Predicting explicit and implicit attitudes towards gay men using the dual process model of prejudice and the dark tetrad

Abstract

Although attitudes towards gay men are becoming increasingly inclusive, negative attitudes are still experienced by this socially marginalised group. Prejudice research often uses the Dual Process Model of Prejudice (DPM; comprised of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation) to understand negative social attitudes, and recently researchers have begun exploring the role of personality in addition to this theoretical framework. In this paper, we explored the predictive potential of the DPM (right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation) and the dark tetrad model of personality (D4: narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, everyday sadism) in explaining implicit and explicit attitudes towards gay men. The sample (N = 182; Mage = 39.15 years, SD = 10.65) was recruited using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Variance in explicit negative attitudes towards gay men was predicted by the ideological variables in the DPM, and further variance was predicted with the addition of the D4 traits (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism each contributed unique variance, while sadism did not). Variance in implicit attitudes towards gay men was not predicted by any individual difference factors. The current study offers theoretical and empirical contributions to the ongoing debate surrounding the utility of the D4 in explaining antisocial cognitions.