Research on stereotypes of lesbians has consistently shown that lesbians are perceived to be more masculine than heterosexual women, aggressive and without maternal instinct (Kite & Deaux, 1987; Taylor, 1983). More recently, in the framework of the Stereotype Content Model (SCM- Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002), lesbians are viewed as task competent but not socially warm. Even if research on social perception has demonstrated that social groups are not perceived as undifferentiated categories but related to subcategories, researchers have focused almost exclusively on impressions of the “typical lesbians” and have failed to assess heterosexuals’ impressions of different subgroups of lesbians. The present research, which was guided by the Stereotype Content Model, investigates whether heterosexuals think about lesbians either as an undifferentiated category or as a social category organized in subgroups each of them differently stereotyped. The pilot study identified 4 distinct subgroups; each of them was rated by graduate and undergraduates (N = 98) on the SCM dimensions warmth, competence, status and competition. As predicted, each subgroup is differently rated on warmth and competence in comparison with the super-ordinate category and with the other subgroups. Perceived status and competence correlate, although, like the study of gay men (Clausell & Fiske, 2005), competition and warmth do not. The importance of these findings for the anti-homosexual prejudice and for the SCM is discussed.
Subgrouping and homosexuality: What do people believe about lesbians?
BRAMBILLA, Marco;RAVENNA, Marcella
2008
Abstract
Research on stereotypes of lesbians has consistently shown that lesbians are perceived to be more masculine than heterosexual women, aggressive and without maternal instinct (Kite & Deaux, 1987; Taylor, 1983). More recently, in the framework of the Stereotype Content Model (SCM- Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002), lesbians are viewed as task competent but not socially warm. Even if research on social perception has demonstrated that social groups are not perceived as undifferentiated categories but related to subcategories, researchers have focused almost exclusively on impressions of the “typical lesbians” and have failed to assess heterosexuals’ impressions of different subgroups of lesbians. The present research, which was guided by the Stereotype Content Model, investigates whether heterosexuals think about lesbians either as an undifferentiated category or as a social category organized in subgroups each of them differently stereotyped. The pilot study identified 4 distinct subgroups; each of them was rated by graduate and undergraduates (N = 98) on the SCM dimensions warmth, competence, status and competition. As predicted, each subgroup is differently rated on warmth and competence in comparison with the super-ordinate category and with the other subgroups. Perceived status and competence correlate, although, like the study of gay men (Clausell & Fiske, 2005), competition and warmth do not. The importance of these findings for the anti-homosexual prejudice and for the SCM is discussed.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
