Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-06T02:31:39.959Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Egalitarianism and Sexual Prejudice: the Role of Ingroup Distinctiveness Motives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2015

Juan Manuel Falomir-Pichastor ,
Jacques Berent ,
Gabriel Mugny  and
Klea Faniko
Juan Manuel Falomir-Pichastor*
Affiliation:
University of Geneva (Switzerland)
Jacques Berent
Affiliation:
University of Geneva (Switzerland)
Gabriel Mugny
Affiliation:
University of Geneva (Switzerland)
Klea Faniko
Affiliation:
University of Geneva (Switzerland)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Juan M. Falomir-Pichastor. University of Geneva. Social Psychology (FPSE). 40 Bd. du Pont-d'Arve. CH-1205. Geneva, Switzerland. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The present research examined the hypothesis that heterosexual men’s motivation to differentiate their ingroup from gay men moderates the link between egalitarianism and sexual prejudice. In two experiments conducted in Switzerland (N = 74) and Ecuador (N = 104), we assessed heterosexual men’s endorsement of egalitarian values and experimentally manipulated scientific evidence supporting or refuting the existence of biological differences between heterosexual and gay men (the biological theory). The main dependent variable was attitude towards homosexuality. As predicted, the interaction between egalitarianism and the biological theory was significant in both experiments, t(67) = 3.18, p = .002, ηp 2 = .13, and t(100) = 2.26, p = .026, ηp 2 = .04, respectively. Egalitarianism increased positive attitudes towards homosexuality only when science supported the existence of biological differences between heterosexual and gay men. We discuss the relevance of this finding to intergroup relations.

