as a distinct personality type, are homophiles so different?

ADJUSTMENT

of the male overt homosexual By EVELYN HOOKER, Ph.D

PART ONE

The following article is not easy to read. It is a monumental work, a presentation of "tentative" findings covering a period of more than four years of careful, painstaking research by the author. It is told in the technical language of the professional psychologist, thus its terms, abbreviations, formulas and supporting tables may not carry immediate significance to the average layman, even if within the scope of that reader's understanding.

However, a "trial reading" of this paper by a number of Mattachine officers and the editorial staff resulted in a vote to publish the article in full, and with the permission of Dr. Hooker. Some of these readers, not at all conversant with the psycholigical research terms in the paper declared that the work was nevertheless worthwhile reading for everyone, whether they comprehend Dr. Hooker's reference to "chi square" and "grand medians" or not.

First part of the article herewith contains most of the technical discussion of the research project dealing with adjustment of the overt male homosexual. Space requirements, however, do not permit the publication of the full article in this issue, so a concluding second installment will be presented in the January Review. In the last part, discussion will shift to the rough time Dr. Hooker's "judges had in distinguishing homosexual case records from those of heterosexuals. And it is easier reading.

Several long-standing Mattachine members have had a persona: interest in this research project, since they were among the volunteer subjects Dr. Hooker interviewed in the late summer of 1953 when this project got under way. They join other members of the Society expressing sincere gratitude to Dr. Hooker for the opportunity to learn her tentative findings after such a long, difficult and selfless task has been carried thus far.

(Reprinted from the Journal of Projective Techniques, Vol.21, No. 1, 1957 with permission.)

mattachine REVIEW

The Adjustment of the Male Overt Homosexual

EVELYN HOOKER 1. 2. 3 Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles Current psychiatric and psycholog ical opinion about the adjustment of the homosexual may be illustrated by a quotation from a report on homosexuality recently issued by the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (1,

havior

2): "When such homosexual be avior persists in an adult, it is then a symptom of a severe emotional dis order." If one wishes to subject this opinion to experimental investigation, one is immediately confronted by problems of considerable magnitude. One problem is the attitude and theoretical position of the clinician who may be asked to examine the data I quote again from the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry in the

'This investigation was supported by a re. search grant, Grant M-839, from The National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service.

'Paper read at the American Psychological Association Convention, Chicago, August 30, 1956.

I wish to acknowledge the invaluable assistance given by Dr. J. A. Gengerelli in acting as consultant on experimental design and statistical methodology. I wish also to gratefully acknowledge the contribution made to the project by Dr Frederic G. Worden in his capacity of psychiatric consultant. Finally, there is no adequate way to express my gratitude to Dr. Karl Muenzinger for his assistance in thinking through the total project with me in its many phases. Editorial Note: It is an uncommon event in these days of compulsive publication to dis cover an author who has worked diligently and with great detail and who hesitates to publish well-substantiated findings until proof is virtually incontrovertible. A study such as Dr. Hooker's challenges several widespread and emotional convictions. In view of the importance of her findings it seemed desirable to the editors that they be made public, even in their preliminary form. If some of Dr. Hooker's comments, as cautiously presented as they are, seem premature or incompletely documented, the blame must fall on the editors who exercised consider. able pressure on her to publish now.-BRF

b. same report (1, 4): "It is well known that many people, including physicians, react in an exaggerated way to sexual deviations and particu. larly to homosexuality with disgust, anger, and hostility. Such feelings often arise from the individual's own conflict centering about his unconscious homosexual impulses. These attitudes may interfere with an intelligent and objective handling of the problem." One hopes that the clinician does not react with "disgust, anger, and hos tility." It is not realistic to hope that he will avoid theoretical preconcep. tions when looking at psychological material which he knows was ob tained from a homosexual.

From a survey of the literature it seemed highly probable that few clinicians have ever had the opportunity to examine homosexual subjects who neither came for psychological help nor were found in mental hospitals, disciplinary barracks in the Armed Services, or in prison populations. It therefore seemed important, when I set out to investigate the adjustment of the homosexual, to obtain a sample of overt homosexuals who did not come from these sources; that is, who had a chance of being individuals who, on the surface at least, seemed to have an average adjustment, provided that (for the purpose of the investigation) homosexuality is not considered to be a symptom of mal. adjustment. It also seemed important to obtain a comparable control group of heterosexuals. This group would not only provide a standard of com. parison but might also make it pos· sible to avoid labels and thus assist the clinician in suspending theoretical preconceptions. This, I recognized, would be fraught with extreme diffi. culties. And so it was. Without re33