Homophobia and the perception of psychological differences

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe present research examined the extent to which one’s negative attitudes towards gay individuals influences perceptions of psychological differences between straight and gay groups. Previous research indicates that endorsement of sexist ideologies predicts the exaggeration of psychological differences between men and women. We attempted to replicate these findings in the domain of sexual identity across two studies. Study 1 presented participants with two fabricated research abstracts about the psychology of sexuality: one advocating for large psychological differences between gay and straight people, while the other advocating for small differences. Participants then chose the abstract most consistent with their personal beliefs and completed a measure of attitudes towards gay men and lesbian women. We found that greater negative attitudes towards gay men and lesbian women predicted the selection of the larger differences abstract. Study 2 used an experimental design and found that participants who read and wrote about large differences reported more negative attitudes towards gay individuals. These results are discussed in the context of intergroup relations and prejudice.