Interpersonal contact and beliefs about homosexuality: scale development

Authors

  • Elder Cerqueira-Santos Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
  • Fernanda dos Santos Winter Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
  • Luis Adriano Salles UFRGS
  • José Luís Longo UFRGS
  • Maycoln Teodoro

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/psi.v11i2.6639

Keywords:

sexual orientation, prejudice, interpersonal contact

Abstract

The aim of this study was to create a scale to measure the beliefs held by Brazilian college students about gay and lesbian behaviors. In addition, the relationships between beliefs about homosexuality and one’s interpersonal relationship with gays and lesbians were analyzed. Participants included 442 college students, 42.5% men (n=188) and 57.5% women (n=254), with a mean age at 21.6 years (SD = 4.0). The instrument was a questionnaire composed by 29 items rated on a five-point Likert scale about gay and lesbian behaviors. The results indicate that women reported having more friendships with homosexuals than men (Z = 4.69; p<0.001). Factor analyses showed revealed a three factors model: negative representation of gays and lesbians (α=.89); positive representation (α=.69); and within group differences of gays and lesbians (α=.69), explaining 45.7% of the variance. Men scored higher in the first factor and lower in the second, compared to women. There was no significant difference in the third factor. It was found that interpersonal contact is negatively correlated to negative beliefs about gays and lesbians.

Keywords: sexual orientation; prejudice; interpersonal contact.

 

Author Biographies

Elder Cerqueira-Santos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Psicólogo pela Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Mestre e Doutorando pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul / University of Nebraska. Membro do CEP - Rua (Centro de Estudos Psicológicos sobre Meninos e Meninas de Rua).

Maycoln Teodoro

Doutor em Psicologia pela Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Alemanha. Professor de Psicologia da UNISINOS.

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How to Cite

Cerqueira-Santos, E., Winter, F. dos S., Salles, L. A., Longo, J. L., & Teodoro, M. (2007). Interpersonal contact and beliefs about homosexuality: scale development. Interação Em Psicologia, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.5380/psi.v11i2.6639

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2007)

Section

Articles

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