Keywords

egalitarianismingroup distinctivenessintergroup differencesbiological determinismsexual prejudice
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 18 , 2015 , E80
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bahns, A., & Crandall, C. S. (2013). The opposite of backlash: High-SDO people show enhanced tolerance when gay people pose little threat. European Journal of Social Psychology, 43, 286–291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.1947 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bem, S. L. (1993). The lenses of gender: Transforming the debate on sexual inequality. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Biernat, M., & Vescio, T. K. (1996). Values and prejudice. In Crandall, C. S. & Schaller, M. (Eds.), Social psychology of prejudice: Historical and contemporary issues (pp. 191–216). Lawrence, KS: Lewinian press.Google Scholar
Bosson, J. K., Prewitt-Freilino, J. L., & Taylor, J. N. (2005). Role rigidity: A problem of identity misclassification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 552–565. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.4.552 Google Scholar
Brewer, M. B. (1991). The social self: On being the same and different at the same time. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17, 475–482. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167291175001 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burn, S. M. (2000). Heterosexuals’ use of “fag” and “queer” to deride one another: A contributor to heterosexism and stigma. Journal of Homosexuality, 40, 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J082v40n02_01 Google Scholar
Carnaghi, A., Maass, A., & Fasoli, F. (2011). Enhancing masculinity by slandering homosexuals: The role of homophobic epithets in heterosexual gender identity. Personality Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 1655–1665. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167211424167 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Correll, J., Park, B., & Smith, J. A. (2008). Colorblind and multicultural prejudice reduction strategies in high-conflict situations. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 11, 471–491. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1368430208095401 Google Scholar
Crandall, C. S., & Eshleman, A. (2003). A justification–suppression model of the expression and experience of prejudice. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 414–446. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.3.414 Google Scholar
Crandall, C. S., Eshleman, A., & O’ Brien, L. (2002). Social norms and the expression and suppression of prejudice: The struggle for internalization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 359–378. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.3.359 Google Scholar
Davidov, E., Schmidt, P., & Schwartz, S. H. (2008). Bringing values back in: The adequacy of the European Social Survey to measure values in 20 countries. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72, 420–445. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfn035 Google Scholar
Feather, N. T. (2005). Values, religion, and motivation. In Maehr, M. L., & Karabenick, S. A. (Eds.), Advances in motivation and achievement (Vol. 14, pp. 35–73). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Feather, N. T., & McKee, I. R. (2008). Values and prejudice: Predictors of attitudes towards Australian Aborigines. Australian Journal of Psychology, 60, 80–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00049530701449513 Google Scholar
Falomir-Pichastor, J. M., Chatard, A., Selimbegovic, L., Konan, P. N. D., & Mugny, G. (2013). Conformity and counter-conformity to anti-discrimination norms: The moderating effect of attitudes towards foreigners and perceived ingroup threat. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43, E206–E215. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12024 Google Scholar
Falomir-Pichastor, J. M., & Hegarty, P. (2014). Maintaining distinctions under threat: Heterosexual men endorse the biological theory of sexuality when equality is the norm. 53, 731–751 British Journal of Social Psychology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12051 Google Scholar
Falomir-Pichastor, J. M., Martinez, C., & Paterna, C. (2010). Gender role, perceived similarity, and sexual prejudice against gay men. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 13, 841–848. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600002493 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Falomir-Pichastor, J. M., & Mugny, G. (2009). “I’m not gay…I’m a real man!”: Heterosexual men’s gender self-esteem and sexual prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 1233–1243. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167209338072 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gabarrot, F., Falomir-Pichastor, J. M., & Mugny, G. (2009). Being similar versus being equal: Intergroup similarity moderates the influence of in-group norms on discrimination and prejudice. British Journal of Social Psychology, 48, 253–273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1348/014466608X342943 Google Scholar
Gaertner, S. L., Mann, J., Murrell, A., & Dovidio, J. F. (1989). Reducing intergroup bias: The benefits of recategorization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 239–249. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.2.239 Google Scholar
Glick, P., Gangl, C., Gibb, S., Klumpner, S., & Weinberg, E. (2007). Defensive reactions to masculinity threat: More negative affect toward effeminate (but not masculine) gay men. Sex Roles, 57, 55–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9195-3 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guimond, S. (2010). Psychologie sociale: Perspective multiculturelle. Wavre, Belgian: Editions Mardaga.Google Scholar
Haider-Markel, D. P., & Joslyn, M. R. (2008). Understanding beliefs about the origins of homosexuality and subsequent support for gay rights: An empirical test of attribution theory. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72, 291–310. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfn015 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haslam, N., & Levy, S. R. (2006). Essentialist beliefs about homosexuality: Structure and implications for prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 471–485. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167205276516 Google Scholar
Hegarty, P. (2002). 'It's not a choice, it's the way we're built': Symbolic beliefs about sexual orientation in the US and Britain. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 12, 153–166. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/casp.669 Google Scholar
Herek, G. M. (1986). On heterosexual masculinity: Some psychical consequences of the social construction of gender and sexuality. American Behavioral Scientist, 29, 563–577. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/000276486029005005 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (3 rd Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Hornsey, M. J., & Hogg, M. A. (2000). Assimilation and diversity: An integrative model of subgroup relations. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4, 143–156. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0402_03 Google Scholar
Jetten, J., & Spears, R. (2003). The divisive potential of differences and similarities: The role of intergroup distinctiveness in intergroup differentiation. European Review of Social Psychology, 14, 203–241. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10463280340000063 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keiller, S. W. (2010). Masculine norms as correlates of heterosexual men’s attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 11, 38–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0017540 Google Scholar
Keller, J. (2005). In genes we trust: The biological component of psychological essentialism and its relationship to mechanisms of motivated social cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 686–702. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.88.4.686 Google Scholar
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion and motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224–253. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.98.2.224 Google Scholar
Morton, T. A., & Postmes, T. (2009). When differences become essential: Minority essentialism in response to majority treatment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 656–668. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167208331254 Google Scholar
Mugny, G., Sanchez-Mazas, M., Roux, P, & Pérez, J. A. (1991). Independence and interdependence of group judgments: Xenophobia and minority influence. European Journal of Social Psychology, 21, 213–223. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420210304 Google Scholar
Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. New York, NY: Free Press.Google Scholar
Sanchez-Mazas, M., Roux, P., & Mugny, G. (1994). When the outgroup becomes ingroup and when the ingroup becomes outgroup: Xenophobia and social categorization in a resource allocation task. European Journal of Social Psychology, 24, 417–423. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420240309 Google Scholar
Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In Zanna, M. P. (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 25, pp. 1–65). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Shostak, S., Freese, J., Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2009) The politics of the gene: Social status and beliefs about genetics for individual outcomes. Social Psychology Quarterly, 72, 77–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/019027250907200107 Google Scholar
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In Worchel, S., & Austin, W. G. (Eds.), Psychology of Intergroup Relations (pp. 7–24). Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.Google Scholar
Talley, A. E., & Bettencourt, B. A. (2008). Evaluations and aggression directed at a gay male target: The role of threat and antigay prejudice. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38, 647–683. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00321.x Google Scholar
Theodore, P. S., & Basow, S. A. (2000). Heterosexual masculinity and homophobia: A reaction to the self? Journal of Homosexuality, 40, 31–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J082v40n02_03 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whitley, B. E. Jr. (2001). Gender-role variables and attitudes toward homosexuality. Sex Roles, 691–721. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1015640318045 Google Scholar
Wolsko, C., Park, B., Judd, C. M., & Wittenbrink, B. (2000). Framing interethnic ideology: Effects of multicultural and color-blind perspectives on judgments of groups and individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 635–654. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.78.4.635 Google Scholar
Yzerbyt, V., Rocher, S., & Schadron, G. (1997). Stereotypes as explanations: A subjective essentialistic view of group perception. In Spears, R., Oakes, P. J., Ellemers, N., & Haslam, S. A. (Eds.), The social psychology of stereotyping and group life (pp. 20–50). Malden, MA: Blackwell.Google Scholar