Personal space
When contact changes minds: An experiment on transmission of support for gay equality
Michael LaCour & Donald Green, Science, 12 December 2014, Pages 1366-1369
Abstract:
Can a single conversation change minds on divisive social issues, such as same-sex marriage? A randomized placebo-controlled trial assessed whether gay (n = 22) or straight (n = 19) messengers were effective at encouraging voters (n = 972) to support same-sex marriage and whether attitude change persisted and spread to others in voters' social networks. The results, measured by an unrelated panel survey, show that both gay and straight canvassers produced large effects initially, but only gay canvassers' effects persisted in 3-week, 6-week, and 9-month follow-ups. We also find strong evidence of within-household transmission of opinion change, but only in the wake of conversations with gay canvassers. Contact with gay canvassers further caused substantial change in the ratings of gay men and lesbians more generally. These large, persistent, and contagious effects were confirmed by a follow-up experiment. Contact with minorities coupled with discussion of issues pertinent to them is capable of producing a cascade of opinion change.
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Joseph Sabia, Industrial Relations, January 2015, Pages 33-58
Abstract:
Using data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study (1) examines the sensitivity of the estimated earnings penalty of sexual minority status to family-level unobserved heterogeneity, and (2) explores whether the earnings effects of sexual orientation differ by the degree of fluidity in individuals' self-reported sexual identity over time. Evidence from sibling pairs suggests that unobserved family heterogeneity is not an important source of bias in the estimated relationship between sexual orientation and young adult earnings. I find that gay males and bisexuals earn lower wages than their heterosexual counterparts, while lesbians earn wages that are not significantly different from heterosexual females. Finally, I examine the role of fluidity in sexual orientation over time and find that males who are longer-term gay identifiers earn wages that are 26.4 percent lower than their consistently heterosexual-identifying counterparts.
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Joel Nadler et al., Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, December 2014, Pages 480-488
Abstract:
The effects of egalitarian hiring norms and accountability on ratings of gay and nongay job applicants were explored using theories of aversive discrimination. Participants (n = 311) from a Midwestern university rated a video interview of a moderately performing department head job applicant (gay man or nongay man) after receiving information about the position. Participants were randomly assigned to be given additional information about job-relatedness and affirmative action procedures or not (egalitarian norms), and were then told they would or would not have to explain their ratings (accountability). Consistent with aversive discrimination theory, participants rated the gay applicant less positively than the nongay applicant irrespective of self-reported and implicit heterosexist attitudes. Bias favoring the heterosexual applicant was found in the no accountability condition but no differences were seen between the gay and nongay applicant in the accountability condition. Our study did not find support of the effect of training focusing on egalitarian norms on bias in ratings. Organizations should recognize the potential bias that targets gay applicants and consider methods to incorporate accountability in order to mitigate discriminatory hiring practices.
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D.S. Moskowitz et al., Personality and Individual Differences, March 2015, Pages 97-101
Abstract:
The ratio of the length of the second finger, or digit, to the fourth finger (2D:4D) is influenced by fetal exposure to androgens; a smaller ratio indicates greater androgen exposure. We used event contingent recording to investigate the relation between the 2D:4D ratio and social behavior. Participants completed multiple records of their behavior in events in naturalistic settings; records included information about situational features such as the gender of the person with whom the person was interacting. Men were more agreeable towards women than men; this effect was significantly greater in those with smaller 2D:4D ratios. Men with smaller 2D:4D ratios were also less quarrelsome towards women than towards men. The 2D:4D ratio did not influence social behavior in women. The hormonal environment in which the male fetal brain develops may influence adult social behavior in specific contexts.
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Testing for Discrimination against Lesbians of Different Marital Status: A Field Experiment
Doris Weichselbaumer, Industrial Relations, January 2015, Pages 131-161
Abstract:
In this paper, I conduct a correspondence testing experiment to examine sexual orientation discrimination against lesbians in Germany. I sent applications from four fictional female characters in response to job advertisements in Munich and Berlin: a heterosexual single, a married heterosexual, a single lesbian, and a lesbian who is in a "same-sex registered partnership." While single lesbians and lesbians in a registered partnership are equally discriminated in comparison to the heterosexual women in the city of Munich, I found no discrimination based on sexual orientation in Berlin. Furthermore, for a subset of the data we can compare the effects of a randomized versus a paired testing approach, which suggests that under certain conditions, due to increased conspicuity, the paired testing approach may lead to biased results.
