Sex differences in affective responses to homoerotic stimuli: evidence for an unconscious bias among heterosexual men, but not heterosexual women

Antigay bias is a well-documented social problem among heterosexual men, though heterosexual women display a lesser tendency toward this bias. Startle eye blink has been established as a valid measure of the affective component of antigay bias in heterosexual men. In the current study, a sample of 9...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of sexual behavior 2005-10, Vol.34 (5), p.537-545
Main Authors: Mahaffey, Amanda L, Bryan, Angela, Hutchison, Kent E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Attitude to Health
Female
Gender differences
Heterosexuality - psychology
Homosexuality, Female - psychology
Homosexuality, Male - psychology
Humans
Male
Photic Stimulation
Reflex, Startle
Sex Factors
Sexual orientation discrimination
Social Perception
Social Values
Stereotyping
Surveys and Questionnaires
Unconscious (Psychology)
United States
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Summary:Antigay bias is a well-documented social problem among heterosexual men, though heterosexual women display a lesser tendency toward this bias. Startle eye blink has been established as a valid measure of the affective component of antigay bias in heterosexual men. In the current study, a sample of 91 heterosexual women and 87 heterosexual men were exposed to a variety of sexual photographic stimuli accompanied by startle probes. Heterosexual men who expressed more bias against gay men using a social distance measure (i.e., discomfort with being in close quarters with a gay man) displayed a startle response consistent with greater negative affect (e.g., fear and disgust) toward gay male stimuli, while those with less self-reported antigay bias did not display a physiological bias against gay men, and none of these men showed a relationship between bias against lesbians and physiological responses while viewing lesbian images. There were no such physiological manifestations of antigay bias in heterosexual women while viewing lesbian or gay male images, even among those who self-reported such bias. It appears that heterosexual women do not tend to have the same affective response toward homosexuals that some heterosexual men experience.
ISSN:0004-0002
1573-2800
DOI:10.1007/s10508-005-6279-4