This Is AuburnElectronic Theses and Dissertations

Essentialist Beliefs About Homosexuality: Structure and Implications for Prejudice - A Replication of Haslam and Levy, 2006

Date

2008-08-15

Author

Raley, Kristin

Type of Degree

Thesis

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Past studies have indicated that essentialist beliefs are associated with prejudicial attitudes. In this study, 300 Auburn University undergraduates responded to measures assessing the degree to which participants ascribed to essentialist beliefs about homosexuals, their attitudes toward homosexuals, and their degree of religious fundamentalism. Results indicated that there are three factors comprising essentialist beliefs about homosexuals. In addition, two of these factors showed a negative correlation with antigay attitudes while the third factor was positively correlated with antigay attitudes. Essentialist beliefs accounted for variance in antigay attitudes beyond that accounted for by religious fundamentalism.