By any other name

Homophobia a Misnomer, Study Finds

Researchers say it's a prejudice, not an actual fear

TUESDAY, June 11 (HealthScoutNews) -- Homophobia is not an actual phobia because it's caused by disgust, not fear or anxiety, say University of Arkansas psychologists.

To examine the emotions behind homophobia, they asked 138 people to complete a series of surveys, including: the Index of Attitudes toward Homosexuals (IAH), which measures homophobia; the Sexual Attitude Scale, which charts what people think about human sexuality; the Disgust Emotion Scale, which measures a person's response level in terms of disgust; and the Padua Inventory, which assessed contamination obsessions.

Study participants also answered three questionnaires that measured levels of fear and anxiety.

Statistical analysis showed a negative correlation between attitudes about homosexuals and measures of fear and anxiety. But results from the IAH showed a positive correlation with results from the Sexual Attitude Scale, the Disgust Emotion Scale and the Padua Inventory.

The researchers say the findings demonstrated that people who showed homophobic tendencies on the IAH also displayed conservative sexual attitudes, along with elevated levels of disgust and dread of contamination.

The study was presented over the weekend at the American Psychological Society convention in New Orleans.

The findings suggest that social conditions and attitudes, not psychological factors, are the basis for homophobia, the researchers say. In other words, homophobia is more akin to racism than it is to a phobia.

That means that attempts to treat or reduce homophobia need to focus on changing attitudes in social contexts, such as homes or schools, rather than through psychological treatment, the researchers add.

More information

To learn more about what's being done to combat the problem, try the Citizens Against Homophobia.

SOURCE: Abstract, American Psychological Society convention, New Orleans, June 9, 2002; University of Arkansas news release

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