title: Male Role Endorsement Explains Negative Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Among Students in Mexico More Than in Germany.
abstract: Anti-gay attitudes vary across cultures because the larger social context plays a role in attitude formation. Psychological correlates of these attitudes have been investigated in the United States and Europe. Endorsement of traditional gender roles has emerged from that research as a central correlate, next to religiosity and personal contact with lesbians/gay men. In a cross-sectional study, we tested whether these correlates are relevant in Mexico, characterized as an androcentric culture in which both gender-role traditionalism and religiosity are high, using a college-age student sample (N = 63). Because we relied on self-reports, the motivation to appear nonprejudiced was also assessed. We found typical gender differences in attitudes toward gay men. In bivariate tests, anti-gay attitudes were related to male role endorsement, contact with lesbians/gay men, and religiosity. In a multivariate analysis, variance in attitudes was explained by male role endorsement; personal contact or religiosity did not explain additional variance. In a German comparison sample (N = 112), male role endorsement played a smaller role. Variance in anti-gay attitudes in the German sample was also related to personal contact, religiosity, and the motivation to appear nonprejudiced. We discuss the centrality of (male) gender-role endorsement in cultures with high gender-role traditionalism.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Social and Economic Psychology , Faculty of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau.
authors.forename: Melanie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Steffens
authors.affiliation: b Department of Social Psychology , Institute of Psychology, University of Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Kai J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.affiliation: a Department of Social and Economic Psychology , Faculty of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Denger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D005858:Germany / Q000208:ethnology; D063509:Homophobia / Q000208:ethnology*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000208:ethnology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult