Miranda and Storms

being studied to investigate aspects of their lifestyles and adjustment. Members were invited to participate and distribute questionnaires among their lesbian and gay friends to be returned to the authors by mail. Of the 183 questionnaires distributed by these methods, 131 (72%) were returned. Respondents were younger than were their counterparts in Study I; mean age was 24.5 years (SD = 5.08).

Measures

The measures for this study were combined in a questionnaire with 83 items that required approximately 40 minutes to complete.

One purpose of Study II was to replicate the previous study; therefore, the following measures from Study I were included: (a) the lesbian and gay identification measure, (b) the self-labeling measure, (c) the ego-strength measure, and (d) the neuroticism scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory.

Sexual Orientation Disclosure Scale (SODS). The self-disclosure measure from Study I was improved for Study II. The SODS was developed by simplifying and personalizing the self-disclosure measure from Study I. The SODS was simplified by retaining only 15 items that assess the life areas most frequently endorsed as applicable to the lives of the participants in Study I. Each item was personalized so that participants rated the extent of their self-disclosure to the significant person(s) (as opposed to simply rating how overall disclosive they were) in each of the areas on a scale ranging from 1= not out to 7=completely out. A total self-disclosure score was obtained by averaging across items.

RESULTS

Study II was designed to replicate the findings of Study I in a younger college student sample. Positive lesbian and gay identity were predicted to relate positively to psychological adjustment. The use of two coping strategies-self-labeling and selfdisclosure were predicted to relate to lesbian and gay identity.

Sexual Orientation Disclosure Scale (SODS)

Because the SODS was developed for this research, its psychometric properties were examined. The instrument was highly internally consistent; Chronbach's alpha was r(131) = .92, p<.001. Furthermore, 7 of the 15 items in this scale met the criteria for Guttman scaling; the coefficient of reproducibility was r(131) .93 and the coefficient of scalability was r(131) = .67. The reliable order of self-disclosure, from most frequent to least frequent, is as follows: new friends, gay people, friends from the past, siblings, mother, father, and bosses.

Replication of Study I Results

The major findings in Study I were replicated in Study II. Again, a mean-split technique was used for the lesbian and gay identification variable to classify respondents as more positively identified (n=103; 79%) or more negatively identified (n=28; 21%). Results of the t-test analyses are presented in Table 1 and are remarkably similar to the results in Study I. Correlational analyses reported below again replicate the findings of Study I. Relationship of Lesbian/Gay

Identification to Psychological Adjustment

As in Study I, lesbian and gay identification was related to psychological adjustment in Study II. The more positively iden-

tified participants reported better psychological adjustment. Identification was reliably related to both neuroticism, r(123)=.26, p = .002 and ego strength, r(129) = .49, p<.001. Thus, those who were more positively identified also reported better psychological adjustment.

Relationship of Lesbian/Gay Identification to Coping Strategies

As in Study I, lesbian and gay identification was related to the two coping strategies. Identification was reliably related to self-labeling, r(124) = .29, p=.001 and to self-disclosure, r(128)= .47, p<.001. Those with a more positive identification reported using more of the coping strategies.

DISCUSSION

These two studies provide evidence supporting the proposal that positive lesbian and gay identification is associated with the psychological adjustment of lesbians and gay men. The findings are consistent with the assertion from the human potential movement that acceptance and satisfaction with one's sexual orientation promotes psychological adjustment. In both adult community and college-age samples, those who reported a positive lesbian or gay identification also reported better psychological adjustment.

Positive lesbian and gay identification was related to the use of two coping strategies-self-labeling and self-disclosure. These coping strategies were not independently related to psychological adjustment apart from their relationship with lesbian and gay identification. These results have interesting implications for stage theories of identification, such as those of Cass (1979) and Troiden (1979). These theories assume that lesbian and gay identity formation progresses from an initial awareness of same-sex attraction, through homosexual behavior, to self-labeling, then self-disclosure, and finally to positive lesbian or gay identification. These data suggest that earlier stages result in increases in psychological adjustment only as they impact on identity. Thus, each stage may have importance in developing a positive lesbian or gay identity without directly impacting psychological adjustment.