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John Pachankis et al., Health Psychology, forthcoming
Objective: Sexual compulsivity represents a significant public health concern among gay and bisexual men, given its co-occurrence with other mental health problems and HIV infection. The purpose of this study was to examine a model of sexual compulsivity based on minority stress theory and emotion regulation models of mental health among gay and bisexual men.
Method: Gay and bisexual men in New York City reporting at least nine past-90-day sexual partners (n = 374) completed measures of distal minority stressors (i.e., boyhood gender nonconformity and peer rejection, adulthood perceived discrimination), hypothesized proximal minority stress mediators (i.e., rejection sensitivity, internalized homonegativity), hypothesized universal mediators (i.e., emotion dysregulation, depression, and anxiety), and sexual compulsivity.
Results: The hypothesized model fit the data well (RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.95, SRMR = 0.03). Distal minority stress processes (e.g., adulthood discrimination) were generally found to confer risk for both proximal minority stressors (e.g., internalized homonegativity) and emotion dysregulation. Proximal minority stressors and emotion dysregulation, in turn, generally predicted sexual compulsivity both directly and indirectly through anxiety and depression.
Conclusions: The final model suggests that gay-specific (e.g., internalized homonegativity) and universal (e.g., emotion dysregulation) processes represent potential treatment targets to attenuate the impact of minority stress on gay and bisexual men's sexual health. Tests of interventions that address these targets to treat sexual compulsivity among gay and bisexual men represent a promising future research endeavor.
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Diana Fleischman, Daniel Fessler & Argine Evelyn Cholakians, Archives of Sexual Behavior, forthcoming
Abstract:
The frequency of homoerotic behavior among individuals who do not identify as having an exclusively homosexual sexual orientation suggests that such behavior potentially has adaptive value. Here, we define homoerotic behavior as intimate erotic contact between members of the same sex and affiliation as the motivation to make and maintain social bonds. Among both male and female nonhuman primates, affiliation is one of the main drivers of homoerotic behavior. Correspondingly, in humans, both across cultures and across historical periods, homoerotic behavior appears to play a role in promoting social bonds. However, to date, the affiliation explanation of human homoerotic behavior has not been adequately tested experimentally. We developed a measure of homoerotic motivation with a sample of 244 men and women. Next, we found that, in women (n = 92), homoerotic motivation was positively associated with progesterone, a hormone that has been shown to promote affiliative bonding. Lastly, we explored the effects of affiliative contexts on homoerotic motivation in men (n = 59), finding that men in an affiliative priming condition were more likely to endorse engaging in homoerotic behavior compared to those primed with neutral or sexual concepts, and this effect was more pronounced in men with high progesterone. These findings constitute the first experimental support for the affiliation account of the evolution of homoerotic motivation in humans.
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Labor-Market Specialization within Same-Sex and Difference-Sex Couples
Christopher Jepsen & Lisa Jepsen, Industrial Relations, January 2015, Pages 109-130
Abstract:
We use data from the 2000 decennial U.S. Census to compare differences in earnings, hours worked, and labor-force participation between members of different household types, including same-sex couples, different-sex couples, and roommates. Both same-sex and different-sex couples exhibit some degree of household specialization, whereas roommates show little or no degree of specialization. Of all household types, married couples exhibit by far the highest degree of specialization with respect to labor-market outcomes. With respect to differences in earnings and hours, gay male couples are more similar to married couples than lesbian or unmarried heterosexual couples are to married couples.
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Ja'Nina Walker, Buffie Longmire-Avital & Sarit Golub, Health Psychology, forthcoming
Objective: Emerging adult Black gay and bisexual men represent intersections of social groups that are greatly impacted by the HIV epidemic (i.e., young, Black, gay/bisexual). Given their vulnerability to HIV, it is imperative to understand how these social identities may also promote resilience, and point to protective factors that may aid in our development of population-specific HIV prevention interventions.
