Stereotypes, Emotions, and Behaviors Toward Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexual Women, and Bisexual Men

ABSTRACT

The utility of the Stereotype Content Model (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002) and the Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes map (Cuddy, Fiske, & Glick, 2007) were examined in the context of heterosexuals’ attitudes toward sexual minorities. Heterosexual adults completed a survey measuring stereotypes, emotions, and behavioral tendencies toward lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men. Stereotype content differed across groups and showed “gendered” and “valenced” effects on emotions and behavioral tendencies. Competence predicted behaviors for men, whereas warmth and competence predicted behaviors for women, and, for the most part, more was better. Admiration and contempt mediated most of these relationships across most subgroups, but pity and envy played smaller roles for some subgroups. Across all groups, competence played a more predictive role than warmth.

KEYWORDS:

• Stereotype Content Model
• BIAS map
• lesbians
• gay men
• bisexual men
• bisexual women

Acknowledment

Sierra B. Cronan is now at Department of Psychology, University of Utah.

Funding

This research was supported in part by the University Grants Program of San Diego State University awarded to the first author (Grant #G00009853).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by the University Grants Program of San Diego State University awarded to the first author (Grant #G00009853).