Tidying Up Attitudes, Queer Eye Style

Abstract

Abstract: The parasocial contact hypotheses (PCH) posits that mediated contact with social outgroups can result in more positive attitudes. The present study includes Asian women as a specific identity group that has yet to be studied in the context of PCH. It also includes gay men as a comparison group for the same processes. Participants ( n = 241) were exposed in a two-condition experiment to either Queer Eye (2018 version; gay men as target group) or Tidying Up With Marie Kondo (Asian women as target group). Only social attraction significantly mediated the relationship between exposure to Queer Eye and attitudes toward gay men. Attitudes toward Asian women were measured with positive and negative subscales; social and task attraction significantly mediated a reduction in negative attitudes. Uncertainty reduction had an ambivalence effect; it mediated increases in both positive and negative attitudes. These results support the general hypothesis of PCH, with mixed effects.