Gaydar exists, scientists claim
June 1st, 2010 by Chloe.Setter
The existence of a ‘gaydar’ in lesbians and gay people could well be true, according to research by Dutch scientists.
As part of a study into cognitive perception, 42 men and women were shown pictures of outlines of large shapes, each filled with smaller shapes.
Past research has shown that the mind generally notices the bigger picture before the smaller ones, so if the shapes inside the larger shape differ, the brain can be fooled into answering with the wrong answer when asked what is inside.
In the study, which has been published in the journal Frontiers in Cognition, straight people answered more quickly, however, their answers were less accurate. The gays and lesbians got more answers right, which, suggests they are able to see the small details more accurately, as well as the bigger picture.
According to the researchers, this gives kudos to the theory that gay people have a ‘gaydar’ enabling them to spot clues in strangers that might indicate their sexual orientation.
Researcher Lorenza Colzato, of Leiden University in The Netherlands, said: “This is the first time that scientific proof has been found for the existence of a gaydar mechanism among homosexuals.
“This perceptual skill allows homosexuals to recognise other gay people faster and we think it’s because they are much more analytic than heterosexuals.”
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