Citation

Pirlott AG, Rusten ML, Butterfuss RM. Person. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 2016; 42(9): 1147-1163.

Affiliation

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0146167216651854

PMID

27340152

Abstract

Many studies have investigated heterosexuals' prejudices toward nonheterosexuals, yet LGB's prejudices toward heterosexuals remain largely unexplored. Therefore, we sought to determine the threats and opportunities (i.e., affordances) LGB perceive heterosexuals to pose and whether those affordances explain their sexual prejudices toward heterosexuals. Study 1 analyzed LGB's reasons for liking and disliking heterosexuals, which determined whether the threats predicted to be salient for LGB mirrored the affordances they generated. Study 2 measured these perceived affordances and examined the extent to which they drove LGB's prejudices toward heterosexuals. Generally, perceptions of discrimination and unreciprocated sexual interest threats drove anger, physical safety and sexual autonomy threats drove fear, and values threats drove moral disgust toward heterosexuals, although results varied slightly by perceiver and target groups. Goals to alleviate the tensions between heterosexuals and LGB require an understanding of the dynamics between these groups. This research provides preliminary insights into understanding those dynamics.

© 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Language: en