Several limitations of this study should be noted. First, the study was correlational so that no causal presumptions can be made. For example, psychological adjustment may promote positive lesbian and gay identification rather than identification promoting psychological adjustment. Second, the measures in the study only evaluate limited aspects of lesbian and gay identification and psychological adjustment. Third, the samples were select and limited. We examined a highly educated population that was comfortable enough with their sexual orientation to appear at a gay bar or a gay and lesbian service organization or to be known in a friendship network. Although the results were remarkably similar across the samples and there were no differences based on demographic characteristics of the participants, future research should attempt to evaluate lesbians and gay men across the full range of demographic characteristics.

These results have important implications for the clinical treatment of lesbians and gay men. They suggest that helping clients develop a positive lesbian or gay identification, through the use of self-labeling and self-disclosure, may be useful in promoting positive psychological adjustment. Because these results were correlational and cannot be related causally, a randomized treatment outcome study investigating the impact

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of therapeutic interventions that promote positive lesbian and gay identification would be useful. Clearly, identification, selflabeling, and self-disclosure are important factors in the psychological adjustment of lesbians and gay men.

REFERENCES

Altman, D. (1971). Homosexual. London: Outerbridge and Dienstfrey. Beane, J. (1981). "I'd rather be dead than gay": Counseling gay men who are coming out. The Personnel and Guidance Journal, 60, 222-226. Bell, A.P., & Weinberg, M.S. (1978). Homosexualities: A study of diversity among men and women. New York: Simon & Schuster. Cass, V.C. (1979). Homosexual identity formation: A theoretical model. Journal of Homosexuality, 4, 219-235.

Coleman, (1982). Developmental stages of the coming-out process. In W. Paul, J.D. Weinrich, J.C. Gonsiorek, & M.E. Hotvedt (Eds.), Homosexuality: Social, psychological and biological issues (pp. 31-43). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

de Monteflores, C., & Schultz, S.J. (1978). Coming out: Similarities and differences for lesbians and gay men. Journal of Social Issues, 34, 180-197.

Erikson, E.H. (1968). Identity, youth, and crisis. New York: Norton. Eysenck, H.J., & Eysenck, S.B. (1968). Manual: Eysenck Personality Inventory. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service. Hauser, S.T. (1971). Black and White identity formation. New York: Wiley.

Psychological Adjustment of Lesbians and Gay Men Krech, D., Crutchfield, R.S., & Livson, N. (1974). Elements of psychology. New York: Knopf.

Lee, I.A. (1977). Going public: A study in the sociology of homosexual liberation. Journal of Homosexuality, 3(1), 49-78. Nuehring, E.M., Fein, S.B., & Tyler, M. (1974). The gay college student: Perspectives for mental health professionals. Counseling Psychologist, 4(4), 64-72.

Saghir, M.T., & Robins, E. (1973). Male and female homosexuality: A comprehensive investigation. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. Sophie, J. (1982). Counseling lesbians. The Personnel and Guidance Journal, 60, 341-345.

Sophie, J. (1987). Internalized homophobia and lesbian identity. Journal of Homosexuality, 14, 53-65.

Troiden, R.R. (1979). Becoming homosexual: A model of gay identity acquisition. Psychiatry, 42, 362-373.

Weinberg, M.S., & Williams, C.J. (1974). Male homosexuals: Their problems and adaptations. New York: Harper & Row.

Jeanne Miranda is an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Michael Storms is a consultant in Los Angeles and was an associate professor at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, at the time that this article was written. The authors thank the UCSF writers group for their editorial assistance. Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to Jeanne Miranda, Dept. of Psychiatry, 7 M Suite, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110.

Errata

In the article titled "Dual Role Relationships: What Makes Them So Problematic?" by Karen Strohm Kitchener, published in the December 1988 issue of JCD, there is an error in a sentence on page 218 (first column, line 12): 4.6% should be 41.6%.

In the article titled "Special Issues of the Journal: Topics of Interest over the Years" by Lenore W. Harmon and H. Eugene Harker, published in the January 1989 issue of JCD, there is an error in Table 1 on page 272. Joseph T. Impellitteri's name is misspelled, and he is listed as guest editor of a special issue in volume 50, number 2. He was actually a guest editor, with Thomas E. Long, of a special issue-Ethical Practice: Preserving Human Dignity-in volume 50, number 4.

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