Implicit and Explicit Sexual Attitudes Across Genders and Sexual Orientations

Abstract

This article investigates implicit and explicit sexual attitudes held by individuals of different gender and sexual orientation. The authors found implicit and explicit in-group bias in heterosexual individuals and lesbian women, and explicit but not implicit in-group bias in gay men. Bisexual men implicitly preferred heterosexuals to homosexuals, though bisexual women explicitly preferred homosexuals to heterosexuals. On the whole, bias in favor of heterosexuals was stronger at the implicit (vs. explicit) level and for males (vs. females). The authors interpret these findings in light of the interplay between self-related motives and shared perceptions at a societal level.