Separation Anxiety in Feminine Boys: Pathological or Prosocial?

Abstract

Previous research has found that boys who exhibit Gender Identity Disorder in Children (GIDC) also commonly exhibit elevated traits of childhood separation anxiety. Here, we review recent cross-cultural, nonclinical research that suggests elevated childhood separation anxiety is simply a component of the more general pattern of femininity exhibited by pre-androphilic males (i.e., biological males who are sexually attracted to adult males in adulthood). Whereas clinical perspectives have tended to characterize the co-occurrence of femininity and elevated childhood separation anxiety as psychopathological, we propose an alternate perspective that views this co-occurrence as having a prosocial basis. Specifically, we argue that elevated childhood separation anxiety is a developmental precursor of cognitive biases that evolved to facilitate increased kin-directed altruism in androphilic males. We also detail findings concerning personality and behavioral characteristics of male androphiles that are consistent with this evolutionarily minded perspective. Possible clinical implications that arise from this evolutionarily minded perspective are also discussed.