Exploring anti-asexual bias in a sample of Australian undergraduate psychology students

ABSTRACT

Research on attitudes towards asexual people is a relatively new focus within the discipline of psychology, and to date has not been a topic of focus in the Australian context. This study focused on Australian undergraduate psychology students, and their attitudes towards asexual people. The study recruited 231 participants from undergraduate psychology programmes to complete an online survey assessing their attitudes towards asexual people, bias against single people, and gender ideologies. In addition, participants rated how comfortable and confident they felt about working with asexual people within mental health settings in the future. Participants who reported greater endorsement of traditional gender role ideology, and negative bias against singles, also reported greater levels of anti-asexual bias. Participants who hoped to pursue a career in psychology reported lower levels of anti-asexual bias and less negative attitudes towards single people, and reported moderate levels of both comfort in working with asexual people in the future, and capacity to provide safe care to asexual people in the future. Drawing on these findings, the paper concludes by discussing areas that require ongoing attention in the study of anti-asexual bias, and makes recommendations for the training of psychology students and clinicians.

KEYWORDS:

• Asexuality
• attitudes
• bias
• psychology
• singlism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kym Vu

Kym Vu is a researcher affiliated with The University of Adelaide.

Damien W. Riggs

Damien W. Riggs is a professor in psychology at Flinders University and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow.

Clemence Due

Clemence Due is a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Adelaide.