Prejudice towards gay men and a need for physical cleansing

Golec de Zavala, Agnieszka; Waldzus, Sven and Cypryanska, Marzena. 2014. Prejudice towards gay men and a need for physical cleansing. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 54, pp. 1-10. ISSN 0022-1031 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

The results of four studies suggest that contamination concerns involved in prejudice towards male homosexuals may be expressed in the increased need for physical cleansing after an imagined contact with a homosexual man. Participants in Study 1 completed word fragments according to the theme of cleansing, and in Study 2, they chose a cleansing wipe more often after imagining using a mobile phone of a homosexual (vs. heterosexual) man. The need for cleansing was specific to the body parts engaged in the contact. In Study 3, participants evaluated hand and mouth cleansing products as more desirable after imagining using a mobile phone of a homosexual (vs. heterosexual) man. The specific need for cleansing, but not the accessibility of cleansing related words, was more pronounced among political conservatives (Study 4). The results are discussed with reference to the behavioral immune system hypothesis, research on moral disgust, and the embodiment literature.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2014.04.001

Keywords:

Prejudice; Contamination; Cleansing

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Psychology

Dates:

DateEvent
September 2014Published

Item ID:

10816

Date Deposited:

28 Oct 2014 15:09

Last Modified:

29 Apr 2020 16:02

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/10816

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