Method: An online survey of the experiences of Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults was administered. The current study assessed the intersection of identities and sexual risk behavior for a subsample of this population; 120 Black gay and bisexual young men (Mage = 21.79, SD = 3.08).
Results: Using hierarchical linear regression, higher levels of racial centrality (degree to which being Black is central to ones identity) and racial public regard (perceptions of societal views toward Black Americans) predicted decreases in risky sexual behavior (total anal sex acts and unprotected anal sex acts).
Conclusion: Researchers and interventionist should consider the ways in which racial centrality may be a critical tool in our efforts to decrease the HIV epidemic among young Black gay and bisexual men in America.
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David Pantalone et al., American Journal of Public Health, January 2015, Pages 103-110
Objectives: We investigated trends in, and predictors of, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with casual male partners of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM).
Methods: We analyzed data from cross-sectional intercept surveys conducted annually (2003-2008) at 2 large lesbian, gay, and bisexual community events in New York City. Survey data covered GBMSM's highest-risk behaviors for HIV acquisition (HIV-negative or unknown status GBMSM, any UAI) and transmission (HIV-positive GBMSM, any serodiscordant unprotected UAI).
Results: Across years, 32.3% to 51.5% of the HIV-negative or unknown status men endorsed any UAI, and 36.9% to 52.9% of the HIV-positive men endorsed serodiscordant UAI. We observed a few statistically significant fluctuations in engagement in high-risk behavior. However, these do not appear to constitute meaningful trends. Similarly, in some years, one or another demographic predictor of UAI was significant. Across years, however, no reliable pattern emerged.
Conclusions: A significant proportion of urban GBMSM engage in high-risk sex, regardless of serostatus. No consistent demographic predictors emerged, implying a need for broad-based interventions that target all GBMSM.
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The Sexual Orientation Wage Gap for Racial Minorities
Jamie Douglas & Michael Steinberger, Industrial Relations, January 2015, Pages 59-108
Abstract:
We explore the sexual orientation wage gap across four race and ethnic groups in the 2000 U.S. Census: Asian, black, Hispanic, and white. Using decomposition analysis, we explore if racial minority groups experience the same pattern of sexual orientation wage differences as their white counterparts, and how racial and sexual orientation wage differences interact over the distribution of wages. For men, we show a combined unexplained penalty greater than the sum of their individual unexplained race and sexual-orientation differentials. Racial minority lesbians, however, earn higher wages than what the sum of their racial and sexual-orientation analyses would suggest.
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2D:4D and Life Outcomes: Evidence from the Russian RLMS Survey
John Nye, Maxim Bryukhanov & Sergiy Polyachenko, George Mason University Working Paper, November 2014
Abstract:
Using a large sample drawn from families in the Moscow and Moscow region which are part of the Russian RMLS longitudinal survey we observe clear links between measured 2D:4D digit ratios and a variety of life outcome measures, even with the inclusion of multiple controls. Contributing to existing empirical findings, we found statistically significant empirical associations of 2D:4D with higher educational attainment, occupational outcomes, knowledge of foreign language, smoking, engaging in sport activities and with some aspects of respondent's self-esteem. In general, the character of detected empirical associations are different for women and men, as it was documented in our previous studies.
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Balance Without Equality: Just World Beliefs, the Gay Affluence Myth, and Support for Gay Rights
Vanessa Hettinger & Joseph Vandello, Social Justice Research, December 2014, Pages 444-463
Abstract:
The harmfulness of negative stereotypes toward gay and lesbian people has been established, but the effect of positive stereotypes has not been thoroughly examined. Gay and lesbian Americans continue to struggle against interpersonal and institutionalized discrimination, yet many people do not see them as a politically disadvantaged group, and voter support for gay rights has been inconsistent and somewhat unpredictable. Drawing on previous research regarding reactions to disadvantaged and advantaged targets, we examined the social cognitive underpinnings of support for gay rights. After accounting for general anti-gay attitudes and degree of religious affiliation, we found that global endorsement of just world beliefs negatively predicted support for gay rights, and that this effect was mediated by an inclination to perceive discrimination against gay and lesbian people as less of an issue in American society. Additionally, we found that endorsement of the 'gay affluence' stereotype also negatively predicted support of gay rights, particularly among non-student adults, and that this effect was moderated by character beliefs about gay and lesbian people pertaining to wealth-deservingness.
