing percentage remained conditioned as long as seven days.

The extent to which mounting activity was displayed varied, but tended to be relatively consistent in individuals given repeated series of injections.

Animals which were refractory to the quantity of hormones which induced mounting in most animals remained refractory when given increased dosages.

In spayed immature animals the heat response was induced at an earlier age than mounting activity.

The similarities and differences between mounting activity and the heat response are enumerated. They suggest the working hypothesis that the two parts of overt behavior are mediated by two effector systems, that both are stimulated by the synergistic action of estrogen and progesterone, but that each has its threshold which varies independently from animal to animal.

Note:

This investigation was supported by a grant from the Committee for Research in Problems of Sex, National Research Council.






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Copyright © 1939 by the American Psychosomatic Society