This study examined life satisfaction among Turkish individuals based on gender and sexual orientation. 223 participants completed surveys assessing their gender, sexual orientation, age, and life satisfaction. A two-way ANOVA found no significant interaction between gender and sexual orientation on life satisfaction. However, an independent samples t-test found that heterosexual individuals reported higher life satisfaction than non-heterosexual individuals. The researchers concluded that in Turkey, life satisfaction is related to sexual orientation but not gender.

1. WHO ARE MORE SATISFIED
WITH THEIR LIVES?
Aslıhan Ataman, Beril Aydemir, Lara Çayan,Tilbe
Erel, Melike Ersin, Senanur Tosun
Bilkent University, Psychology Department,
Ankara, Turkey

2. INTRODUCTION
Life satisfaction is referred to as a "global assessments of a person's
quality of life according to his chosen criteria" (Shin & Johnson, 1978; p. 478).
Therefore an individual's life satisfaction is predicted to be linked with his own
standards about his life .
Roughly 1.8% of males and 1.5% of females are gay or lesbian (Ward,
Dahlhamer, Galinsky, & Joestl, 2013). While many countries have adopted laws
that ensure equal rights for gays and lesbians, Turkey’s legislation is lagging
behind as religious and social pressures stifle progress.

3. CURRENT STUDY
Here we wish to study one of these effects - social-life satisfaction – as a
function of sexual orientation and gender.
We hypothesize that firstly, heteresexual individuals are more satisfied
with their lives than non-heterosexual individuals. Secondly, the difference in life
satisfaction between non-heterosexual men and heterosexual men is greater than
the difference between female heterosexuals and female non-heterosexuals.

4. METHODS
• 223 participants (Male:89, Female:134)
• Age range: 18-42 (M = 23, S = 4).
• Survey including gender,sexual orientation,age and the Five-Item the
Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985)
• Groups: according to gender (female/male) and sexual orientation (
heterosexual/non-heterosexual).
• The questionnairee was administered online via Qualtrics.

5. What did we ask to the participants?
1) What is your age?
2) What gender do you identify as?
Man.
Woman.
3) Your sexual orientation?
Heterosexual.
Homosexual.
Bisexual.
Asexual.
Other (please specify).

6. Below are five statements that you may agree or disagree with. Using the 1 - 7 scale below, indicate
your agreement with each item by placing the appropriate number on the line preceding that item.
Please be open and honest in your responding.
7 - Strongly agree
6 - Agree
5 - Slightly agree
4 - Neither agree nor disagree
3 - Slightly disagree
2 - Disagree
1 - Strongly disagree
____ In most ways my life is close to my ideal.
____ The conditions of my life are excellent.
____ I am satisfied with my life.
____ So far I have gotten the important things I want in life.
____ If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.
What did we ask to the participants?

7. RESULTS
A two-way ANOVA was conducted to examine the effect of gender and sexual
orientation on life satisfaction.
There was not a statistically significant interaction between the effects of gender and
sexual orientation on life satisfaction, F (1,219) = .73, p = 3.91.

8. An independent samples t-
test was run to determine if
there is a difference of
sexual orientation on life
satisfaction.
The results showed that
heterosexual people (M =
21.84, SD = 6.08) were
more satisfied with their
lives when compared to
non-heterosexual people
(M = 19.13 SD = 6.88), p <
.01.
RESULTS

9. DISCUSSION
We hypothesized that there would be an interaction of gender and sexual
orientation on life satisfaction among Turkish people.
Previous research done among lesbian/bisexsualwomen and gay/bisexsual men
failed to reveal a significant difference on life satisfaction (Luhtanen, 2002).
This non-significant result is parallel to our study: Two way ANOVA failed to
reveal a significant effect of sexual orientation on life satisfaction depending on
gender.
However we found a main effect of sexual orientation on life satisfaction.

10. DISCUSSION
No similar research was done in Turkey but previous research done in India
(Praful et al., 2013) and United Kingdom (Powdthavee & Wooden, 2015) also
indicated that life satisfaction is related to sexual orientation.
Another study done in United Kingdom and Australia provided evidence for
non-heterosexuals having less life-satisfaction when compared to heterosexuals
(Powdthavee et al. 2015).
In contrast, the research done in China among LGB adults and heterosexual
adults found that LGB adults did not differ from heterosexual adults on overall
life-satisfaction.

11. CONCLUSION
Life satisfaction among Turkish people is related to their
sexual orientation and not their gender. Heterosexual individuals in
Turkey reported higher levels of life-satisfaction when compared to
homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals and pansexuals.

12. ARE THERE ANY
QUESTIONS?

13. thank you for listening...