title: Perceptions of affectionate communication among people with unfavorable and favorable attitudes toward homosexuality.
abstract: People are sometimes hesitant to communicate affection if it might be misinterpreted by the intended receiver or an audience. We hypothesized that anti-gay/-lesbian attitudes might negatively affect the perceived appropriateness of expressing affection. One hundred and twenty male and female undergraduates with either very high or very low levels of anti-gay/-lesbian attitudes participated in the study. They rated the appropriateness of expressing affection toward same- and other-sex targets in a set of 2 (public or private setting) × 3 (positive, neutral, or negative valence) scenarios. Results supported a "generalized inhibition" effect, with high levels of anti-gay/-lesbian attitudes associated with a reluctance to express affection regardless of target, setting, valence, or current relationship status. Implications for research on affectionate expression and anti-gay/-lesbian attitudes are presented.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Middle Tennessee State University , Murfreesboro , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Stacia M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brantley-Hill
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Brinthaupt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D063509:Homophobia / Q000523:psychology*; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult