Effects of gender norms & heterosexism on adoptions & disgust.

Abstract

Heterosexism affects both individual and societal prejudices, leading to discrimination based on one's sexual orientation. In the following studies, it was shown that level of heterosexism predicted homosexual discrimination in adoptions. Along with heterosexism, gender norms also play a role in prejudice and discrimination. The emotion of disgust has been shown to overgeneralize into perceptions of outgroups and moral decisions, including negative attitudes towards homosexuals. The following three studies examined the influence of heterosexism on adoption decisions. Studies Two and Three also examined the influence of gender norms on adoption decisions, and Study Three included a behavioral measure that examined the influence of gender norms and heterosexism on implicit disgust levels. Results indicated that heterosexism and gender norms affected homosexual discrimination but not implicit disgust levels. Additional analyses indicated that a stereotype suppression/rebound effect occurred in Studies Two and Three.