Attributing primary and secondary emotions to lesbians and gay men: Denying a human essence or gender stereotyping?

Brown, N. and Hegarty, P. (2005). Attributing primary and secondary emotions to lesbians and gay men: Denying a human essence or gender stereotyping? Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review, 6 14 - 20.

Abstract

Intergroup relations researchers argue that human essence is characterised by secondaryemotions (e.g., jealousy, shame) and that more secondary emotions are attributed to in-groupsthan to out-groups. This study tested this hypothesis with regard to sexual in-groups and out-groups. Sixty-one heterosexual-identified undergraduates attributed both primary andsecondary emotions to heterosexual men and women, and to lesbians and gay men, andcompleted the Support for Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Scale (Ellis, Kitzinger &Wilkinson, 2002). Leyens’ theory was not supported. Instead of attributing more secondaryemotions to in-groups, participants attributed emotions based on gender stereotypes (is thisassertion not common in the attribution literature?). Attributions of positive emotions (towhom?), but not secondary emotions to lesbians and gay men, were related to stronger support for lesbian and gay human rights We argue that research linking secondary emotionsto the infrahumanization of outgroups needs to consider stereotypes linking gender andemotionality