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How the Right Usurped the Queer Agenda: Frame Co-optation in Political Discourse
Mary Burke & Mary Bernstein, Sociological Forum, December 2014, Pages 830-850
Abstract:
This article draws on a case study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and queer politics in Vermont to explain the conditions under which radical discourse gains and loses a public voice. In contrast to claims that the marginalization of queer discourse is due to silencing by LGBT rights activists or to litigation strategies, we argue that variation in queer discourse over time is the result of the co-optation of queer discourse and goals by opponents. Extending the social movement literature on frame variation, we argue that opponents co-opt discourse when they adopt aspects of the content of a movement's discourse, while subverting its intent. We show that conservative LGBT rights opponents co-opted queer discourse. As a result, queer positions lost their viability as the discursive field in which those arguments were made was fundamentally altered. Because queer positions became less tenable, we see the withdrawal of queer discourse from the mainstream and alternative LGBT media. Our work both supports and builds on research on frame variation by demonstrating how discourse can change over time in response to the interplay between changing aspects of the political and cultural landscape and the discourse of opponents.
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Social Networks and Sexual Orientation Disparities in Tobacco and Alcohol Use
Mark Hatzenbuehler, Katie McLaughlin & Ziming Xuan, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, January 2015, Pages, 117-126
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the composition of social networks contributes to sexual orientation disparities in substance use and misuse.
Method: Data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative cohort study of adolescents (N = 20,745). Wave 1 collected extensive information about the social networks of participants through peer nomination inventories.
Results: Same- and both-sex-attracted youths had higher frequency/quantity of tobacco use in their peer networks than did opposite-sex-attracted youths, and both-sex-attracted youths had higher frequency/quantity of alcohol use and misuse in their peer networks than opposite-sex-attracted youths. Among same- and both-sex-attracted youths, greater frequency/quantity of tobacco use in one's social network predicted greater use of cigarettes. In addition, greater frequency/quantity of peers' drinking and drinking to intoxication predicted more alcohol use and alcohol misuse in the both-sex-attracted group. These social network factors mediated sexual orientation-related disparities in tobacco use for both- and same-sex-attracted youths. Moreover, sexual orientation disparities in alcohol misuse were mediated by social network characteristics for the same-sex and both-sex-attracted youths. Importantly, sexual minority adolescents were no more likely to have other sexual minorities in their social networks than were sexual majority youths, ruling out an alternative explanation for our results.
Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of social networks as correlates of substance use behaviors among sexual minority youths and as potential pathways explaining sexual orientation disparities in substance use outcomes.
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Assisted Gestation and Transgender Women
Timothy Murphy, Bioethics, forthcoming
Abstract:
Developments in uterus transplant put assisted gestation within meaningful range of clinical success for women with uterine infertility who want to gestate children. Should this kind of transplantation prove routine and effective for those women, would there be any morally significant reason why men or transgender women should not be eligible for the same opportunity for gestation? Getting to the point of safe and effective uterus transplantation for those parties would require a focused line of research, over and above the study of uterus transplantation for non-transgender women. Some commentators object to the idea that the state has any duty to sponsor research of this kind. They would limit all publicly-funded fertility research to sex-typical ways of having children, which they construe as the basis of reproductive rights. This objection has no force against privately-funded research, of course, and in any case not all social expenditures are responses to 'rights' properly speaking. Another possible objection raised against gestation by transgender women is that it could alter the social meaning of sexed bodies. This line of argument fails, however, to substantiate a meaningful objection to gestation by transgender women because social meanings of sexed bodies do not remain constant and because the change in this case would not elicit social effects significant enough to justify closing off gestation to transgender women as a class.